TermAdventure: Interactively Teaching UNIX Command Line, Text Adventure Style

Šuppa, Marek; Jariabka, Ondrej; Matejov, Adrián; Nagy, Marek

doi:10.1145/3430665.3456387

Cited by 5 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 16 publications

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“…The difference from our work is that neither of them collects the commands for further analysis. TermAdventure [41], on the other hand, stores the command logs, but is not a standalone logging toolset as we present here.…”

Section: Tools For Teaching Linux Shell Commandsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Toolset for Collecting Shell Commands and Its Application in Hands-on Cybersecurity Training

Švábenský

Vykopal

Tovarňák

et al. 2021

2021 IEEE Frontiers in Education Conference (FIE)

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This Full Paper in the Innovative Practice category presents and evaluates a technical innovation for handson classes. When learning cybersecurity, operating systems, or networking, students perform practical tasks using a broad range of command-line tools. Collecting and analyzing data about the command usage can reveal valuable insights into how students progress and where they make mistakes. However, few learning environments support recording and inspecting command-line inputs, and setting up an efficient infrastructure for this purpose is challenging. To aid engineering and computing educators, we share the design and implementation of an open-source toolset for logging commands that students execute on Linux machines. Compared to basic solutions, such as shell history files, the toolset's novelty and added value are threefold. First, its configuration is automated so that it can be easily used in classes on different topics. Second, it collects metadata about the command execution, such as a timestamp, hostname, and IP address. Third, all data are instantly forwarded to central storage in a unified, semi-structured format. This enables automated processing of the data, both in real-time and post hoc, to enhance the instructors' understanding of student actions. The toolset works independently of the teaching content, the training network's topology, or the number of students working in parallel. We demonstrated the toolset's value in two learning environments at four training sessions. Over two semesters, 50 students played educational cybersecurity games using a Linux command-line interface. Each training session lasted approximately two hours, during which we recorded 4439 shell commands. The semiautomated data analysis revealed different solution patterns, used tools, and misconceptions of students. Our insights from creating the toolset and applying it in teaching practice are relevant for instructors, researchers, and developers of learning environments. We provide the software and data resulting from this work so that others can use them in their hands-on classes.

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Section: Tools For Teaching Linux Shell Commandsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Toolset for Collecting Shell Commands and Its Application in Hands-on Cybersecurity Training

Švábenský

Vykopal

Tovarňák

et al. 2021

2021 IEEE Frontiers in Education Conference (FIE)

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“…Unix introduction courses aim at providing students with conceptual and practical knowledge to efficiently interact with this ubiquitous system, and in particular to do it from the command line interface (CLI) [23]. These courses feature in the first year of many Computer Science (CS) programs.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

ShellOnYou

Berry

Castelltort

Pélissier

et al. 2022

Proceedings of the 27th ACM Conference on on Innovation and Technology in Computer Science Education Vol. 1

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We present ShellOnYou, a new Computer Science education tool, and analyze its use with four successive student cohorts.Developed to help instructors manage numerous students, this web application offers auto-graded exercises to acquire practical knowledge of Unix-like operating systems from the command line. For each answer, and almost instantly, students receive a score and detailed feedback. This reactive and iterative process encourages students to resubmit answers and progressively expand their procedural knowledge. The tool can also deliver individualized statements, thereby allowing students to improve their skills by combining personal research and peer learning. As an online tool, ShellOnYou affords students access flexibility, and also easily fits in distance learning programs. We found it particularly useful when teaching students with heterogeneous Unix backgrounds. The tool is available on request.We placed four successive student cohorts in a learning situation involving this tool, and asked them to fill a survey at the end of the learning period. We combine qualitative and quantitative methods to analyze their answers to the survey. We attempt to characterize their acquisition of procedural knowledge and the building of group dynamics. Several dimensions emerge: the benefits of using the tool in a learning situation, the learning process iteration as a catalyst for renewed commitment, the tool's entertaining format and its scoring system as a motivation for regular studying, and the inherent customization of the learning pace.

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