Cloud Computing for Education: A Systematic Mapping Study

Abstract

This paper examines the cloud computing for education (CCE) literature, and analyzes if the research is developing scientifically with adequate empirical validation. All aspects of empirical investigations covered in the literature are shown as weak, hence, the necessary scientific development of CCE requires extending its scope of interest, and involving scholars synergistically to create and maintain a "common research agenda."Background: A need to develop research on CCE has been recognized, and considerable efforts made to create an accurate understanding of the development of its scope of interest, in terms of supporting pedagogical developments and processes for better quality of studies.Research Questions: This paper has three main aims: 1) to evaluate the scope of interest in the literature for CCE with specific reference to pedagogy and educational processes; 2) to analyze the characteristics of papers, specifically empirical studies, from the various points of view of the daily improvement activities of teachers and learners at all levels of education; and 3) to identify eventual research gaps to consider and stimulate new topics or further investigations.Methodology: This systematic mapping study review followed a rigorous, replicable process to collect and analyze representative studies of CCE.Findings: Differences are found across geographic areas in applying CCE infrastructure and technologies in educational institutions; few studies address CCE's impact on pedagogic processes. The scope of interest in CCE is only partially covered; with empirical research being very shallow. Suggestions are made for more effective research on concerning the production and use of content.

A Proposed Model of Cloud based e-Learning for Najran University

“…The benefits of cloud computing in which e-learning became easily apparent. First of them, no worries by the developers of e-learning about the balance between hardware and resources, thus reducing their reliance on professional knowledge [9]. Secondly, it is sufficient for the users of e-learning systems to have some lightweight, low-cost devices (e.g., smartphone, and tablet) to access and contact with the e-learning systems via the internet.…”

“…Finally, all the data used in the e-learning systems (e.g., reports or personal notes) would be easily stored and backup automatically. Thus, the time needed to manage data is reduced and the storage spaces, with improved security [7], [9], [10]. Usually, applying the e-learning on cloud environment will strongly help the educational institutions to utilize the e-learning services which run in the cloud environment; Figure 2.…”

Smart campus: definition, framework, technologies, and services

“…Some review articles in the technology domain emphasise the state‐of‐the‐art technologies and seek their potential applications in the smart campus. To name a few, the applications of internet of things (IoT) and cloud computing technologies in smart campus are reviewed in [4, 5], respectively. The smart campus technologies under the background of 5G network are reviewed in [6].…”

Smart campus: a user case study in Hong Kong

“…In the literature, there are many technologies deployed in smart campus, such as internet of things (IoT) [16], cloud computing [17], augmented reality (AR) [18, 19], and artificial intelligence (AI) [20–22], and even the latest 5G technology [23], and most survey‐based research presumes that smart campuses are technology‐driven systems. In fact, in a smart learning environment, although technology must play an important role, the human involved is found to be the heart of such an environment [24].…”