e-Learning Ecologies MOOC’s Updates

Essential Peer Reviewed Update #1 How Cloud Computing can improve the education experience

After reviewing how cloud computing works, we can discover many solutions that can improve education experience and results. Before jump for some key findings, it is necessary to describe what is cloud computing.

According to wikipedia, is Cloud computing is the on-demand availability of computer system resources, especially data storage and computing power, without direct active management by the user. The term is generally used to describe data centers available to many users over the Internet. Large clouds, predominant today, often have functions distributed over multiple locations from central servers. If the connection to the user is relatively close, it may be designated an edge server.

Clouds may be limited to a single organization (enterprise clouds[1][2]), be available to many organizations (public cloud), or a combination of both (hybrid cloud).

Cloud computing can deliver at any scale, almost any application, it could be used to build and deploy multimedia classes anywhere to anybody. Reduce transactional and operational costs and make access to very quality content and democratize education in many ways.

cloud computing

Picture Source: Wikipedia

During my research, I also found some articles about some deployments strategies that are changing the way education is working through cloud computing.

I used below a piece of Sameer Bhatia's article about six ways cloud computing is changing education everywhere.

  1. No more expensive textbooks. It's no secret that university-level textbooks are expensive. The cost of textbooks has outpaced the cost of virtually everything else in education, including tuition. As a result, many students are simply refusing to buy them. Cloud-based textbooks can solve this problem as digital content is significantly less expensive than printed content.
  2. No more outdated learning materials. In the K-12 arena, the issue of costly textbooks means that many of the materials students are using are outdated. Cloud-based materials are natural to update in real-time so that students always have access to the most current learning resources.
  3. No expensive hardware required. Cloud-based applications could run on Internet browsers, but most are compatible with mobile devices as well. It means that schools and students do not necessarily need to own expensive computers—a $50 smartphone can access these applications just as well as a $500 laptop.
  4. No fancy software required. One of the most significant advantages of cloud-based computing is the software-as-a-service (SaaS) model. Many software programs are now available either free or on a low-cost subscription basis, which substantially lowers the cost of essential applications for students.
  5. Reaching more and more diverse students. Cloud computing opens up a world of new possibilities for students, especially those who are not served well by traditional education systems.
  6. Anytime, anywhere, any device model of learning. Cloud-based applications allow studying by connecting to a virtual classroom anytime, anywhere, and with any device.

I have concluded that cloud computing can be used to build an orchestration platform. To provide a variety of educations solutions to address many different students needs and reduce the total cost of ownership for schools, universities, and governments.