Guidelines for the creation of brain-compatible cyber security educational material in Moodle 2.0

Most current approaches towards information security education do not have a sound theoretical basis. This could lead to the failure of these educational programs. Furthermore, the need for information security knowledge is no longer only of concern to organizations, but has also become a concern for individuals using online services for personal entertainment, social networking, banking, and other activities. Thus, there is a need for “cyber security” education for both individuals and organizations. Such cyber security educational programs should be based on sound pedagogical theories. One such a pedagogically sound approach that could potentially play a role in cyber security educational programs is “brain compatible learning”. This paper will perform a critical evaluation of an existing information security education course, and evaluate the subject matter in terms of brain compatible learning approaches. The aim of the paper is to propose a set of brain compatible learning guidelines for the creation of cyber security educational material. The paper will also argue in favour of the use e-learning as a delivery mechanism for such content. As such, the guidelines will be proposed in the context of a Moodle 2.0 e-learning environment.