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Balancing Competing Goods: Design Challenges Associated with Complex Learning

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Abstract

Designing authentic simulations to replicate professional work environments is a difficult task for instructional designers. In this chapter, we describe our process and experience adding an ethical dilemma to a cybersecurity simulation designed to introduce undergraduate students to cybersecurity careers. We present an analysis of student responses to an ethical dilemma prompt that was added later to the simulation and report student reactions to it. We discuss design challenges such as how to subtly point students toward the ethical dilemma without making it too explicit. We also stress the importance of formative evaluation when adding features like an ethical dilemma.

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