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Regarding Tech+ class

B
We teach Tech+ at my College. It is a good course overall, especially for those with little technical background. Students sometimes underestimate it a bit when it comes to the database section.
Also it looks like it may become a 3 year CE certification (vs. lifetime) but that hasn't been officially announced to my knowledge.
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Do You Report Cheating?

jasoneckert
Braindumps have existed since the early days of IT certification, dating back to when vendors like SCO and Novell first introduced exams.

While the widespread use of braindumps is disheartening - undermining the credibility of certifications and devaluing the efforts of those who earn them honestly - it ultimately harms the individuals who rely on them the most. Candidates who use braindumps often fail to develop the skills necessary to perform well in interviews or succeed in technical roles, even if they manage to obtain a certification or land a job.

This issue is well recognized in the hiring community. Interviewers who are familiar with certifications can often detect when a candidate has relied on shortcuts. When certified individuals underperform during technical screenings, the blame typically falls on the use of braindumps rather than the certification itself.
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A+ Core 1 and Core 2 CertMaster Learn Custom Quiz Question Issues

B
jarrelrivera said:
Yeah, same here.
I feel that since CompTIA and TestOut merged, someone had been failing in proofreading the questions.
Either that the options are incorrect, or that the answers are just wrong.

It is not limited to A+. This goes across many courses. It is also seen on end-of-lab questions and quizzes.
We used to have a way to report these issues directly on the platform.
Unfortunately, the reporting mechanism seem to have been lost since we moved to the new platform.comptia.org
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It appears to me that it is somehow pulling questions from sources it shouldn't like some of the ones OP shown were used inside of labs.

I agree, CompTIA seems to have made it more difficult to report errors but it is still there. 1757030000667.png
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Tools and learning platform suggestions.

jarrelrivera
J.Porter said:
Would love to hear some recommendations on different learning platforms that can be used in classroom environments. Traditionally have used the TestOut platform but this has transitioned to CertMaster. I'm just wondering what else is out there for instructors to consider to get the best resources for our students? My institution teaches, Tech+, A+, Network+ and Security+.

Labs and curriculum (book and video) would be great to have.

Thanks,

J. Porter
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On my end, we only use the official CompTIA learning content.
It has the text, videos, labs, quizzes, and PBQs.
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A+ Core 1 and Core 2 CertMaster Learn Custom Quiz Question Issues

jarrelrivera
Yeah, same here.
I feel that since CompTIA and TestOut merged, someone had been failing in proofreading the questions.
Either that the options are incorrect, or that the answers are just wrong.

It is not limited to A+. This goes across many courses. It is also seen on end-of-lab questions and quizzes.
We used to have a way to report these issues directly on the platform.
Unfortunately, the reporting mechanism seem to have been lost since we moved to the new platform.comptia.org
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Recommendations for an enhanced learning environment in the online A+ and Security+ courses

jarrelrivera
I personally find it challenging to teach A+ Core 1 online, due to the constraints of not being able to do actual / hands-on demonstrations. Like, how can you teach "how to install a RAM or a CPU?" True, there's simulated lab now, but it is still different when you do it in actual.

A+ Core2 is okay for an online course. Run virtual machines using virtualbox or hyper-V, then demonstrate how to install Windows 10, Windows 11 and Linux, how to connect them, then teach how to configure. The key challenge is demonstrating Apple-based OS if you don't own an Apple-machine, like myself; there's no way to virtualize it.

Security+ is okay for an online course. The labs are good, then couple it with real-world scenarios.
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Why has CompTIA no Exam Question Feedback Button during Exam?

Jeff Strain
Michael Schmitz said:
During the Exam CloudNetX today, i saw some Questions that have Typos or are with really stupid answers: i wonder why CompTIA has no Question Feedback button?
How to report these Errors?

What are you thinking about this missing feedback?
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I think some questions are there for reasons other than to test if you know the best answer. They may be there for the following reasons.

Time Waster - To make you spend too much time on one of the questions that is not even graded. May not have any correct answers or may no make any sense at all
Distractor - Kind of like a time waster, but may be a grammar issue or a typo for us who just can't let it go.
Cheat Catcher - Part of an anti-cheating plan, I would explain more here, but... got to catch them cheaters.
Question Testing - Testing new questions. This one needs no explanation.
All Others - Because I have to complete the percentage pie chart with the ones I don't know about. I sure hope it is key lime, as I am hungry.
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Do You Report Cheating?

Jeff Strain
I advise anyone preparing for the exam to be extremely cautious, as cheating can result in a lifetime ban. That makes them ineligible for some jobs that require certifications. I try to scare them into not cheating. In the past government employees who cheat could lose their job if the certification gets pulled.
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Do You Report Cheating?

David Staples
Mark Anthony Germanos said:
I am suspicious of the “hard evidence” claim. I sat SecurityX two weeks ago. My audio and video were recorded. I sincerely hope CompTIA is not too lazy or overworked to request audio and video from that testing environment.
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See my response to jarrelrivera. This company is a testing center and also has a couple of "mobile sites" where there is not a camera with audio and video. It's basically a hotel ballroom or conference room where they set up laptops as the Pearson Vue server and testing stations and allow the students to test in the classroom where they had the course on the last day of the course.
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Do You Report Cheating?

David Staples
jarrelrivera said:
As for the student and their proctor, this could've been captured in the camera. To my understanding, all proctored exams in a Pearson test centre is equipped with a camera. Unless, if the exam is taken on a secured site where Pearson simply relies on trust and integrity of the people.
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That's part of the problem here. The training company is also the testing center and has a couple of "mobile sites" that allows them to offer proctoring of exams onsite. My understanding is that they are supposed to send a proctor, but that they have been letting the instructor input another proctor's information and credentials and just proctoring the exam themselves, so the instructor ends up being the proctor. And being a mobile site, that they can set up in a hotel conference room / ball room / etc.... there's no cameras. They're relying on the trust and integrity of the people, which in this case... well... you be the judge. 🤷‍♂️
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Seeking Suggestions for Enhancing Student Engagement in Security+ Class

M
David Staples said:
Hi David

Thank you so much for sharing. I am also use videos to illustrate key topics or provide some examples but the course time is alwys not enough to illustrate all what you want. I like the idea for adding dry humor.

I appreciate it,

M,shehata
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Seeking Suggestions for Enhancing Student Engagement in Security+ Class

M
Rick Butler said:
Well, it looks like this has been very well covered. For my contribution to this discussion, I'm going to focus on lecture didactic. Hands on is ALWAYS going to be better for learning, but it's nigh impossible to avoid lecture.

One of my favorite things to do when teaching any class, not just Sec+, is something that @BrianFord alluded to - where have I seen this before. For me, what I like to do is randomly toss a question from "the last module", as I move through a day's worth of material. So, for example, let's say I spent an hour or so talking about basic cryptography and now I'm, say, going into PKI. About midway into the PKI conversation, I'll toss out a question from basic crypto - just to see if they are short-term retaining things.

The human brain requires about seven exposures to the same information, and in different methods, such as visual, auditory, or kinesthetic, in order to process it into long term storage. Further, it has to connect to something that the student already knows, which creates that neurological connection.

I've also been known, in classroom situations, to toss candy for correct answers. It's amazing how much an incentive a tiny treat like that can have.

At the end of the day (although hardly the end of the conversation), it's all about engaging the student in a two-way fashion, not just the ol' sage-on-the-stage, when lecturing. Feedback and questioning, engaging the learners directly will do a lot to engage them.

/r
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Hey Rick,

This is awesome, thanks for sharing! I really like the idea of revisiting earlier topics during the lesson to reinforce retention. Yes, for the toss candy, I use that sometimes.

My question is: when you're diving into the heavier stuff in Security+, how do you make sure it doesn’t feel like a lecture marathon, especially with concepts that can be pretty dense?

Thank you!

M.Shehata
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Seeking Suggestions for Enhancing Student Engagement in Security+ Class

M
jarrelrivera said:
As with any other courses, don't kill the students with powerpoint slides.

Security+ has lots of interesting topics, and the world has lots of news related to cybersecurity. Merge the two - theory and practical. In that way, the students will get to see the value of what is being discussed - and they get to remember the details more, in my experience.

You also don't need to do the talking for the entire time. There are good PBQs and quizzes in the CompTIA material. Let the students talk between themselves either in pair or in groups - depending on the amount of training time, that is.

The labs are good, only if the instructions are clear enough for the students to follow. So, I do recommend you running the labs yourself, then find the possible pain points for the students, so that in class, you can give an intro spiel about the lab, how it connects to the lesson, and what the students may learn or need to know in doing the lab, i.e. how to use Wazuh for the first time, or how to learn the various options for nmap.

There are heaps of tools and websites for Security+. Too many to identify. I suggest that you create threads for each question or topic that you'd need help with.

In any case, I hope this helps :)
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Hi Jarrel,
Sure that it helps a lot. Thank you so much! Your advice is incredibly helpful. I completely agree that combining theory with real-world examples and engaging students in discussions is essential. That's exactly why I'm here—to seek suggestions based on your experiences.

I appreciate it.
M.Shehata
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Seeking Suggestions for Enhancing Student Engagement in Security+ Class

M
Mark Anthony Germanos said:
Hi M. Shehata.

Kudos on choosing the best possible forum for that question. Hope to see you here often. I started training Security+ in June, 2023 and have polished my presentations to keep students engaged. Here are some items that may work for you.

1. Home network scan. When you get to the NMAP section, scan your network, share the results, then have students scan theirs. This could be in class or as homework. Have them record the results and then share them with the class. I am attaching a .PDF of an NMAP scan result that I copied and pasted into MS Word and then made beautiful. I usually introduce this task with "This is a fair and objective request you may see when interviewing for a job. Might as well practice here..." The CIN forum did not let me attach a .DOC :-(
2. Memory leaks. Show that many programs, including web browsers, open multiple processes. The challenge is to make sure all processes clear out of RAM when the user closes the hosting program. I open Task Manager then a) launch Firefox, b) visit https://online-stopwatch.com and c) exit Firefox. Students see how many processes Firefox opens and then see them clear out of memory within 75 seconds. Explain that if any Firefox processes remained up and running, that would be a sign of a memory leak.
3. Take them into AI. They've already chosen a favorite AI LLM. I take them in Perplexity then follow a progression of initial prompt and then a series of follow-ups. An example that is highly appropriate here is a) Tell me about the CIA, b) tell me about the CIA in cybersecurity, c) tell me about the CIA in cybersecurity at a 6th grade reading level... You can experiment with more specific prompts. Everybody pays attention.

Onward and upward.
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Hi Mark,

Thank you so much for your suggestions and the attached file! Using NMAP to scan home networks is practical and engaging, and the memory leak demo simplifies complex concepts greatly. The AI progression for explaining the CIA triad is innovative and captivating. I’m eager to incorporate these ideas into my class.

Do you have tips for managing these activities within limited class time without overwhelming students?

I appreciate it.
M. Shehata
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Seeking Suggestions for Enhancing Student Engagement in Security+ Class

M
BrianFord said:
Welcome M.Shehata!

I'm a big fan of active learning and always try to use different techniques to make sure my learners are and stay engaged. I try to mix up my methods offering some from within a lesson and others at end of a lesson. For the Security+ course a couple of ideas might be:
  • Ask students to connect topics back to the CIA triad (Confidentiality, Integrity, and Availability),
  • Ask the students to connect methods back to the Security Controls (categories and functional controls), and
  • Something I call 'Where have we seen this before?' where learners connect topics (important to mastering compare and contrast questions).
I do demos using basic OS installed tools (Windows Event Viewer) and web browsers (examine the CompTIA.org site certificate in Chrome). I take students to the NVD to investigate CVEs and to the FIRST.org site to see a CVSS calculator.

I caution about using too many tools or visiting too many websites. Adult learners can only recall for or five things in a day. If you try to do too much in one day they may not be able to recall the topic the next day (but they may remember the site or the tool).

As far as learners hands on activities in Security+ I stay with the PBQs and Labs in CertMaster. I may walk through the Exploring the Lab exercise with a class but if it's not a bootcamp and time allows I try to organize small teams to complete a lab and then present it to the class. I use teams because if one person is leading a demo and goes blank or has a tech issue it becomes awkward and stops the learning for all. In bootcamp courses the students should do the labs on their own time. I try to fit in a walk through of the Vulnerability Assessment and Packet Capture labs.

I hope this helps.

Brian
.
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Dear Brian,
Thank you for the great suggestions! I really like the idea of connecting topics to the CIA triad and Security Controls, and your hands-on approach sounds like a great way to keep students engaged.
Do you have any specific recommendations for engaging activities or labs that work well for the Vulnerability Assessment or Packet Capture labs?

Thanks again!
M. Shehata
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5380 mins instructional time.

Danai Nathan Chinyenye
Lshanno said:
It's a 5 day pacing for both courses combined.
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Please try to convince the provider to stretch the program to at least 2 weeks. Packing everything into 5 days will only lead to rushing, and in the end delegates may complain. This way, everyone benefits from a smoother, more effective learning experience.
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