Strategies and Practice of Cloud-Based Learning Environment Implementation

Author(s):  
Anwar Hossain Masud ◽  
Xiaodi Huang

The education landscape around the world is in a constant state of flux and evolution, facing significant challenges in adopting new and emerging technologies. This is driven mainly by a new genre of students with learning needs that are vastly different from those of their predecessors. It is increasingly recognized that the use of technology in higher education is essential to providing high quality education and preparing students for the challenges of the 21st century. Advances in technology offer new opportunities in enhancing teaching and learning. The new technologies enable individuals to personalize the environment in which they work or learn a range of tools to meet their interests and needs. In this chapter, we attempt to explore the salient features of the nature and educational potentials of ‘cloud computing' in order to exploit its affordance in teaching and learning in the context of higher education. It is evident that cloud computing plays a significant role in the higher education landscape as both a ubiquitous computing tool and a powerful platform. Although the adoption of cloud computing promises various benefits to an organization, a successful adoption of cloud computing in an organization, particularly in educational institutes, requires an understanding of different dynamics and expertise in diverse domains. This chapter aims at describing an architecture of Cloud Computing for Education (CCE), which includes a number of steps for adopting and implementing cloud computing. To implement this architecture, we have also outlined an open framework that is used as a guidance in any organisations with any cloud computing platforms and infrastructures towards the successful adoption and implementation of cloud computing.

Author(s):  
Joseph Ezale Cobbinah

Higher educational institutions are widening participation through the introduction of new programs, using different approaches to deliver learning so that many people can have access to education. With the growing number of students in our higher educational institutions, coupled with learners who are working and by virtue of their job commitments cannot do traditional face-to-face education, using information technology (IT) to support lessons in higher education institutions has become very laudable. The introduction and use of technology have brought changes in the way we teach and support students in our higher education institutions. This, therefore, calls for effective IT leaders who will be able to motivate, inspire, and meet the learning needs of the diverse students in our institutions while improving teaching and learning. The IT leaders should not only be individuals who can only lead the change crusade but should be able to manage the change process.


2012 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 2-4
Author(s):  
Geraldine E. Lefoe ◽  

Welcome to the first issue of Volume 9 of Journal of University Teaching and Learning (JUTLP) in 2012. Higher education institutions continue to adapt to the many changes occurring in education. Increasing pressures on systems and the people who work within them are becoming more evident. For this journal one such impact has been the submission of several papers which have evidence of plagiarism or selfplagiarism. Contributing factors may indeed be increased pressure to publish and a lack of understanding of what constitutes plagiarism amongst inexperienced authors. In the Higher Education Teaching and Learning group in Linkedin (http://tinyurl.com/HETL-SOTL) suggestions have been offered in terms of education for authors and reviewers to address the problem. It seems that new technologies, as well as those that have been around for quite some time, offer both advantages and disadvantages for academic activity. Fortunately, for many of our authors the use of technology to support teaching and learning is providing avenues for increased support for student learning.


Author(s):  
Jia Li ◽  
Catherine Snow ◽  
Claire White

Modern teens have pervasively integrated new technologies into their lives, and technology has become an important component of teen popular culture. Educators have pointed out the promise of exploiting technology to enhance students’ language and literacy skills and general academic success. However, there is no consensus on the effect of technology on teens, and scant literature is available that incorporates the perspective of urban and linguistically diverse students on the feasibility of applying new technologies in teaching and learning literacy in intact classrooms. This paper reports urban adolescents’ perspectives on the use of technology within teen culture, for learning in general and for literacy instruction in particular. Focus group interviews were conducted among linguistically diverse urban students in grades 6, 7 and 8 in a lower income neighborhood in the Northeastern region of the United States. The major findings of the study were that 1) urban teens primarily and almost exclusively used social media and technology devices for peer socializing, 2) they were interested in using technology to improve their literacy skills, but did not appear to voluntarily or independently integrate technology into learning, and 3) 8th graders were considerably more sophisticated in their use of technology and their suggestions for application of technology to literacy learning than 6th and 7th graders. These findings lead to suggestions for developing effective literacy instruction using new technologies.


Author(s):  
Ayad Shihan Izkair ◽  
Muhammad Modi Lakulu ◽  
Ibtihal Hassan Mussa

Mobile learning is presently taking part in associate degree more and more important role within the instructional method, additionally as within the development of teaching and learning ways for higher education. The power to find out ‘on the go– anytime, anywhere, is changing into more and more fashionable. The advantages offered by mobile learning are important. On the opposite hand, the implementation of mobile learning in educational activity relies on users’ acceptance of technology. Acceptance and intention to use mobile learning may be a topic of growing interest within the field of education. The model of the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT) is planned and developed by researchers via a mixture of eight major theories in activity prediction. UTAUT is among the foremost fashionable and up to date model in information technology acceptance. This is review paper aiming to review UTAUT’s previous studies of intention to use mobile learning. In conclusion, this research provides insight regarding the necessary factors for planning and designing an intention to use mobile learning model in higher education institutions.


Author(s):  
María A. Pérez-Juárez ◽  
Míriam Antón-Rodríguez ◽  
Francisco J. Díaz-Pernas ◽  
Mario Martínez-Zarzuela ◽  
David González-Ortega

Being able to communicate in a foreign language is a very pleasant experience. Moreover, in different working environments and scenarios, it is necessary. For this reason, there is a tremendous need to continue the research and development of techniques, tools, applications, strategies, and experiences related to the teaching and learning of foreign languages, adapted to the different needs, abilities, and interests of the learners. This chapter explores the important role that technology is playing in supporting the learning of languages through the facilitation of ubiquitous learning, where techniques such as informatics technology, mobile technology, or cloud computing, and tools such as learning management systems (LMSs) and massive open online courses (MOOCs) can be of great help.


Author(s):  
Marva Mirabolghasemi ◽  
Noorminshah A. Iahad ◽  
Sahar Hosseinikhah Choshaly

Many higher education institutions are hoping to enhance student engagement in learning environment for improving the educational experiences and outcomes. Therefore, providing expectations of learners and using new technology environments to facilitate their teaching and learning activities are prominent to make universities competitive. A solution can be cloud computing which is the newest alternative in current educational environments and has significant impact on teaching and learning. This study explores the cloud-based educational environment and discusses how universities may take advantage of cloud computing in terms of students' social presence in relation to satisfaction and perceived learning. This study conducted a survey consisting of 13 questions among students from a public university in the southern region of peninsular Malaysia. The total number of respondents is 103 students. Through this study, a basis for the investigation of cloud computing in higher education is successfully established.


Author(s):  
Pradeep Tomar ◽  
Shivani Verma

The future of higher education is intrinsically linked with developments on new technologies and computing capacities of the new intelligent machines. In this field, advances in artificial intelligence open to new possibilities and challenges for teaching and learning in higher education with the potential to fundamentally change governance and the internal architecture of institutions of higher education. The role of technology in higher learning is to enhance human thinking and to augment the educational process, not to reduce it to a set of procedures for content delivery, control, and assessment. With the rise of AI solutions, it is increasingly important for educational institutions to stay alert and see if the power of control over hidden algorithms that run them is not monopolized by tech-lords. This chapter will cover all the positive and negative aspects of AI technologies on teaching, learning, and research in higher education.


Author(s):  
Judith Parker

As Web 2.0 surfaces as the latest trendy phrase in education and technology discussions, it is imperative that instructors not get caught up in the glamour of the latest technology and loose sight of the required andragogical underpinnings necessary for effective and efficient teaching and learning. This chapter will begin by exploring the major theories and theorists in the field of adult education and the meshing of these theories with technology applications in higher education and global business venues. While Malcolm Knowles is credited with popularizing adult learning theory in the 1970’s, Stephen Brookfield, Jack Mezirow, Maxine Greene and Knud Illeris are among those who have moved the field forward over the past decades. Along with this progression in theory, the use of technology has escalated in popularity creating a need to frame its application in the foundational principles of adult education; an “Andragogy 2.0” focus is required. This chapter will expand on this theoretical base by offering short case studies that are linked to the theories as examples of innovative strategic approaches in the use of technology in adult teaching and learning.


Author(s):  
Alice Wanjira Kiai ◽  
Peter Getyngo Mbugua

This study examines teaching methodologies used by composition instructors in a private university in Kenya where composition is taught to all undergraduate students. The study adopted a qualitative approach in the form of narrative inquiry to explore challenging topics in teaching and learning argumentation, methodological interventions, instructors' use of technology, and to suggest strategies for addressing problem areas. Purposive sampling was adopted, resulting in narratives from three experienced course instructors. Learner-centred approaches were prevalent, especially in addressing challenging topics such as formulation of claims, supporting arguments with evidence, recognising fallacies and appeals, and documentation of sources of information.


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