Teaching cyber security to non-tech students

Introduction

Cyber security is a rapidly growing area of study. It is also one of the fastest developing spheres of challenge for organisations and a thriving area of the graduate recruitment market; however, there is an enduring public perception that the field is only accessible to computer science graduates. There is a clear need for graduates with skills in penetration testing to identify system vulnerabilities, but there is now greater recognition that an effective cyber security strategy requires engagement from people at all levels of the organisation with a variety of skills in order to prevent or manage critical incidents.

The Department for Business, Innovation & Skills (BIS) commissioned PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) to survey companies across the United Kingdom on cyber security incidents and emerging trends. The 2015 snapshot is illuminating. The survey asked companies about cyber security breaches, trends in the use of technology, and trends in information security (BIS, 2015). The survey highlights that 50% of the worst breaches in 2015 were caused by ‘inadvertent human error’ which was a 31% increase in 2014. Therefore, one could argue that the softest target and main conduit for cyber attacks can be found within the workforce. As such, solutions need to be people-centric and not simply technology-focused. Students from the social sciences are well placed to provide assistance through incident management and policy development; however, the challenge we face as educators is how to address the topic in a manner that introduces students to some of the technical aspects but focuses primarily on the human dimension. Cyber security still remains on the periphery of the social science curriculum, and therefore, the scope for sharing innovative practice is still in its infancy. This article assesses the value of Hydra Minerva–based simulations as a vehicle for deeper learning on the topic of cyber security as well as highlights valuable employability skills that can be developed through the Hydra Minerva Foundation’s approach. The author will draw on a case study of a small, but purposeful sample of students taking a New Security Challenges module that is a core component of an MSc Global Governance, who took part in Hydra Minerva simulation and reflected upon their experience.

The author is aiming to highlight the potential for drawing on simulation practices beyond our own discipline and the value they can bring to the teaching of complex issues in Politics and International Studies. There is a considerable amount of literature that explores purely computer-based simulations and more traditional tabletop exercises, but few that consider a blended model offered by facilities such as Hydra Minerva Suites. The Hydra Immersive Simulation system, developed by Jonathan Crego, offers participants an opportunity to test their incident management skills and reflect on team dynamics. In the case of the study presented here, the scenario relates to a cyber attack. This article aims to put the spotlight on the potential of the Hydra Minerva Foundation approach to simulations and how this might make a positive contribution to the teaching of challenging issues.

The MSc Global Governance is a relatively new addition to the postgraduate curriculum at the host institution, and therefore, there was an opportunity to embed an active learning approach into the very fabric of the course from the start. For this reason, it has not been possible to evaluate the data against prior data sets based on alternative learning, teaching, and assessment methods. This study, in effect, provides one source of baseline data for a long-term evaluation. The immersive learning activity reviewed in this article was part of a wider suite of scaffolding activities, which admittedly poses challenges in isolating the learning from the specific activity. Nevertheless, the data suggest a positive learning outcome.

The immersive learning activity presented in this study highlights high levels of student satisfaction, student engagement, and student perceptions of a rich learning environment. While the author accepts that student satisfaction alone is not reliable as a sole indicator of student success, it is nevertheless a valuable insight into student engagement, which can arguably be a powerful precondition for learning that may lead to positive learning outcomes. The study is therefore a valuable starting point for long-term evaluation. The value and contribution of the study presented here lie in the transferability of the experiences gained that may in turn assist others in the development and use of similar open source simulations.

Theoretical underpinning

Dewey has been considered to be one of the key proponents of the constructivist model based on learning by doing. He viewed learning as a process of discovery and an activity rather than a passive learning experience. Active engagement in the learning process is the essence. More recently, Pardjono (2002: 165) reinforced the focus on the context of learning by emphasising that teaching involves ‘facilitating the learning environment to allow students to acquire knowledge through active involvement in the learning activity’. Immersive learning activities draw heavily on the principles of learning by doing that were championed by scholars including Dewey, Piaget, and Vygotsky. There are two predominant schools of thought, under the umbrella of constructivism, that represent different views on the loci of learning. Piaget (1972) was of the view that the construction of knowledge is personal and a process that takes place within the individual as they draw on prior or existing knowledge. At the other end of the spectrum, Vygotsky (1978) viewed learning as taking place in a social environment. Vygotsky’s activity theory posits that learners react to the focus of the learning environment and explore understandings collaboratively and cooperatively. Rutherford-Hemming (2012: 12) further develops the position by reinforcing that individuals ‘attach meaning while experiencing the situation and construct knowledge’, which leads to a link between experiential learning and constructivist theory.

In the case of the study presented in this article, the learning environment, a blend of digital content stimuli in addition to small group collaboration, cooperation, and decision-making, is a first area of focus in the approach. The second area of focus is individual reflection. Brown et al. (1989) have emphasised the importance of ensuring a link between the teaching of the subject matter and the learning context in order to maximise impact. They argue that ‘the activity in which knowledge is developed and deployed, is not separable from or ancillary to learning and cognition. Rather it is an integral part of what is learned’ (Brown et al., 1989: 32). Prince (2004) highlights that ‘The core elements of active learning are student activity and engagement in the learning process’ in contrast to being passive recipients of knowledge. The second area for attention is the pathway from the learning experience to reflective practice. Schon (1983) places emphasis on the action of returning to and reviewing the learning experience, with a view to reflecting on the feelings the experience provoked. This perspective is reinforced by Kolb (1984) who argues that learning from experience involves engaging with reflective observation. The learning activity requiring collaboration and cooperation in addition to the individual reflection was given equal attention in the exercise presented here. Debriefings at the mid-point and end of the simulation also contributed to the opportunities to reflect on learning.

Research has suggested that active learning approaches improve the retention of knowledge more than conventional lecture delivery (Freeman et al., 2014; Prince, 2004; Yadav et al., 2011). While active learning approaches are far from radical, they are somewhat under-utilised. Active learning approaches have become increasingly popular in higher education across the disciplines. There is a degree of irony that some of the earliest documented uses of simulations can be traced back to fields most closely aligned to Politics and International Studies, such as the military, aviation, and nuclear power (Blackburn and Sadler, 2003; Bradley, 2006; Issenberg et al., 2005; Rutherford-Hemming, 2012). There are pockets of excellence in UK higher education institutions where simulations form an embedded part of the Politics and International Studies curriculum; however, this is not the norm across the discipline in the United Kingdom. In contrast, some subject areas such as Police Sciences, Health Care–related subjects, and Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) disciplines have a more consistent and coherent tradition in simulation, immersive learning, and role-play. In these disciplines, the use of such approaches is commonly seen as the norm rather than the exception.

The quest for deeper learning

There is a wealth of literature on approaches to learning and teaching that can help inform active learning strategies. Two broad approaches of surface learning and deeper learning draw upon the theoretical work undertaken by Craik and Lockhart (1972) on levels of processing. Traditional lecturing is commonly based on surface learning and provides a mechanism for ensuring a basic standard of knowledge. At level 4 of undergraduate teaching, many institutions depend on the lecture plus seminar format to accommodate economies of scale due to increasing student numbers. The lecture format continues to have an important place in the teaching toolkit, and surface learning certainly has a benefit. There are, however, well-documented limitations of such an approach as it tends to promote passive engagement by students. The method encourages memorisation rather than a search for meaning, which in turn can lead to short-term recollection (Ballantine et al., 2008).

Floyd et al. (2009) highlight the strong link between students’ course experience and their level of engagement. Arguably, the lecture format provides challenges for meaningful engagement both in terms of the ability of the lecturer to engage equitably with the learners and in terms of the ability of students to engage with each other due to the structural constraints posed by lecture theatre design. Corno and Mandinach (1983) suggested that student engagement can be significantly enhanced when a student is required to demonstrate sustained attention to a mentally challenging task. They argue that such activities result in higher order thinking. It follows that deeper learning approaches encourage participants to engage with the learning material actively and critically in order to make links between new information and prior knowledge (Duff and McKinstry, 2007). In the study presented in this article, students engaged in an intensive simulation in a Hydra Minerva environment and aimed to promote deeper learning about non-technical dimensions of cyber security and develop softer skills based on negotiation and communication in a high-pressure environment. Richardson and Newby (2006) suggest that an engaged student is a motivated student. Therefore, an immersive environment, such as Hydra Minerva, has the potential to provide learners with an experiential learning opportunity that maximises engagement.

Simulations and the Hydra Minerva methodology

Active learning techniques, such as simulations, can be an invaluable tool in the teaching of subjects that students may perceive as abstract. Some global agendas can be challenging to bring to life in a classroom in a way that students can relate to and hook new knowledge onto existing knowledge or points of reference. Role-play and simulation can be highly effective in placing students into scenarios where they experience constraints, pressures, and challenges that can have a wide-reaching effect. Simulations are considered to ‘place students within a reasonable representation of a real environment within which political or social interactions occur’ (Krain and Shadle 2006: 53). Students can be supported to construct their own learning and collaborate with peers to work through a problem together. Problem-solving is often the focus of simulations and role-plays, but they are also valuable opportunities for students to reflect upon their own approach to leadership, collaboration, and decision-making. Many regard cyber security as a solely technical area of study, and the subject area is not commonly seen outside computer science curriculum. Therefore, students outside of the computer science discipline often have a perception that the subject can only be studied in front of a computer. Simulations provide a vehicle for studying some of the human dimensions of cyber security including social engineering, as well as the challenges of incident management, collaborative problem-solving, and decision-making.

Simulations and role-plays have widely recognised benefits as learning and teaching tools. Greenblat (1973) highlighted six benefits of using simulations to support the learning process. First, he argued that simulations can promote cognitive learning. One of the basic tenets of cognitive learning is the ability of the student to develop new knowledge by putting new concepts in practice. The second benefit, highlighted by Greenblat, is potential changes in attitude. In the case of cyber security, this may simply result in a raised awareness about the ease with which we, as individuals, leave ourselves, and our organisations, open to cyber attacks. Simulations can therefore support personal behavioural change by bringing to life the implications of our actions. Third, he claims that the active learning approach can increase interest in the topic of study. In the case of the activity undertaken and evaluated here, the students were both energised and engaged with the subject matter, which led to dynamic debate. During the debrief sessions, the students openly shared their reflections on their own engagement with the scenario, the dynamic of the team, and the rationale for the decisions they made. A number of the students were so drawn into the topic and the activity that by the end of the module they were considering careers in cyber security. Thus, the enjoyment factor should not be understated in enhancing engagement in an exercise. This has been documented in numerous studies (McKeachie, 1994; Shellman and Turan, 2006). Fourth, he suggests that simulations can make later learning opportunities on the topic more meaningful. Fifth, Greenblat believes that students can gain greater self-awareness. This is clearly a dimension that is difficult to measure; however, one could argue that self-awareness can be integrated into the fabric of the simulation through supplementary reflective tasks. Finally, Greenblat suggests simulations promote better student–teacher relations. The informal nature of the teaching approach changes the power balance in the classroom and the lecturer takes on a more facilitative role as the guide on the side rather than as the sage on the stage.

Simulations have been successfully and extensively used in the discipline for many years to facilitate learning; however, the Hydra Minerva environment presents a relatively new development in the social sciences to enable students to engage in decision-making and the management of incidents. Hydra Minerva environments have been used since the 1990s, but they have most commonly been used in Police Sciences. The Hydra Minerva system was developed by Jonathan Crego at the Metropolitan Police Training Centre Leadership Academy in London. According to the Hydra Foundation, there are approximately 84 Hydra Minerva suites around the world. The Hydra Minerva environment, developed by Crego, was originally predominantly used by the Police and Fire Services, Ministry of Defence, the UK National Crime Agency, and the UK National College of Policing, but they are now increasingly being used as a vehicle for learning in other areas of the curriculum. The facility commonly comprises a plenary room for briefing and debriefing between tasks and a cluster of syndicate rooms containing a computer for participants to log their decisions and rationale, a video screen to relay footage relating to the unfolding scenario, a conference table, and a white board. In addition, there is a control room only accessible by the facilitators from which they can monitor, via syndicate room cameras and microphones, the discussions and dynamics of the group engaging in the simulation. The connectivity of syndicate rooms to the control room via live audio and video feeds makes the environment unique for learning. Unlike during traditional class-based simulations, the facilitator has no interaction with the students while the scenario is in play. The classroom-based equivalent scenario would often involve the teacher or facilitator floating between the groups to monitor and listen in on discussions. Clearly, the mere presence of the facilitator can change the dynamics of the discussion slightly. Certain students may behave differently in the presence of a facilitator, for example, by tempering their communication style or even by engaging more in the discussion. In the Hydra Minerva environment, the students are left to their own devices, which gives the facilitator an opportunity to view the decision-making dynamics through a raw and less filtered lens.

The facility provides an environment for students to apply their learning to scenarios that can be conducted in real time. The mode of learning is ideal for cohorts of approximately 25 students as they can be easily divided into small groups that maximise engagement. For this reason, I chose to introduce the Hydra Minerva simulations as part of the master’s level provision where numbers tend to be lower than at undergraduate level. The duration of the simulations can be preset to meet timetabling constraints, but 3 hours would seem to be a minimum requirement to allow for the scenario to unfold progressively and debriefs to be meaningful.

The Hydra Minerva Foundation describes its facilities as ‘an immersive, interactive environment for delivering exercises to develop decision makers to better manage Critical Incidents. The methodology provides highly realistic simulations of events, enabling key staff to respond in real time to both immediate critical pressured events’. The use of such facilities is not new, but it has not been used extensively outside of police sciences and courses aimed at first line responders. Hydra Minerva Suite are facilities that are licensed by the Foundation, but it is common practice for institutions to hire out their facilities to other interested parties for a modest charge. The licensing of the facility stipulates that the simulation cannot be used directly for assessment purposes, and for this reason, reflective post-simulation tasks have been used as the vehicle for assessment. The reflective exercise is in keeping with the constructivist approach and furthermore bridges the social construction of knowledge into the personal construction of knowledge.

The Hydra system was developed as a means of providing a safe learning environment to support the training of critical incident management. The tool ‘enables the monitoring of real-time leadership and decision-making in critical incidents’ (Eyre et al., 2008: 40). Crego and Harris (2002) emphasise that Hydra simulations go beyond conventional online simulations by presenting multifaceted scenarios that highlight the complexity, uncertainty, time pressure, and levels of stress that are characteristic of real-life critical incidents. Alison et al. (2013) argue that:

The simulations are designed to focus on team dynamics and aim to re-create the internal uncertainties of critical incident management as well as external pressures of accountability through the inclusion of media, government engagement, and international consequences. (Alison et al., 2013: 262)

The unique aspect of the Hydra Minerva Foundation approach does not lie in the technological innovation per se but, rather, in the combination of learning and teaching activities. The approach draws together problem-solving in a quickly unfolding scenario, team work, leadership skills, analysis, decision-making, presentation of decision logs in debrief sessions, and reflection on practice. These are arguably key employability skills. The Hydra Minerva Suites require the support of a trained technician as it can be challenging to format and release material to the syndicate pods at the same time as monitoring the activities of up to five rooms. The dialogue with the technician is critical in ensuring the smooth running of the activity.

The scenario and the student experience

An immersive learning activity, based in a Hydra Minerva environment, was integrated into a sample course for students to explore sources of cyber-related vulnerability for organisations, proportionate responses, and the steps that can be taken to increase resilience. The activity was evaluated by a small sample of students for its learning value. The full cohort of 15 students on the master’s level course took part in a series of cyber security learning opportunities aimed to increase their understanding of the human dimensions of the debate. The Hydra Minerva simulation was the final activity in the series of learning opportunities, and the students were asked to provide feedback on the experience. They were specifically asked about the ways in which the simulation environment supported their deeper learning.

Students had engaged in a standard class-based seminar on the topic of cyber security, and this was followed by the simulation in the Hydra Minerva facility on the same topic. The students were aware that they would not be required to have any specific technical knowledge. They were briefed that the focus would be on their ability to problem-solve and identify proportionate actions in response to a cyber threat. To maintain a time-constrained dimension to the simulation, students were issued with a substantial information pack of reading material to support learning, 48 hours in advance of the scheduled activity. The reading pack included a range of documents relating to the management of security risks. The students were only permitted to take in two of the documents that were more visual in nature into the simulation as an aide memoire. The first document was the UK Government’s Ten Steps which focuses on policies to control access to removable media, management of user privileges, policies for home and mobile working, education and raising awareness of risks, incident management, monitoring, malware protection, network security, and incident management procedures (CESG, 2015). The second key document was the Cyber Kill Chain Framework, which highlights seven stages that a potential attacker would progress through when penetrating a system (Lockheed Martin, n.d.). The Cyber Kill Chain steps were developed to enable organisations to understand an adversary’s tactics, techniques, and procedures. The seven steps highlight the stages of reconnaissance, weaponisation, delivery, exploitation, installation, command, and control and finally actions on objectives. The students are encouraged to make reference to the documents in the simulation and to integrate them into their analysis and response to the scenario. The two documents are practical frameworks that the students can readily draw upon or use as reference points in their own professional practice.

The problem-solving and decision-making skills of the students were tested through an intensive 3-hour simulation based on a scenario relating to a zero-day attack. Such attacks, also commonly referred to as zero-hour attacks, give little if any warning to the target organisation, which results in an immediate and potentially extensive vulnerability. The package of material, slightly adapted from an openly accessible resource produced by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for use in the Hydra Minerva Suite, was used to set the scene and then update students on developments. The aim of the National Level Exercise resource is to ‘increase understanding of cyber threat alerts, warning, and information sharing across sectors’ (FEMA, 2012). The package of material provided by FEMA includes digital content in the form of breaking news alerts, transcripts of the video clips, and facilitator notes. The facilitator notes are sufficiently detailed to enable an academic to adapt and run the simulation with ease. The simulation package is based on three news bulletins with associated interviews with experts, ethical hackers, as well as those directly affected.

The simulation began with a news report stating:

Our lead story in business today is a cybersecurity scare of potentially global proportions. A network of hacktivists known as The Void today threatened to unleash, and I’m quoting here, ‘a global day of extreme action against U.S. interests and organizations, both private and government-related’.

The students were immediately immersed into the crisis and were then required to explore a proportionate response. The students were required to collectively respond to questions and calls for decision that were fed into the simulation pods via the screens. The questions included the following: How do variables in the threat information that we receive – such as timeframe, credibility, and specificity – impact our decision-making and prevention efforts? What tools do we use to support cyber prevention and are they sufficient? During the discussion segment, the students are suddenly informed that a security breach has been identified from within the company. This requires the students to potentially adjust their discussion to take into consideration an insider threat. A digital clock counted down the time to the end of the specific task, but this could be adjusted from the control room. By the end of the countdown, the students had to use the computer-based logging system, traditionally used in police training, to enter the group decision and also the rationale for the decision. The logged decisions were saved and then reviewed in the debrief session.

The second video segment provided a news update 4 weeks after the original threat was reported. The extent of the cyber attack is confirmed in the bulletin, and we see an interview with the CEO of Worldwide Global Inc., the company affected, where he claims that his organisation is ‘under a cyber seige’. It becomes clear that the perpetrators have been trying to illegally transfer our money, sending customers fraudulent invoices, and threatening extortion. They have also disabled the company website, which means that there is no way of communicating with clients and customers. The students are asked to consider how they would quickly respond to a suspected cyber attack and how they would conduct an assessment of the situation. Students are also prompted to consider internal and external communication relating to the incident. They are asked who should be notified – internally and externally – in the case of a cyber event and what should these processes be?

In the third bulletin 9 weeks later, the news update reports that the CEO of the company targeted by the hacktivist group resigned. The discussion points in the final segment require the students to consider the fallout of the cyber attack. They are prompted to explore how to repair the tarnished image of the company to internal and external audiences after a situation like this and what strategies can be put in place to rebuild trust.

In this case, the students were completely unfamiliar with the Hydra Minerva environment and this had two effects on students. The students on the whole reported that the lack of knowledge and experience of the facility made them feel anxious and excited in equal measure. The novelty of an unfamiliar approach increased student engagement, in part, because it resulted in them undertaking more reading preparation than they would normally have done for a standard seminar. This may have been because they were going to be engaging with the unknown and therefore overcompensated through extra reading. One of the students (Student A) commented on the stress and intensity of the experience, but clarified that this did not detract from its value. The intensity of the simulation was an important feature of the simulation. In real life, crises can be high pressured and this can have an impact on our decision-making capabilities. The lecturer had the option to increase or decrease the pressure on students by adjusting the time constraints on individual tasks during the activity. Student A commented that:

I believe the use of the Hydra suite was an interesting way of utilising the skills we have managed to develop on the MSc Global Governance course, it brought our academic reading of subjects together with the practical skills we have developed. It brings the subject to life and is some aspects felt incredibly realistic. It allowed for me to utilise my own skills in an effective way, it was an enjoyable experience however stressful it may have been on times; however, I would definitely like to participate in more exercises like this in the future and it has spurred my interests in potential career paths.

The comments made by Student A are also interesting in highlighting the way in which the activity provided a capstone element in reinforcing prior class-based learning on the subject. The combination of learning opportunities during the course, as well as the debrief discussions during the activity, supported the students in the learning. Leemkuil et al. (2003) argue that the absence of debrief and reflection components can significantly reduce the learning impact as students will tend to view the simulation as only a game. The combination of seminar discussions, scaffolding activities, and debrief opportunities directly impacts the way in which a student interacts with the simulation and benefits from the exercise (Lunce, 2006: 38). Another student emphasised the accumulated learning process, which may suggest that we undervalue the importance of genuine continuous professional development that is theme specific. All too often we see staff development on subjects such as cyber security as being a ‘one-shot deal’. Research clearly emphasises the value of integrating a range of learning opportunities on any one theme to promote deeper understanding and potential behaviour change, but the organisational norm seems to be a less integrated and holistic approach to staff development. Student B commented that:

The Suite allowed for the accumulated knowledge from the reading preparations as well as the knowledge learned throughout the course to be used in a practical manner. The applicability of learned knowledge supported my learning as it allowed me to see how the theory worked in action and it enhanced my understanding of the theory as well. This applicability of the Suite as well as the Plenary room concept were the most enjoyable aspects as they allowed me to confirm the reasoning behind my actions as well as what influenced my thinking.

Student C also commented on the intensity of the activity but made an interesting comparison with the value of work experience. The lack of visibility of the lecturer during the actual flow of the activity fostered an environment where the students were able to engage with greater independence. The students also seemed to feel a sense of greater control over their learning as they were required to reflect on learning materials and negotiate the challenges of group decision-making in a high-pressure time-constrained scenario. The realistic feel of the simulation was highlighted by a number of the students in the group. Student C stated:

The cyber security simulation was one of the best group activities I’ve ever had in my four years of higher education engagement. The activity was tense, mentally and physically draining as well, but very educational. I will always consider it as one of the best learning experiences of my entire course, and personally I think this type of learning should be introduced in every module as I’m quite sure that it can be of benefit to most students. It was like work experience, as I gained an understanding of the background of security challenges, what to expect and what it is like to work in that kind of environment. This is indeed a great way of learning and I think it can work as a gateway preparation in many professions.

The realistic nature of the simulation as highlighted by Student C was largely a result of the quality of multimedia resources. These can have a significant impact on the quality of the learning experience. In the case of the cyber security simulation discussed in this article, the role of the newsreader who provides regular updates on the unfolding crisis was played by Jeanne Meserve, a previous real-life CNN Homeland Security reporter. The production levels were high which resulted in a package of footage that was realistic. Student D commented:

I thoroughly enjoyed the Hydra simulation experiences and feel they are a crucial tool for transferring theory into practice, giving students the ‘edge’ on the jobs market. The use of mixed multimedia makes the simulation feel more real and the unexpectedness of information flow is a reflection of real life scenarios.

Students found the debrief sessions to be a particularly valuable component in reflecting on their decisions and comparing approaches with other groups. The debrief sessions took place in a Plenary room at the half-way point of the simulation and then at the end of the activity. This proved to be an important time for the lecturer to reinforce key learning points and highlight additional areas of consideration that linked back to policy documents. If the students were struggling at any point during the activity and not identifying key intended learning points or not identifying standard procedures for incident management, this could have been addressed through interventions and prompts from the control room in the form of supplementary questions, but the issues would have also been raised in the debrief session. In the case of the activity presented here, the students did not appear to struggle at any point. Additional comments on the value of the debrief included:

The debrief sessions with all students, facilitated by the lecturer at key points in the activity took place in the Plenary room and provided an opportunity to compare approaches to problem-solving by each of the groups. The students were encouraged to share their rational for the choices they made. (Student E)

I think that using the Hydra Suite was an excellent experience that really allowed us to engage and understand the complexities that people tackle in real-life. It allowed us to take our academic knowledge and apply it to a situation that reflected what could happen in real-life. I also found that debriefings in between each scenario interesting and seeing how everyone differed in their responses. (Student F)

I genuinely believe that using the Hydra simulation has enhanced my learning. It incorporates a ‘real life’ aspect to the course. I thoroughly enjoyed the experience of using the suite for simulations as you got to improve your teamwork skills and your ability to make decisions under pressure. I also appreciated the feedback received from leading professionals about our performance. (Student G)

The addition of a simulation in the Hydra Minerva environment certainly added to the suite of teaching tools, and the variety of approaches was a key innovative dimension of the course. Furthermore, the variety in teaching methods ensured a more inclusive approach that would meet the needs of students with a range of learning styles. Comments by Student H highlighted that the variety of approaches is appreciated and that some students will prefer a highly active and intense form of learning:

The use of the Hydra Suite gave a chance to experience a new leaning opportunity in an environment different to the usual norm of class room lecturing. This opportunity was more beneficiary to expanding the knowledge on the subject than just reading from text books or discussing in a class.

Conclusion

Active learning techniques are well established in the social sciences and the methods have increasingly been integrated into teaching practice. The impact of simulations can be significant, and the author has attempted to explore enhancements to the prevalent tabletop model through the use of a technologically rich environment. The results of the small study presented here reinforce existing research that simulations can be highly effective in promoting deeper learning, particularly when combined with scaffolding learning opportunities that provide interconnected activities to support learning and reflection.

The author recognises that a limitation of the study is the small sample size; however, the author believes that the case study still presents meaningful data to evidence the value of utilising a Hydra Minerva simulation to promote deep and sustained learning. The student feedback on the simulation was overwhelmingly positive. While some students reported that they found the pace of the simulation a little stressful, it was clear from the final debrief that it was not a form of stress that the students found to be negative. Rather, their use of the word ‘stressful’ was more akin to feelings of intensity relating to the speed of simulation interventions.

In addition to immersing the students in a multifaceted learning environment, there are also added benefits of supporting the development of employability skills. The employability agenda is by no means unproblematic (for critical reviews of the employability agenda, see Arora (2015) and Ashe (2012)), but there are indications that we still have work to do in supporting students from Politics and International Studies gain graduate level employment. Lee et al. (2016: 55) highlight that:

With some of the lowest levels of graduate employability across university campuses, and the non-vocational nature of most Politics/International Relations (IR) undergraduate programmes, the discipline faces a huge challenge in responding to the increasingly prevalent employability agenda in higher education.

The use of the Hydra Minerva format presents an approach to help students work with the subject matter and explore understandings in a collaborative and cooperative way, but the transferable skill development opportunity should not be underestimated. The Confederation of British Industry (2009) has highlighted the following areas as key employability skills: a positive attitude, business and customer awareness, application of numeracy, self-management, team-working, problem-solving, communication and literacy, and, finally, application of information technology. The author is confident that the experience of engaging with a simulation of this nature has provided the students with a rich base of examples to evidence transferable skills such as self-management, team-working, problem-solving, communication and literacy, and, finally, application of information technology. Students are required to reflect on their own engagement as part of the reflective task, but also during the debrief. Therefore, personal responsibility and self-management are unavoidable. The students were in groups of 3–4 and they were all briefed in advance about the importance of encouraging a team approach in their syndicate group. The result was that students engaged fully and more willingly.

The use of the facility in promoting subject matter–related learning and problem-solving has been a positive intervention in supporting skills and knowledge development, but there are some drawbacks to the approach. First, there is the obvious challenge of access to such facilities. In the United Kingdom, the only higher education institutions to have Hydra Minerva Suites are Chester University, Canterbury Christ Church University, Leeds Beckett University, Liverpool University, University of Central Lancashire, and the University of South Wales. There are, however, 45 facilities based at fire, police, and crime agencies in the United Kingdom who may be open to Hydra Minerva collaborative activities. A second challenge is one of scalability. In the experience of the author, who has now been using the approach for 2 years, it takes a great deal of focus to monitor the discussion, the engagement, and the problem-solving journey of up to five pods/rooms in order to carry out a meaning debrief session. A maximum number of 25 participants is the ideal limit. For this reason, the facility is best integrated into postgraduate programmes where numbers are more manageable. Alternatively, larger undergraduate cohorts can simply be divided into separate runs of the same exercise. To allow time for an exercise scenario to unfold and a meaningful debrief to take place at the half-way point and at the end of the exercise, a minimum of 3 hours is suggested. If you are repeating the exercise with a number of different cohorts on the same course, this can be time-consuming. These are the two main limitations of the approach, but neither of the constraints are insurmountable. It is the view of the author that the benefits to supporting student engagement with challenging topics and developing transferable skills far outweigh the challenges of access and scalability

The author believes that the deeper form of learning offered by Hydra Minerva simulations, where students experience greater independence from the facilitator, can add greater realism during the activity. The study presented here highlighted that students felt that the activity not only enhanced their learning about the subject matter but also provided a valuable opportunity to reflect upon their problem-solving skills in a group setting. The Hydra Minerva facility is most commonly used in Police Sciences; however, the scope for its use in political science is infinite and yet to be fully exploited.