An Inquiry-Based Learning Approach to Teaching Undergraduate Cryptology

Abstract

This article describes the author's experience designing and implementing an inquiry-based learning (IBL) pedagogical approach to an upper-division undergraduate cryptology course. The author shares the course goals and how the IBL style supports their achievement. The article concludes with sample activities – in-class exercises that touch on one-time pad, the Birthday Problem, the Meet-in-the-Middle attack, and Diffie–Hellman key exchange protocol, and a programing assignment on the Vigenère cipher.

Keywords:

• Inquiry-based learning
• IBL
• active learning
• cryptanalysis
• computer programing

DISCLOSURE STATEMENT

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH

Stephanie Blanda is Assistant Professor in the Mathematical Sciences Department at Lebanon Valley College. She is a Project NExT fellow and is passionate about teaching and mentoring undergraduate students. Her research interests include machine learning, deep learning, data science, and mathematical education. During the summer, she runs a week-long residential coding camp for rising high school junior and senior girls. She earned her B.S. with a double major in mathematics and computer science at Lebanon Valley College, and her Ph.D. in mathematics with a minor in computational science from Penn State University.