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Cloud computing is a recent technological phenomenon that has recently led to milestones in the education sector. The term cloud computing refers to the practice of using a network of remote servers that can be accessed over the internet to store, manage and process data. The use of technology in education structures in the country has revolutionized learning. Learning in the cloud: How (and why) to transform schools with digital media. New York: Teachers College Press). The author is keen on how cloud computing has allowed access to loads of educational resources with as minimal costs as possible. He also points out how digital media has transformed the education sector by allowing easier access to resources.
“Computers continue to become exponentially more powerful and the per-unit cost of computing continues to fall rapidly. On the other hand, the increasing complexity of managing the whole informatics infrastructure has made computing more expensive. Thus, cloud computing is a viable solution that enables supply all the services of existing information technology given that it dramatically reduces the upfront costs of computing, more flexibility and on-demand services. Thus, costs become more transparent and predictable. Cost transitions from a large capital expenditure that need to be amortized to a variable operating expense”.
The purpose of this research is to review and analyze the importance of cloud computing in the education systems present. With increased need for educated people in the society, education has increasingly become one of the important resources needed. This has increasingly led to the integration of modernized technological methods to enhance its advancement. “The biggest advantage is related to the low cost and uses learning content anytime and anywhere. Learning material is easily maintained and updated; it may include multimedia content to facilitate understanding of concepts”.
In order to enable cloud computing, various technologies need to be integrated and implemented for finite success. Cloud computing technology is the result of convergence of three main directions of technological development such as grid computing, virtualization, and parallel computing. According to this literature, the technologies mostly include applications that allow for online processing of information, management of data and for structural storage.
What are the challenges that companies face when implementing cloud computing? What are the key issues that the companies face in increasing awareness of cloud computing?
With this research query, we seek to find and discover the major problems that the companies offering cloud computing face. This is in order to know how they can be solved by identifying what they are first and foremost. The query also seeks to find whether the companies have been taking any measures in checking the peoples’ awareness on the use of cloud computing and therefore discover ways that the issues can be addressed.
What are the challenges being faced by low level schools in their education systems? What measures are they putting in place to curb the low level of education in their schools? What contributions have been made in modernizing their education structures?
Schools with low levels are a major concern in the development of proper sufficient education systems. This research looks to uncover the methods being used by low level schools. It also looks to obtain information on the problems affecting the schools. Moreover the research will reveal the countermeasures made by the schools in order to improve the schools. The investigation will also dig into the plans being put in motion to include modern technology in the school systems.
What are the technologies being implemented in cloud computing? How convenient are they in their use? What innovations are key in cloud computing technologies?
Cloud computing is an integration of several technological features. This research will examine the type of technologies being used in the innovation of cloud computing. The research will also delve into the working of such technologies while denoting their appropriateness in their use.
How are educational institutions embracing cloud computing? How phenomenal values have it added to the quality of education? How does it benefit student-teacher interactions education wise?
Cloud computing can be used for many functions; this research specifically defines its importance in education systems. It also seeks to discover how cloud computing has affected the education system. The queries also research into the relationship developed between students and teachers after the integration of cloud computing in the education system.
Although the emergence of concept of cloud computing is as a result of a few-decade cooperation among scholars and practitioners in the IT field, the term itself is rather new. It should be also noted that this notion, according to McKinsey and Co, unveils more than 22 definitions. What is more, the issue under analysis is of immense interest of the contemporary academic research. Thus, this section of the paper is devoted to the brief overview of scholarly sources on the research topic. Four articles are discussed in this chapter, providing a multi-aspect insight in holistic understanding of the research questions.
Drawing upon the article by Sultan (2010), educational theorists and practitioners attempt to ensure maximal efficiency and productivity of the learning-to-teaching process and use IT advancements with this purpose. Basically, educators pay substantial attention to cloud computing in terms of delivering computing educational services, including such paradigms of this area as “the Internet, virtualization, grid computing, Web services,” to list a few. This qualitative study presents a remarkable theoretical background for the given research since it summarizes the majority of concepts, aspects and factors that are incorporated in the notion of cloud computing. Not less important is the fact of analysis of cloud computing through the lens of decrease of carbon emissions, which reveals another positive attribute of this technology. Apart from that, the author considers shortcoming to be addressed by implementers prior to practicing any policies related to the cloud. For instance, concerns about potential privacy issues. Hence, this article is of great value for a thorough understanding of the perspective of this approach to education that is the central aim of the current research.
In addition, Ercan (2010) supports favorable position of cloud computing in education, especially for institutions “under budget shortage in order to operate there is effectively without spending any more capital for the computers and network devices”. The researcher takes into account extreme significance of this computing tool at universities where students are intensively overloaded with tasks. Thus, cloud dimension is able to increase efficiency and speed of their studying and cooperation with one another and their instructors, among other issues. Also, the scholar provides a range of recommendations on how to increase the successful implementation of benefits this technology may bring into educational process. Ercan (2010) introduces a specific model in terms of organization of this process. However, the author does not provide evidence on how it works on practice. Therefore, the well-argued theoretical framework has to be tested to prove its applicability on practice. In any case, this resource is a useful incentive to better understanding of the issue in question as it shows a connection of theory-to-practice, though has to be clarified yet.
A narrowed focus on the research question has been proposed by Rao, Sasidhar and Kumar (2012), who argue over cloud computing within mobile devices dimension. Similarly to other researchers considered in the scope of the paper, these scholars also emphasize cost-efficiency of this approach to education, adding a mass coverage factor as well due to usage of smartphones. The authors introduce an updated approach to education and explicitly describe their model. Its centerpiece is based on that “it provides the data manipulation operation with the load control and high authentication” among other positive outcomes. The frameworks are also visually presented through charts and tables, which is a good way to systematic analysis of information and better comprehension. This article is of notable use for the given research as does one more valuable incentive on how to improve either understand or recommendations to ensuring maximal efficiency of cloud computing in education.
Not less important part of any research is studying best practices in the intended field. For example, Cappos, Beschastnikh, Krishnamurthy and Anderson (2009) offer a detailed analysis of an educational cloud computing platform called Seattle. This tool is community-driven and incorporates the knowledge and donations of universities of the aforementioned region. It is interesting to find out that this system has been created cooperatively by both educators and their students. It is extremely flexible and easy to use. Moreover, it runs on the major operational system, including Windows, Mac OS-X among others. The architecture of Seattle is also well distributed, with easy to understand interface useful for the targeted audience, students and teachers. Nonetheless, the issue regarding security is not highlighted by the scholars. This article is valuable for this inquiry with respect to comprehension of the practical side of the issue under consideration and outlining the way how theory may be intertwined with practice for achieving better outcomes of cloud computing in education.
Therefore, the above discussion of current academic resources reveals that researchers widely consider cloud computing as a means to enhance educational process through the variety of IT and computing paradigms available. Theoretical background is substantial for the given research, though certain clarifications are necessary to be made. In particular, the articles in the scope of the study have to be synthesized and precisely analyzed to realize the theory-to-practice gaps, find answers to the set research questions, and address these shortcomings in scholarly literature.
The research on the effectiveness and important role that cloud computing plays in education used various methods. A primary research containing a questionnaire method of obtaining information and data by passing a questionnaire formed the major part of the research.
In this survey, four questions formed the basis of the study. The four were used in the questionnaire that was passed around in the study population to find out the answers and the general idea of the matter to the public. Analysis of the answers we got from the public concerning their idea of the effectiveness of employing cloud computing in education formed the basis of the conclusion of the study.
According to the analysis of the results, most of the companies face various challenges in implementing cloud computing. The internet gives people chances of uploading and sharing data. This has successfully led to the emergence of malware and dangerous viruses circulating between computers. The fact that cloud computing uses the internet sharing and storing of data makes it the most targeted by viruses. This serves as a major challenge to most of the computer companies. The less accessibility by many people to the internet also plays a major role in hampering the penetration of majority of the world’s population by most of the companies.
According to the results got from the study, low level schools face many problems in their educational systems. Low-level schools lack the funds to provide every student with computers and lack the availability of the internet. The two make it hard for students in low-level schools to access information stored in clouds in the internet. Such students therefore have to depend on then physical traditional methods of accessing and storing educational material. Many of the low-level schools are coming up with more innovative methods of using the internet and specifically cloud computing in teaching and learning. Majority of the schools are requesting for and receiving funds from various well-wishers to use in the investment in educational cloud computing.
Cloud computing and managed hosting have variable definitions as terminologies in cloud computing. According to the delivery platform, managed hosting refers to contracting with a host provider to manage any given infrastructure. On the other hand according to delivery platforms, the term cloud computing refers to the use of an on demand cloud to distribute a given infrastructure. According to developmental platform on the other hand, cloud computing refers to using any on demand cloud environment to provide a general programming language to the user. The major technologies used in cloud computing include the networking of various computers across the globe with the internet to enable them share the educational information they have. The internet serves as a large store of educational and other data easily accessible to the people. The method has revolutionized many systems across the globe such as the educational systems and paved way to the reviving of the same.
Cloud computing can be used for many functions; this research specifically defines its importance in education systems. It also seeks to discover how cloud computing has affected the education system. The queries also research into the relationship developed between students and teachers after the integration of cloud computing in the education system.
Cloud computing has generally led to the transformation of sharing data over the internet. The educational system has not been left behind in this and somehow seems to be the majorly affected field by the service. Cloud computing enabled the learners to share educational information with other learners all over the globe. This transformation enables majority of learners from all over the globe to access educational information provided by other learners from around the globe. Despite the various disadvantages faced by sharing data over the internet such as the capacity of sharing viruses when doing so, many education facilities embrace cloud computing in the sharing of information over the internet. Major setbacks in the method include the low penetration of many people across the globe to the access of information technology services as well as the internet. This problem makes cloud computing inaccessible to many people in the current society. Solutions to this problem involve the distribution and providence of many governments across the globe with funds to educational systems to enable them access the internet. Various technologies such as computers and software developments have enabled the transforming of educational system using cloud computing. Majority of the people around the globe have started embracing this computing method as their major method to store and access data.
Cappos, J., Beschastnikh, I., Krishnamurthy, A., & Anderson, T. (2009, March). Seattle: a platform for educational cloud computing. ACM SIGCSE Bulletin, 41(1), 111-115.
Ercan, T. (2010). Effective use of cloud computing in educational institutions. Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences, 2(2), 938-942.
Pocatilu, P., Alecu, F., & Vetrici, M. (2009, November). Using cloud computing for e-learning systems. In Proceedings of the 8th WSEAS International Conference on DATA NETWORKS, COMMUNICATIONS, COMPUTERS (DNCOCO’09) (pp. 7-9).
Rao, N. M., Sasidhar, C., & Kumar, V. S. (2012). Cloud computing through mobile-learning [PDF document]. Retrieved from http://arxiv.org/pdf/1204.1594
Sultan, N. (2010). Cloud computing for education: A new dawn? International Journal of Information Management, 30(2), 109-116.
Vouk, M. A. (2008). Cloud computing – Issues, research and implementations. Journal of Computing and Information Technology, 16(4), 235-246.
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