Cloud adoption for e-learning: Survey and future challenges

The cloud computing platform has become prevalent today and is being utilized by many organizations in government, industry, and academia. For teaching and training, its virtual environment provides a cost-effective alternative to physical labs which may be rapidly configured to provide hands-on lab exercises, as well as to run scientific applications for e-learning. In this paper, we present a survey of cloud usage aimed at empowering students with practical skills in an educational environment. We present a taxonomy of cloud usage for e-learning, and also analyze existing major contributions relevant to cloud usage for e-learning. We also perform a comparative analysis of the frameworks and models found in the literature along with a comparative evaluation of the implementations carried out for e-learning. The future challenges and major issues being faced in adopting cloud technology for e-learning are also discussed along with recommendations for possible solutions.

[1]  Nishikant Sonwalkar,et al.  The First Adaptive MOOC: A Case Study on Pedagogy Framework and Scalable Cloud Architecture—Part I , 2013 .

[2]  Sherali Zeadally,et al.  Teaching Cybersecurity Using the Cloud , 2015, IEEE Transactions on Learning Technologies.

[3]  Mona Nasr,et al.  An Ecosystem in e-Learning Using Cloud Computing as platform and Web 2 . 0 , 2011 .

[4]  Francisco J. García-Peñalvo,et al.  An evolving Learning Management System for new educational environments using 2.0 tools , 2014, Interact. Learn. Environ..

[5]  Khaled Salah,et al.  Harnessing the cloud for teaching cybersecurity , 2014, SIGCSE.

[6]  Germanas Budnikas,et al.  Application of cloud computing at KTU: MS live@edu case , 2011, Informatics Educ..

[7]  P. Y. Thomas,et al.  Cloud computing: A potential paradigm for practising the scholarship of teaching and learning , 2011, Electron. Libr..

[8]  Anthony Sulistio,et al.  Private cloud for collaboration and e-Learning services: from IaaS to SaaS , 2010, Computing.

[9]  Edward Chow,et al.  Using Amazon EC2 in Computer and Network Security Lab Exercises: Design, Results, and Analysis , 2012 .

[10]  Norleyza Jailani,et al.  Framework and Architecture for Programming Education Environment as a Cloud Computing Service , 2013 .

[11]  Saroj Kumar Gupta,et al.  Cloud Computing Issues and Benefits Modern Education , 2012 .

[12]  Tuncay Ercan,et al.  Effective use of cloud computing in educational institutions , 2010 .

[13]  Rasimah Che Mohd Yusoff,et al.  Technological aspect factors of E-learning readiness in higher education institutions: Delphi technique , 2018, Education and Information Technologies.

[14]  Shaik Saidhbi,et al.  A Cloud Computing Framework for Ethiopian Higher Education Institutions , 2012 .

[15]  Miguel Caballer,et al.  On using the cloud to support online courses , 2014, 2014 IEEE Frontiers in Education Conference (FIE) Proceedings.

[16]  Francisco J. García-Peñalvo,et al.  Informal learning recognition through a cloud ecosystem , 2014, Future Gener. Comput. Syst..

[17]  Shaiful Alam Chowdhury,et al.  A Proposed Architecture of Cloud Computing for Education System in Bangladesh and the Impact on Current Education System , 2010 .

[18]  Hosam Farouk El-Sofany,et al.  The Impact of Cloud Computing Technologies in E-learning , 2013, Int. J. Emerg. Technol. Learn..

[19]  H. M. El-Bakry,et al.  Cloud Computing for Solving E-Learning Problems , 2012 .

[20]  Minhong Wang,et al.  Collaborative cloud: a new model for e-learning , 2014 .

[21]  Mohammed Al-Zoube,et al.  E-Learning on the Cloud , 2009, Int. Arab. J. e Technol..

[22]  Kara Nance,et al.  Virtual Laboratory Environments : Methodologies for Educating Cybersecurity Researchers , 2010 .

[23]  D. G. Chandra,et al.  Role of cloud computing in education , 2012, 2012 International Conference on Computing, Electronics and Electrical Technologies (ICCEET).

[24]  Asgarali Bouyer,et al.  The Necessity of Using Cloud Computing in Educational System , 2014 .

[25]  Wang Li-li,et al.  The research and application of college teaching resources construction in cloud environment , 2014, 2014 9th International Conference on Computer Science & Education.

[26]  Gurdev Singh,et al.  Cloud Computing Future Framework for e-management of NGO's , 2011, ArXiv.

[27]  Luis M. Vaquero EduCloud: PaaS versus IaaS Cloud Usage for an Advanced Computer Science Course , 2011, IEEE Transactions on Education.

[28]  Alan Miller,et al.  Managing 3D Multi User Learning Environments - A Case Study on Training Disaster Management , 2012, Int. J. Emerg. Technol. Learn..

[29]  N. Radhakrishnan,et al.  Utilization of cloud computing in E-learning systems , 2012, 2012 International Conference on Cloud Computing Technologies, Applications and Management (ICCCTAM).

[30]  Asgarali Bouyer,et al.  The Effect of Cloud Computing Technology in Personalization and Education Improvements and its Challenges , 2013 .

[31]  V. Bhuvaneswari,et al.  Filter Based Approach for Genomic Feature Set Selection (FBA-GFS) , 2012 .

[32]  Sven Seiler,et al.  Embedded System and Robotic Education in a Blended Learning Environment Utilizing Remote and Virtual Labs in the Cloud, Accompanied by 'Robotic HomeLab Kit' , 2012, Int. J. Emerg. Technol. Learn..

[33]  H. Yang,et al.  Understanding College Students’ Acceptance of Cloud Classrooms in Flipped Instruction: Integrating UTAUT and Connected Classroom Climate , 2019 .

[34]  Aleksandra Labus,et al.  Scaffolding Environment for Adaptive E-learning through Cloud Computing , 2013, J. Educ. Technol. Soc..

[35]  Subasish Mohapatra,et al.  Empowering of ICT-Based Education System Using Cloud Computing , 2019 .

[36]  Susan Mehringer,et al.  XSEDE Cloud Survey Report , 2013 .

[37]  Alexey V. Dukhanov,et al.  Design Virtual Learning Labs for Courses in Computational Science with Use of Cloud Computing Technologies , 2014, ICCS.

[38]  Julita Vassileva,et al.  A Framework of User-Driven Data Analytics in the Cloud for Course Management , 2010 .

[39]  Mehrbakhsh Nilashi,et al.  Decision to adopt online collaborative learning tools in higher education: A case of top Malaysian universities , 2018, Education and Information Technologies.

[40]  Xiaodan Xu,et al.  The college English curriculum design based on cloud computing , 2014 .

[41]  Vaishali H. Pardeshi,et al.  Cloud Computing for Higher Education Institutes: Architecture, Strategy and Recommendations for Effective Adaptation , 2014 .

[42]  Shaun S. Nykvist,et al.  The trials and tribulations of a BYOD science classroom , 2012 .

[43]  Washington Luna Encalada,et al.  Model to Implement Virtual Computing Labs via Cloud Computing Services , 2017, Symmetry.

[44]  Khaled Salah,et al.  Using the Cloud to Teach Computer Networks , 2015, 2015 IEEE/ACM 8th International Conference on Utility and Cloud Computing (UCC).

[45]  Ariel Rokem,et al.  Portable Learning Environments for Hands-On Computational Instruction: Using Container- and Cloud-Based Technology to Teach Data Science , 2017, PEARC.

[46]  Karim Chine,et al.  Learning Math and Statistics on the Cloud, Towards an EC2-Based Google Docs-like Portal for Teaching / Learning Collaboratively with R and Scilab , 2010, 2010 10th IEEE International Conference on Advanced Learning Technologies.

[47]  Francisco Herrera,et al.  An Overview of E-Learning in Cloud Computing , 2012 .

[48]  Xin Luo,et al.  Cloud-Based Virtual Computing Laboratories , 2013, 2013 46th Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences.

[49]  Xiaodi Huang,et al.  ESaaS: A New Education Software Model in E-learning Systems , 2011 .

[50]  Henry E. Schaffer,et al.  Improving K-12 pedagogy via a Cloud designed for education , 2013, Int. J. Inf. Manag..

[51]  Xiaodi Huang,et al.  An E-learning System Architecture based on Cloud Computing , 2012 .