24 Aug NDUS’s Dakota Digital Academy Stimulates New Courses in Cyber Field
Grant funding provided by the North Dakota University System’s Dakota Digital Academy initiative has spurred faculty across the 11 institutions to develop more than 50 new cyber-related courses in the past 18 months.
At Dakota College at Bottineau, Information Technology Instructor Trisha Nelson used grant funds to create an introductory course in information security and a second course on cybersecurity. For the cybersecurity course, Nelson relied on Open Education Resources to build the course. The OER greatly reduces textbooks costs for students.
“I think it’s going to be a really positive impact for the students,” Nelson said. “They’ll be saving money, and the material will have the most current trends, information, and ways to fight against digital attackers. It’ll be knowledge that they can apply directly to the workforce.”
The cybersecurity class is part of a larger cybersecurity certificate, which itself is offered as a joint effort between DCB and Turtle Mountain Community College. Additionally, the courses will be offered to all institutions within the Northern Information Technology Consortium: DCB, TMCC, Minot State University, Lake Region State College, and Williston State College. Chancellor Mark Hagerott noted that the initiative helped highlight collaboration among NDUS institutions and tribal schools.
“These classes are important because they educate students on a growing concern of all of our lives – digital security,” said Hagerott. “Nelson’s use of the DDA grant funding and OER assets to deliver these classes showcase the innovative efforts our educators are implementing systemwide. The collaborative effort between institutions similarly shows how these types of courses are reaching more students than ever.”