This is an interactive demo of the internal process of how the AES blockcipher (Rijndael) operates. It was made for the CrypTool project: https://www.cryptool.org
Type of Material:
Animation
Recommended Uses:
It can be used as a supplementary material in learning cryptography.
Technical Requirements:
SWF format: requires a browser with a SWF player plugin. (SWF is "small web format", a file container that holds Adobe Flash content).
Identify Major Learning Goals:
It provides the Rijndael Inspector and The Rijndael Animation shows how the Rijndael cipher works.
There are two downloadables. The goal is to show how the AES blockcipher works.
Target Student Population:
Any one who knows about binary code and is interested in encryption/decryption.
Prerequisite Knowledge or Skills:
Understanding of hexadecimal number and the modular operation is needed.
Content Quality
Rating:
Strengths:
- It used a concrete example to illustrate clear how the Rijndael operates. .
- The steps are shown in details and each step is shown with the pace that easy to follow.
- The action shown are clear, but some more textual description on the each step, e.g. sub-byte, will further enhance the understanding..
In summary, the animation tool is outstanding. It demonstrates very clearly the different parts of the algorithm.
Potential Effectiveness as a Teaching Tool
Rating:
Strengths:
- The objective of illustrating the operation of Rijndeal is clear.
- it provides the animation for the user to input a example of a plain text or a cipher text to show the steps of Rijndael cryptography.
- The steps are shown in details so the user can easily flow the steps.
- As most of cryptography algorithm, the understanding of binary operation, XOR and modular, is needed.
Concerns:
One problem is that it does not have any descriptions of any context in terms of why this process may be good or bad. However, it can be used along with other teaching materials.
Ease of Use for Both Students and Faculty
Rating:
Strengths:
- The interface using the flash allows the user to control the pace of viewing and give input for the operation, which helps the users' learning.
- It is very suitable to incorporate it into a course on cryptography.
- The interface quality is high and the content size is appropriate and the colours and style of presentation is appealing.
- It would be even more explanatory if some more textual description of the steps involved can added, in particular in the first few scenes.
Concerns:
The exe may or may not work on many platforms.
Also, many persons would distrust executables that need to be downloaded and run from their computers.
Creative Commons:
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