Presentation from the SiS Catalyst and EUCU.NET Technucation conferernce at the University of Porto, 28th November to 1st December 2013. Workshop D - The Technology.

1. Accessible e-learning
in the Cloud
The Spatial Extent of Knowledge – World-Wide-Learning
Darko Grabar, University of Zagreb, Faculty of Organization and Informatics
Technucation – ICT in Science in Society Activities, Porto, 2012

2. Outline
• Background info
 About me
 Why this topic
• e-Learning today
• What is “The Cloud?”
• E-learning and the cloud
 Case study
 Advantages of the “e-Learning Cloud”
 Problems
• Practical examples

3. Background info: About me
• Darko Grabar
 Working at University of Zagreb, Faculty of
Organization and Informatics
 Head of Software Development Center
and E-learning Support Center
 Softer developer with strong relation to
Open source and e-learning
 Involved in e-learning projects since 2005
 Participated in development of several
e-learning strategies at institutional and
country wide level
 Part of several Croatian working bodies that deals with Open
Source / Open Access and e-learning

4. Background info: Why this topic
• This is what I do
 Trying to be one step ahead of teachers by predicting future
usage of ICT in learning
• E-learning is at its turn point
 New Web 2.0 technologies
 LMS crisis
 Bigger gap between rich and poor
• Cloud technologies are ready
 To be used by masses
 To provide cheep, reliable and powerful services

5. E-learning today
E-learning is a process of education
(learning and teaching process)
conducted using the Information and
Communication Technology which
improves the quality of the process
itself and the quality of its result

6. E-learning today
Web today

7. E-learning today
E-learning today

8. E-learning today
Future of e-learning
LMS
External tools ePortfolios
and Apps
External content

9. E-learning today
Why the future is not here?
What are the problems?
Software is available
Hardware can support it
Network is ready
There are people that know how to use new
technologies
Students/children are demanding it

10. E-learning today
Resources!
Ifthere would be enough resources:
• Schools would hire more teachers
• They would have experts in ICT and e-learning
• They would have appropriate ICT equipment
• Teachers would have time to produce
quality e-learning materials
• ICT staff would have time to provide top-of
the line environment for e-learning
• Students/pupils would be able to use it
• And the list goes on…

11. E-learning today

12. E-learning today
• So what’s wrong with e-learning today?
 Outdated technology
 Closed systems
 Slow innovation
 Lack of resources
 Money
 ICT resources
 People
 Available only to “privileged”

13. What is “The Cloud?”

14. What is “The Cloud?”
E-learning
professional
End user
ICT
support

15. What is “The Cloud?”
Cloud computing is the use of computing
resources (hardware and software) that
are delivered as a service over a
network (typically the Internet)
Cloud computing entrusts remote services
with a user's data, software and
computation
Wikipedia

16. What is “The Cloud?”
It is “a mechanism for delivering scalable
business services that execute on a
decentralized computing fabric
composed of commodity software and
hardware”

17. What is “The Cloud?”
It is a “pay-per-use model for enabling
available, convenient, on-demand
network access to a shared pool of
configurable computing resources ”

18. What is “The Cloud?”
Not a new idea

19. What is “The Cloud?”
Relies on Virtualization

20. What is “The Cloud?”

21. What is “The Cloud?”
• Infrastructure as a service (IaaS)
• Software as a service (SaaS)
• Platform as a service (PaaS)
• Storage as a service (STaaS)
• Desktop virtualization
• Data as a service (DaaS)
• Database as a service (DBaaS)
• Test environment as a service (TEaaS)
• API as a service (APIaaS)
• Security as a service (SECaaS)
• Backend as a service (BaaS)

22. What is “The Cloud?”
Analogy
How many of you build your house?

23. What is “The Cloud?”
Analogy
Are you renting/owning apartment?

24. What is “The Cloud?”
Advantages
Cost Effective
Unlimited resources
Speed & Scales
Fast innovation
Backup and Recovery
Automatic software integration
Easy Access

25. What is “The Cloud?”
Disadvantages
Change in thinking
Security in the Cloud
Technical Issues
Inflexibility
Cost

26. What is “The Cloud?”
Is it only for large
Corporations?

27. E-learning and the cloud
How to make e-learning
accessible and affordable

28. E-learning and the cloud
Case: teaching ICT
Goal:
To provide advanced education in the field of ICT (programming
and multimedia) to students in schools in the form of blended e-
learning course.
We want to teach two courses
 Big Data Processing
 3D Modeling
Requirements:
• Learning Management System for delivering courses
• E-Portofilo system for student collaboration
• High computing power needed for large files
manipulation and 3D modeling
• Large data storage
• High speed network

29. E-learning and the cloud
Case: teaching ICT
Let’s do it “traditional way”
We will need:
• Server
• Install LMS, e-portfolio, databases, ...
• High speed network connection
• Computer classroom
 Screen projector
 20 computers (workstation class): fast processor, 8GB of RAM (min), 500GB
disk, fast graphic card
 Windows and Linux OS
 Install all required software on each computer
 Fast local LAN connected to high speed broadband connection
• What about when working from home?

30. E-learning and the cloud
Case: teaching ICT
Let’s do it “traditional way”
We will need:
es?
• Server
tag
• Install LMS, e-portfolio, databases, ...
Ad van
• High speed network connection
• Computer classroom
 Screen projector

Disadv
20 computers (workstation class): fast processor, 8GB of RAM (min), 500GB
antage
disk, fast graphic card


s
Windows and Linux OS
?
Install all required software on each computer
 Fast local LAN connected to high speed broadband connection
• What about when working from home?

31. E-learning and the cloud
Case: teaching ICT
Let’s do it “Cloud way”
We will need:
• Cloud environment with configured applications
• Computer classroom
 Screen projector
 20 low end computers: enough processing power to run OS and browser
 Any OS capable of running standard browser or Cloud native client
 Network connection (2-3 > Mbps)
• What about when working from home?
 You can, from any computer (even smart phone or tablet)

32. E-learning and the cloud
Real servers
Virtual server
Virtual
desktops
LMS + ePortfolio
Software preinstalled
Case: teaching ICT
Let’s do it “Cloud way”
Thin clients

33. E-learning and the cloud
Case: teaching ICT
Let’s do it “Cloud way”
We will need:
• Cloud environment with configured applications
• Computer classroom
tag es?

 Ad van
Screen projector
20 low end computers: enough processing power to run OS and browser
 Any OS capable of running standard browser or Coud native client
 Network connection (2-3 > Mbps)
• Disadv
What about when working from home?
antage
You can, from any computer (oven smart phone or tablet)
s?


34. Practical examples
Ulteo Virtual Desktop Key features
http://www.ulteo.com
• Open Source
• Seamless Application
delivery
 Windows applications
 Linux applications
• Windows 7 or Linux like
remote desktop access
• Universal access
 Browser
 Native client (win, linux, iOS,
Android)
• Local desktop interaction
• Advanced security

35. Practical examples
http://courses.foi.hr/ovd/
Test users: test2, …. test15

36. Discussion
• Are you using e-learning technologies?
 What technologies (LMS, e-Portfolio, other?...)
 Typical examples
• Would you use cloud services if available?
 In what context
 If no, why not?
• What functionality would
you like to see in the
“E-learning in the cloud
environment”?