Teacher of the Year hacks learning

After noticing higher-than-average numbers of neurodiverse students enrolling in Federation TAFE’s Certificate IV in Cyber Security course, Dr Adam Bignold's developed a curriculum better suited to his students’ needs. His efforts have been met with acclaim.

Utilising problem-based learning (PBL) with a focus on practical hands-on learning and assessments, and student-led engagement with Information Technology (IT) industry professionals yielded great results, with Adam named Federation TAFE Teacher/Trainer of the Year at the 2024 Federation TAFE Awards for Excellence.

“We have a lot of neurodiverse students at TAFE, and in IT that's close to 30 per cent. This may be because neurodiverse students often have social anxiety so are attracted to withdrawing to those safer places online. Our cyber security certificate revamp was born out of the need to cater to that diverse group of learners,” said Adam.

“Recognising the challenges some students faced with traditional assessments, I removed long written assignments and reduced the emphasis on knowledge-only assessments, working hard to shift to PBL, a more suitable method for many neurodiverse students.”

The revised Certificate IV model encourages students to engage in interactive discussion forums, promotes peer engagement and creates a robust community of practice. Student "pulse-check" surveys indicated the desire for more feedback on assessments, and more social activities for online learners which Adam then instigated.

The discussion forums allow students to share assessment outcomes, and constructively comment on each other’s work while peer grading ensures the students critically analyse and assess the work of their fellow students and through increasing their exposure to others’ work encourages knowledge sharing.

The shift to hands-on learning was also based on feedback from industry partners like Cisco and IBM and has significantly elevated students' readiness for real-world challenges.

The Certificate IV in Cyber Security has benefited from the introduction of more flexible learning options including evening classes, and connected classroom technology which has been instrumental in doubling of the number of female students, increasing the proportion of English as a Second Language (ESL) and permanent resident students, and improving student retention.

The results of Adam’s changes to the traditional curriculum have also been recognised on a global scale. In 2023, Federation TAFE Certificate IV students achieved impressive results in the prestigious DownunderCTF (Capture the Flag) cybersecurity competition, a 48-hour event where competitors apply hacking skills to solve challenges in cryptography, web, open-source intelligence, reverse engineering, and exploitation.

The competition drew over 2,100 teams from around the world, including professional organisations, hackers, and hobbyists with Adam’s students fielding two teams, an all-female team, the Cyber Chicks, who achieved first place in their category worldwide, and a second team who secured an impressive ninth place finish out of 77 tertiary education teams placing in the top 7 per cent of teams worldwide, showcasing the high-level cyber security skill and dedication Federation students have, and Adam’s work in revitalising the course.

Adam’s passion for teaching and learning in the Vocational Education and Training (VET) space is evident. He holds seven degrees and countless micro-credentials and is on a perpetual cycle of learning and teaching where he studies and then demonstrates what he learns in his own classroom to create the best learning experiences for his students.

“I have an associate degree in Adult and Vocational Education, have almost completed a Master of Business Administration, hold many instructor qualifications with industry partners, a PhD in Computing, a Bachelor in Information Technology, as well as having completed specialised courses that align with VET landscape.”

“I undertake further study to ensure I am at the cutting edge of educational techniques, technology, and business management and consider it a privilege to uplift those around me as a teacher. I actively strive to excel, mentor my students, and improve skills development within the cyber security team.”

For more information on the Certificate IV in Cyber Security which is a fee-free TAFE course visit https://study.federation.edu.au/course/DLBO