Cloud Computing
Innovative Solution in Higher
Education
DECEMBER 25, 2022
CHIKA O. ACHA
@00619133
Table of Contents
1.
Executive Summary ...........................................................................................................................................3
1.1
The Impact of COVID-19 on Higher Education..........................................................................................3
2.
Challenges to the University of Kikuyu ........................................................................................................3
2.1
SWOT Analysis ..............................................................................................................................................4
2.2
CATWOE Analysis ........................................................................................................................................5
3.
Adopting Cloud Computing in University of Kikuyu ................................................................................5
3.1
Cloud Computing Characteristics .............................................................................................................5
3.2
Cloud Computing Models ..........................................................................................................................6
3.2.1
3.2.2
3.2.3
Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) ........................................................................................................................6
Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) ....................................................................................................................6
Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) ............................................................................................................7
3.3
Deployment Model .......................................................................................................................................7
3.3.1
3.3.2
3.3.3
3.3.4
Private Cloud .................................................................................................................................................7
Public Cloud ..............................................................................................................................................8
Hybrid Cloud ............................................................................................................................................8
Multi-Cloud ...............................................................................................................................................8
4.
Cloud Based Education ....................................................................................................................................8
4.1
Adoption of Cloud Computing in Kikuyu University ...........................................................................8
4.2
Benefits of Adopting Cloud Computing at the Kikuyu University .....................................................9
5.
5.1
5.2
Cloud Computing Technology Adoption ..................................................................................................10
Cloud Computing Adoption Challenges ................................................................................................10
Critical Success Factors (CSF)...................................................................................................................11
6.
Adoption Strategies .........................................................................................................................................12
7.
Conclusion ........................................................................................................................................................13
8.
References .........................................................................................................................................................14
1. Executive Summary
The university of Kikuyu (hereinafter referred to as “the university”) is a teaching and
research institution located in central London with 25,000 students and 3,000 employees.
There is a need to upgrade the university’s infrastructure to enable the university to meet up
with the technological trends utilized by the current generation of students post-COVID.
1.1
The Impact of COVID-19 on Higher Education
You can perhaps argue second to only public health, no other sector has been more impacted
than the educational sector by the COVID-19 pandemic (hereinafter referred to as COVID) in
the past few years. The COVID pandemic has created the largest disruption of the education
systems in history. According to the United Nations (UN), that has affected 1.6 billion
learners in over 190 countries and all continents. The closure of schools of higher education
has impacted at least 94% of the world’s student population, and up to 99% of those
students who are in low and lower-middle income countries. (UN Policy Brief – Aug 2020).
From when COVID hit, one thing became clear as crystal, that the education systems do
more than just focus on academics alone. Schools are more than just physical buildings that
provide students with academic content. The also provide regular access to food and
healthcare. Educators also do more just stimulate minds, as they also provide social-emotional
support and safety in certain cases.
2. Challenges to the University of Kikuyu
Although the university currently has an infrastructure capable of delivering virtual learning,
as well as virtual and smart collaboration technologies as a means to facilitate educational
practices and activities, it does not meet the standards of a smart campus. In summary, there
are two major challenges that the university currently faces, with its pedagogical practice:
•
Limited knowledge of modern technologies - The attitude of the students and
teachers towards technology integration in the university is an important aspect to be
analyzed and addressed. There are various factors that usually influence a university’s
attitudes towards the use of technology. Some of these factors would include –
technological literacy/efficacy, some level of enjoyment, system interactivity,
technology anxiety, IT support, usefulness perception, ease of use.
•
Adoption and Adaptation of modern technologies – In most cases, the acceptance and
adoption of modern technologies by educators in higher education can be dependent
on the level of computer proficiency, the available resources, and the readiness of
students to engage in new technology.
2.1
SWOT Analysis
The SWOT analysis report below, identifies what educators and students perceive to be the
Strength, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats in adopting modern technologies in
education, especially since the advent of COVID.
SWOT ANALYSIS: EDUCATORS’ VIEWS
Strengths
Weaknesses
•
Mobility: Anywhere
•
Digital illiteracy
•
Accessibility: 24/7 access
•
Digital Divide
•
Knowledge availability
•
Security
•
Faster communication
•
Noise in communication
•
Ease of Collaboration amongst peers
•
Technology failure and breakdowns
•
Student-centered learning
•
Privacy and Security
•
Data Storage Capacity
•
Budget shortfalls
Digital divide reduction
•
Technology-centered learning
•
Addiction to technology
•
Health hazards
Opportunities
•
Digital Literacy
•
Competitiveness/sustainability
Threats
SWOT ANALYSIS: STUDENTS’ VIEWS
Strengths
Weaknesses
•
Easy scheduling
•
Self-paced learning
•
Skills development
•
Virtual classroom lab work limitations
•
Adopting different learning styles
•
Poor connectivity/low bandwidth internet
•
Mobility
•
Complicated learning software for beginners
•
Cost savings
•
Disorientation
•
Ease of collaboration
•
Affordability
•
Storage
•
Time difference
•
Assistive technologies
•
Lack of physical social activities
•
Studying and working at the same time
•
Health effects
•
Low learning motivation due to physical
isolation
Opportunities
Threats
is possible
•
Human physical interactions
•
Affordability
•
Plagiarism
•
Collaborative environment
•
Limited control for teachers.
•
Learning new technological skills
•
Limited planning
•
Ideas and interests sharing with others
•
Noise and obstructions
2.2
CATWOE Analysis
The CATWOE Analysis happens on the existing system or process within an organization,
and in this case – the university. Below, are the components that are used to think about the
problem and/or the solution:
Fig 1: CATWOE Smart Campus Analysis
3. Adopting Cloud Computing in University of Kikuyu
Cloud Computing is the on-demand delivery of Information Technology (IT) resources via
the internet with Pay-As-You-Go (PAYG) pricing, instead of buying, owning, and
maintaining physical datacenters and servers. You can access technology services, such as
computing power, storage, and databases on an as-needed basis.
3.1
Cloud Computing Characteristics
Some Cloud Computing characteristics include:
•
On-Demand Service
•
Network Access
•
Shared Resources
•
Scalability
3.2
Cloud Computing Models
Cloud Computing offers different services, based on three (3) main delivery models:
Fig 2: Cloud Service Models
3.2.1 Software-as-a-Service (SaaS)
This is a service that offers on-demand Pay-Per-Use of application software to users. This
service is platform independent, and does not necessarily require you to install the software
on your computer.
Below, highlights some key benefits of SaaS:
o
Universally accessible from any platform
o
No need to commute , as you can work from any place
o
Excellent for collaborative working
o
Allows for multi-tenancy
3.2.2 Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS)
This service is mainly a development environment, and is made up of a Programming
Language Execution environment, an Operating System, a Web Server, and a Database. All of
this encapsulates the environment, where users can Build, Compile and Run their programs
without worrying about the underlying infrastructure.
Below, highlights some key benefits of PaaS:
o
Cost effective rapid development, which makes it very scalable
o
Faster market
o
Easy deployment of Web Applications
o
Private or Public deployment is possible
3.2.3 Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS)
This service offers the computing architecture and infrastructure. What this means is, it offers
all computing resources, but in a virtual environment so that multiple users can access them.
Below, highlights some key benefits of PaaS:
3.3
o
The Cloud provides the infrastructure
o
Enhanced Scalability
o
It is flexible
Deployment Model
Cloud Computing deployment model can be categorized into three (3) types:
3.3.1 Private Cloud
This model sits somewhere between the traditional IT model where you own and manage
everything. Services are provisioned in a such a way to allow you automate certain things.
Fig 3: Private Cloud services
The reason it is called a Private Cloud, is because of its ability to enable on-demand
services/self-services, multi-tenancy, metering and elasticity, within certain constraints. This
model can be very complex and expensive to build.
3.3.2 Public Cloud
Here, you are connected via the internet or some private link from your corporate business
location to the Public Cloud, out of which the services are delivered. Some benefits of
adopting this deployment model include:
o
Variable expense
o
Economies of scale
o
Massive elasticity
3.3.3 Hybrid Cloud
This is where we have a Private and Public Cloud connected together. The interconnection
can either be via the internet, or a private link.
o
This allows you to keep the critical applications and sensitive data in a traditional
datacenter environment or private cloud
o
Take advantage of Public Cloud resources like SaaS, PaaS, for latest applications, and
IaaS for elastic virtual resources.
o
Facilitates portability of data, apps and services and more choices for deployment
models
3.3.4 Multi-Cloud
This is another model, that is not very common, but worth mentioning. This is where you take
advantage of multiple different cloud models. You tend to put your applications where they are
best suited.
4. Cloud Based Education
Virtual Learning has assumed an essential part of the process of education, particularly since
the advent of COVID-19. A virtual learning framework facilitated on the cloud would make
new learning conditions where exams and lectures are conducted over a cloud system.
Information can be made accessible to students via cloud-based arrangements which can be
availed anytime, irrespective of the location.
4.1
Adoption of Cloud Computing in Kikuyu University
The Hybrid Cloud is the most appropriate configuration required. General applications and
information, such as information related to modules or courses, can be stored in the public
cloud, whereas student applications and information can be stored on-premise. Certain
applications that require meticulous control and examination are typically run locally, while
others are kept running on a public cloud.
4.2
Benefits of Adopting Cloud Computing at the Kikuyu University
The surge in cloud computing is basically because of various outstanding advantages:
Economics
Cloud Computing is a cost-effective solution, primarily because it provides a way for you to
“Pay As You Use” the cloud services. This consumption model brings several benefits,
because there are no upfront costs, no need to purchase and manage the hardware. This
model also allows for better cost prediction.
Scalability & Elasticity
You can increase or decrease your required services based on demand. In a cloud
infrastructure, scalability is done on demand. Because the Cloud is elastic in nature, it
automatically allocates/de-allocates resources based on needs.
Current/Up-to-date
Your business only focuses on things that matter, and not worry about the things that are not
core to you. All the IT management tasks are handled by the Cloud Infrastructure provider
platform. This ensures you are using the latest and greatest tools to run your educational
requirements.
Reliability/Availability
When running a business, you want to always be confident that your data will always to
available for use whenever required. The Cloud Computing infrastructure will provide data
backups, disaster recovery, and data replication services, which ensures your data is always
safe.
Security
The Cloud Computing Service provider usually takes care of all the security requirements.
When thinking about how to secure a typical datacenter, there are a lot of things that need to
be taken into consideration, from the physical security, digital security,
authentication/encryption to the technical controls that must be in place. This done on
premise, usually requires a lot of overhead. The Cloud provider usually takes care of all the
security requirements.
Staff Redeployment
By reducing or eliminating repetitive server updates and other computing issues, as well as
reducing consumptions in terms of time and money or application development, the
university can focus IT on higher-value projects.
5. Cloud Computing Technology Adoption
The two factors (experience and age) are crucial in achieving the goal of cloud computing.
According to studies, students are more likely to choose cloud computing technology that is
easy to use and does not require extensive training.
5.1
Cloud Computing Adoption Challenges
Despite the numerous benefits of cloud computing, concerns about the security and
confidentiality of information stored in the cloud, data location, privacy and regulatory
compliance, vendor lock-in, reliability, and the cloud vendor's legal jurisdiction have been
identified as barriers to cloud adoption in higher education.
Below are four (4) primary concerns for cloud computing adoption:
1) Poor Network Infrastructure - The absence of adequate network infrastructure has
consistently been a significant impediment to the use of ICT in higher educational
institutes. Network infrastructure refers to any technological device, technique, or access
model that is used to facilitate the efficient management and exchange of data.
2) Cost of IT Infrastructure - Another issue is the high cost of establishing and maintaining
the ICT framework and equipment.
3) Lack of Technology Awareness - Attitudes and beliefs of educators are critical factors
in determining the role and effectiveness of technology in the classroom. Ultimately,
educators' attitudes and beliefs about educational technology and pedagogy in general
will influence how they embrace technology. Some educators did not grow up with
certain technologies, but students today are raised in an environment that is saturated
with all kinds of advanced technologies. If educators believe they lack the necessary
technological competencies, they may feel less in control of the class and use less
technology.
4) Connectivity Issues - The reliability of the internet is one of the primary barriers to rapid
cloud adoption in some institutions of higher learning. The internet must be
dependable/reliable for cloud computing services to be effective.
5.2
Critical Success Factors (CSF)
There are a number of success factors why the university will use cloud computing in its
educational processes. These Critical Success Factors include:
1) Performance - Consumers frequently embrace new technology, believing that it will help
them complete their tasks more quickly and improve the quality of their output. One of
the primary factors influencing a person's decision to adopt new technology is
performance expectation.
2) Ease of Use - Ease of use is a critical factor when evaluating cloud computing technology.
This is due to the fact that the user experience is critical in determining the success of an
application. Previous research on cloud computing adoption has revealed that ease-of-use
or effort expectancy is one of the primary factors considered when deciding whether to
adopt cloud applications.
3) Cost - Using economies of scale, cloud providers can offer a lower cost per transaction
or service. With cloud, you do not pay for what you use. Instead, you pay for what
you think you will use. The performance benefits and the cost savings are
considerable if infrastructure requirements appropriately sized based on real-time
application demand.
4) Reliability - Even though cloud service providers guarantee 99.9% Service Level
Agreements (SLA) to their clients, this can always be a source of concern if it cannot be
measured. An outage is sometimes unavoidable and must be considered when deciding
whether to use the cloud. Reliability manifests as a risk and is thus regarded as the primary
consideration in the adoption of cloud computing.
6. Adoption Strategies
Implementing a successful cloud computing strategy in education takes time and effort. Many
parts of the educational institutions will be affected, there are complex decisions to be made, and
various stakeholders must be involved. Before deploying cloud service in a university, the need to
determine where cloud services will add value need to be identified. Then a scalable deployment
approach must be planned. Below, are three phases of cloud service adoption strategy for
successful implementation of cloud in the university.
Adoption Phases
Recommended Activities
•
Learn about cloud technology
Phase I
•
Detailed analysis of required applications
Elementary Phase: Identify your
•
Identification of required services
cloud computing IT services
•
Determine Service Consumption
•
Pricing requirements
Phase II
•
Review internal IT processes for service requirements
Intermediate Phase: Document the
•
Resolve inefficient processes
internal processes that will be
•
Review manual processes that require automation
affected by the cloud services you
•
Determine infrastructure monitoring and maintenance
choose
•
Determine application/service security requirements
Phase III
•
Review internal IT processes for service requirements
Final Phase: Map applications and
•
Analyze application workload requirements
workloads to the associated cloud
•
Determine overall architecture for workload requirements
services
•
Determine application/service security requirements
Cloud vendor selection is also an important task that needs to be handled with care. The
following criteria should be used to find a cloud solution that offer secure, reliable, and flexible
infrastructure.
•
Data Protection
•
Management
•
Integration
•
Security and Trust
•
Flexibility
7. Conclusion
An exploratory study has been presented in this paper which was carried out for better
understanding the cloud computing shift and the changing significance of its decisive factors. The
current status of cloud pedagogy has also been studied for highlighting the challenges and determining how the e-learning environment can be improved for higher learning institutions. After
the identification of the limitations and challenges, this study shows that majority of the problems
can be overcome for improving the Virtual Learning Environment.
Therefore, feasible solutions for overcoming resource constraints and the usage for enhancing the
learning environment with the addition of valuable and interactive tools can be employed to
harness the services offered by cloud vendors in the university.
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