While cloud appear to have improved efficiency, effectiveness and processes and is seen as a new direction for e-learning systems in order to keep pace with developments in technology, the current e-learning systems seem to be weak in scalability, inefficient in resources utilisation and costs associated with resource management. They also appear to be rigid therefore unable to dynamically allocate the required computing and storage resources.
Dear Isaiah Ewuzie, In a global economy, cloud-based e-Learning is reality. But with the future predicted demand growth for this type of technology increases, software will be more complex with advanced embedded functions and hence the users need to be trained.
It is good idea if we always introduce BYOD (Bring Your Won Device) concept. It means an e-learning application should be compatible for any OS and device.
Continuous, reliable availability of the Cloud is still problematic in developing countries. MOOCs are scalable, but may lack accreditation, authentication and authority of assessment. However, manageability and available space do not seem to be problems of concern today.
Problems !? 1) MS just released research (by Dan Williams) that running an inefficient cloud system can lead lead to increased carbon gas emissions; 2) For anything other than SaaS, the cloud is dependant on high bandwidth, which is not realistic in many countries / areas; 3) in my experience non-technically minded managers are still concerned to let data reside off-site, as its use can not be fully controlled.
Dear Dr. Setyawan Widyarto, I agree with your point of view but what about the point that the software will be more complex with advanced embedded functions and hence the "users need to be trained".
@Afaq Ahmad: do you really need to teach 3-year old kid how to use the iPad? I doubt that... He is actually more fluent with that than with your morning newspaper that I guess you consider as "not advanced".
@Ian, good call on the developing countries. A major issue in some of them isn't even the reliability of datacenters, but the existence of supporting secondary infrastructure like electrical grids. Regarding the question, I think that if your chief concern here is the global spread of e-learning technology, your biggest constraint isn't e-learning itself.
The issue doesn't even need to be technology per se. I did some work with an organisation that built IT infrastructure and school systems in Sri Lanka, Zambia and Zimbabwe, where I was involved with the Sri Lankan project. After doubling expenses by having to bribe customs to get the hardware shipment released, they faced problems such as the absence of water supply networks while the training centers required sanitation by law. Issues like these led to expensive construction projects that amounted to the biggest financial challenges to the organisation.
Some of the problems in e-learning based on cloud technologies,
• To adapt the necessary resources under changing demands of the user by providing an intelligent resource management (scalability measures), to identify the usage patterns and to predict the load in order to optimize the scheduling.
• To reduce the electric charge for low energy consumption and adaptable to consumers.
• Waste of resources irrespective of usage, due to resource management expenses is too high.
• Primary security should be provided for e-learning based tests, mark evaluation and so on.
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