Contextual Background:
Within my classroom, there is a mix of students from different socioeconomic backgrounds, because I was teaching a digital forensic course, which needed a high-performance machine (HPC) to self-study, in-depth learning, practical exercises and to do the assignment at home using their personal computer or laptop. Among my students are those from low-income families relying on public scholarships or study loans, they are facing financial burden in affording an HPC, which is considerably more expensive than a standard laptop.
Evaluation:
Currently, we have one Information Security Lab that is specifically built for this Digital Forensic course and all the machines are high-performance and have been equipped with dedicated software with full licenses activated. The challenge is students can access this lab during their actual classes or when there is no class has been pre-booked. For that reason, students have limited access to this lab based on the class timetable and operating hours. I would like all my students would be able to have access to the HPC for longer sessions and carry out independent study without any limited access to the machine and software. At the same time, they will enjoy my class and have more freedom to learn and explore their forensic skills by practising with me in the class.
Moving forwards:
Engaging with students who have financial constraints regarding the use of high-performance machines requires a supportive and inclusive approach. I know that some of them would not be able to have their own HPC and practice their skill outside the class, so I design my teaching practice to address their needs and provide recommendations to support their participation in your class:
Coursework Adaptations:
At the beginning of the first unit of the course, I will structure the course with initial theoretical modules that do not require an HPC, mostly engaging with them with the interesting concept of digital forensics and some interesting activities using various mediums such as PowerPoint, paper cutting, post-it note and discussion.
Once students were familiar with the theoretical concept, I started the hands-on activities and practical exercises that take advantage of the lab environment. My aim is to allow students to apply concepts and techniques in a supervised setting and at the same time I provide them with guided tutorials and demonstrations during lab sessions.
Maximising Lab Time:
I know that lab time is so limited and valuable, I tried to concentrate on practical exercises. During the lab session, all my teaching practices will focus on crucial exercises and assignments that would help them understand the fundamental concept in their coursework that maximises the HPC machine in the lab. These activities have been done with a proper plan with a clear instruction and an organised workflow to optimise student’s time in the lab. At the same time, I also encourage teamwork during lab sessions, allowing students to share resources and gain insights from each other’s work.
Flexible Lab Policies:
Before the course starts, I will discuss with the timetable team to implement flexible lab policies that accommodate students with diverse needs and schedules. Allow students to use the lab outside of scheduled class times for additional practice and self-study. These can be done by extending the operation hours or consider implementing a booking system that allow students to reserve their spot outside their class session.
Alternative Learning Resources:
Cloud-based Solutions or Remote Access:
I have implemented this solution in the London College of Fashion which provides remote access to all lab resources (computing power, software, and storage) for students who are unable to physically attend lab sessions or cannot afford to buy the HPC. This could involve accessing the virtual desktop environments or remote access software that allows students to connect to lab computers from their own devices. This alternative solution will offer an accessible, scalable, and cost-effective way for students to practice digital forensic techniques and gain hands-on experience with real-world datasets and tools.
Open-Source Alternatives:
The full-license software is expensive, and most students cannot afford to purchase and install it on their computers, so these alternatives provide students with cost-effective and accessible options for learning and practising their skills without the need for expensive hardware or software licenses. By using the open-source software and tools, students can gain valuable hands-on experience with the real-world this software also offers similar functionalities to paid software used on HPCs and provide valuable learning experiences.
By designing my teaching practice in the HPC forensics lab with a focus on accessibility, flexibility, and support, I can create an inclusive learning environment where all students have the opportunity to engage with the teaching material and develop their skills in digital forensics, regardless of their financial circumstances.
References:
E. Pollard, C. Huxley, A. Martin, H. Takala, M. Byford Institute for Employment Studies. Department of Education (May 2019) Impact of the student finance system on participation, experience and outcomes of disadvantaged young people.
R. Carratalá-Sáez, S. Iserte, S. Catalán, Teaching on demand: an HPC experience, in: Proceedings of EduHPC 2019: Workshop on Education for High Performance Computing – Held in Conjunction with SC19: The International Conference for High Performance Computing, Networking, Storage and Analysis, 2019, pp. 32–41
Smith, J. (2014). High performance computing and mathematics.
On-line: http://www.math.iastate.edu/pdfs/MM2014.pdf math.iastate.edu. [Accessed on 10 March 2024]