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Preliminary Analysis of Empathy-Driven Design and Inclusive Cybersecurity Education: The Initial Phase of the uSucceed Project’s Virtual Reality Curriculum for Neurodiverse Adults in STEM

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Immersive Learning Research Network (iLRN 2024)

Part of the book series: Communications in Computer and Information Science ((CCIS,volume 2271))

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Abstract

The uSucceed project seeks to mitigate employment disparities among neurodiverse adults in the U.S., especially in the STEM fields. Utilizing Virtual Reality (VR), the project delivers a specialized curriculum in computational technology and advanced computer engineering. This paper delves into the project’s initial phase, employing a Design-Based Research (DBR) approach framed within the Learner Experience Design paradigm. Methods include empathy interviews, empathy mapping, and persona development to inform design principles. Preliminary findings, drawn from qualitative analysis of empathy maps and personas, have led to key design considerations in user experience, pedagogy, and technology. These considerations serve as a framework for the development of inclusive VR games in cybersecurity education. As the project evolves, it is moving towards the implementation and evaluation stages, with an AI-driven pedagogical agent under development to offer real-time, adaptive learning support.

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Funding

This research is funded by the National Science Foundation under project award number 2302596.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, USA

    Noah Glaser, Prasad Calyam, Yupei Duan, Shangman Li, Sai Shreya Nuguri, Cannon Ousley, Anirudh Kambhampati, Zeinab Parishani & Amogh Chetankumar Joshi

  2. Texas A&M University, College Station, USA

    Mohan Yang

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Correspondence to Noah Glaser .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. University of Potsdam, Potsdam, Germany

    Jule M. Krüger

  2. Polytechnic Institute of Santarém, Santarém, Portugal

    Daniela Pedrosa

  3. University of Arkansas, Arkansas, AR, USA

    Dennis Beck

  4. Queen Mary University of London, London, UK

    Marie-Luce Bourguet

  5. Goethe-Universität Frankfurt am Main, Frankfurt, Germany

    Andreas Dengel

  6. University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK

    Rami Ghannam

  7. University of St Andrews, St Andrews, UK

    Alan Miller

  8. BT Research Labs, Ipswich, UK

    Anasol Peña-Rios

  9. University of Montana, Missoula, MT, USA

    Jonathon Richter

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Glaser, N. et al. (2025). Preliminary Analysis of Empathy-Driven Design and Inclusive Cybersecurity Education: The Initial Phase of the uSucceed Project’s Virtual Reality Curriculum for Neurodiverse Adults in STEM. In: Krüger, J.M., et al. Immersive Learning Research Network. iLRN 2024. Communications in Computer and Information Science, vol 2271. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-80475-5_19

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-80475-5_19

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