Students are evolving faster than the courseware changes

First I would like to thank two very recent classes, one in DC (CEH) and the other in Atlanta (ECSA) for a great time. The fact that those classes were successful were all the credit to the students. They were loose, understood the concept of how a "hacking" course really works, and enlightened each other with different points of view. Even the non-related discussions we had at breaks were educational.

During my CEH class in DC I was talking to another instructor, Claude Williams, a CISSP instructor extraordinaire that has perfected his delivery of that class. I was picking his brain about courseware updates and I brought up my theory that eventually, printed courseware will be outmoded. "Liquid materials" are the next step for training, courses that evolve and are flexible.

I based this theory on a number of issues that I couldn't get into at that moment. He asked me "Do you think this is a good thing?"

I paused for a moment because I had actually never assessed it that way. I just assume it is happening so accept or die. But the truth is that changing courseware "on the fly" plays havoc with a lot of logistic elements of the training industry behind the scenes. It made me realize that the real reason I think fluid courseware is a necessity is not that the subject matter really changes much over time, it is that our students change. Their environments are not the same as they were even a year ago and they are coming into class with difference perceptions of the subject matter.

For example: One of the students in my CEH class mentioned that the tools he uses at work do so much work automatically, that he has no idea what is really going on. I felt like an old man about to give that "When I was a boy I walked uphill both ways barefoot in the snow speech" when I said "When I was a young pentester, we used to have to but effort into network mapping and assessments."

I give this guy a lot of credit for understanding that the ease of use in his tools are not representative of the actual events taking place. But this was also an indication that he would have an entirely different way of looking at the material than those in the room that had no idea what we were even talking about. I worried that those students would get hired one day at a company that does robo-pentests and with adventurous excitement expects to apply the skills he learned in CEH, only to be laughed at and told, "No, just enter this data and click this button. Left click to be specific".

About every third class I get a student who argues "Routers don't pass ICMP". Before I get frustrated I consider why he would say such a thing. It is because in his world this might be the truth, and all he has ever seen.

Training classes are not about validating the students experiences. But the curriculum must be adapted to these perceptions. Otherwise those of us in the adult certification training world will be labeled as "academic dinosaurs".

This is why I characterize my students as teachers. It is why some instructors run classes a bit loose and stress free. We appreciate the contributions we get when people relax and participate. The stories of everyones experience, including life experience enhances the course. Then we turn that around to keep improving every class; even if the printed courseware has not changed.

I think at some point though, it will have to be this flexible in terms of materials also. The turn around window is getting smaller and smaller.