UTeach Cybersecurity requires no additional materials, which makes it flexible and easily accessible for a wide variety of districts, schools, teachers, and students. Recommendations regarding hardware and software are outlined below.
Curriculum
The UTeach Cybersecurity curriculum is compatible with a variety of devices and includes extensive hands-on labs, as well as a number of collaborative research activities.
- Accessible on any device: The UTeach curriculum is hosted online on Codio, a cloud-based platform accessible on any modern browser
- Easy LMS integration: LTI integration streamlines account creation, single sign-on, and grade passthrough to other learning management systems including Blackboard, Canvas, Google Classroom, Moodle, Schoology, and more
- 1:1 computer access and internet access recommended on a daily basis: Students need access to a computer for a minimum of three hours each week, along with daily access to the internet
Codio is FERPA compliant, GDPR compliant, and meets the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 Standard at Level AA. Codio provides a built-in dyslexia support feature and supports screen readers for text-based programming languages such as Java and Python. Codio is actively committed to maintaining and continuously improving the accessibility of the Codio experience.
While most districts do not require additional documentation beyond Codio’s publicly listed privacy policy and FERPA compliance information, you may contact us if your district requires software approval. If your district requires additional software approval, please send all required forms to registration@uteachcs.zendesk.com.
Technical Requirements
The following recommendations ensure the best user experience for teachers and students when using the UTeach CS curriculum on the Codio platform:
- The following websites need to be accessible and not blocked by the school's IT department:
- Most frequently used sites: *.codio.com, *.codio.io, and https://uteachcs.github.io/Cyber-CSS/css/styles.css
- Several other websites, which are listed on the last page of the syllabus
- Chrome is the recommended browser for the Codio platform (view details about other browser options)
- Cookies need to be enabled (learn why cookies need to be enabled in section 4.1 or more about Codio's privacy policy and FERPA compliance)
- Codio can usually run from anywhere in your browser without any special settings. However, some K-12 firewall settings may require special configuration (learn more)
Hands-On Labs
UTeach Cybersecurity includes labs and hands-on projects that are completed within a sandbox environment, which is embedded within the Codio platform and available on any modern web browser with no downloads required.
All assignments and labs are hosted within the Codio platform and a separate cyber range is not required. Students are able to complete assignments on any device that supports a web browser, such as computers (including Chromebooks), tablets, or smartphones (smartphones and iPads are not recommended for optimal viewing).