The Impact of Virtualized Technology on Undergraduate Computer Networking Education

Chamberlin, J. Edward; Hussey, Jason; Klimkowski, Benjamin; Moody, William; Morrell, Christopher H.

doi:10.1145/3125659.3125693

Cited by 8 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 5 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…In teaching Networking, Chamberlin et al (2017) found that there were no significant differences in performance or confidence in materials between the experimental group, who learned through virtual technology, and the control group who used the physical lab.…”

mentioning

confidence: 90%

Untitled

2018

International Journal of Education and Practice

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Virtualization technology has been around for many years, and its use is increasingly becoming common in education, in general and in computing fields, in particular. This can be attributed partly to its potential to reduce costs, boost efficiency and overcome limited resources through its virtual applications such as servers, storage devices and networks. However, the question is: "would that be at the cost of the quality of learning?" Besides, the way virtualized environments impact motivation needs further clarification, since it is a neglected area of research. This quasi-experimental study tried to address such questions through investigating the impact of virtualized networking software (OPNET Network Simulator) on students' learning and motivation. 116 undergraduate students enrolled in a computer networking class at one of the universities in Egypt participated in this study, who were then randomly assigned to an experimental group (N= 59), which used the OPNET Network simulator, and a control group (N= 57) which studied the same content via the traditional physical lab. Two instruments; a networking test, and a Motivation Scale were administered to both study groups prior and post the intervention. Results showed that students of experimental group who used OPNET Networking simulator had significantly higher grades and greater motivation levels than those of the control group.Contribution/Originality: This paper's primary contribution is to find out how virtual learning environments can prove more effective than real environment on both learning and motivation. The current study came to this conclusion by employing a quasi-experimental method, while other studies relied mostly on anecdotal or tentative evidence. INTRODUCTIONVirtualization has spread in all aspects of education, and specifically in computer education, where laboratory work is an essential part of any course. In computing, virtualization refers to the act of creating a virtual, rather than actual version of something, like a virtual computer hardware platform, an operating system, a storage device, or a computer network. Virtualization enables one to try out new operating systems, visit websites one does not trust, host configuration, network services installation, and operation. Virtualized environments were also found useful in in the development of Web-based interactive learning resources in engineering education (Ndahi et al., 2007) and in developing interactive digital media (Tan, 2008;Yildirim et al., 2018).

show abstract

mentioning

confidence: 90%

Untitled

2018

International Journal of Education and Practice

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Simulations are a very effective way to design learning environments within higher education [4,5], and this paper will explore simulation-based learning in the context of computer networks. While earlier literature has claimed there are few studies which investigate how simulation-based learning is used in assisting the learning of computer networking [14], as time has progressed, the abundance of papers reporting on such studies has increased.…”

Section: Simulation Tools For Teaching Computer Networkmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Due to the growth and increasing demand for inter-connectivity worldwide, ICT, and associated services [1], specialists in the field of computer networks are required so that effective infrastructure can be designed, built and maintained [4,15]. This requires a supply of suitably qualified professionals, and therefore this places an importance on suitable education and training in computer networks.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Besides, only focusing on theory can make it difficult for undergraduate students to have a deeper learning experience which would have long-lasting effects [1]. Unlike practical sessions in topics such as programming which can often only require a computer [17], there are extra resources required in teaching computer networks such as networking equipment which can both be costly and take up a lot of space [4,18]. In situations such as this, simulation tools are beneficial to overcome these issues.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Simulation-Based Learning via Cisco Packet Tracer to Enhance the Teaching of Computer Networks

Allison

2022

Proceedings of the 27th ACM Conference on on Innovation and Technology in Computer Science Education Vol. 1

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Teaching and learning computer networks is a crucial part of a computing undergraduates' education. However, it is an abstract topic with theory that can be challenging for students to comprehend. Simulation-based learning can be used as a teaching tool to enhance networking-based lecture topics and help students more easily understand and visualise how it really works in a safe, user-friendly environment. One such simulation tool, Cisco Packet Tracer, can be used to good effect, and this paper reports on the practical implementation of the tool as identified in existing literature. Additionally, this paper discusses how Packet Tracer was utilised as part of a UK based first year undergraduate module 'Computers and Security', and details the content of nine practical sessions, whilst also identifying the main benefits and challenges of their implementation from a practitioner's perspective. It was found that while Packet Tracer can be an additional benefit to augment the teaching of networking concepts, there are limitations and challenges which educators must be aware of if implementing the tool. The paper therefore concludes with providing recommendations which should help educators and curriculum designers in creating and delivering more effective and interactive networking sessions. CCS CONCEPTS• Social and professional topics → Computing education programs; • Networks → Network simulations.

show abstract

“…Rather, it is primarily a side bar conversation on a slew of tech sites, blogs, and tutorials [7]. This may have been due to the understandable fact that the focus of VM lab environment research was primarily on their validity as educational tools [3]. Although there are works related to VM performance, the majority seek to improve VM efficiency as a business/economical function rather than for improving user experience [8].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Challenges of Virtual Machine Performance in Information and Computer Technology Virtual Lab Environments

Chou¹,

Toderick²,

Hempenius³

2020 CIEC Proceedings

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

This paper reviews common practices for minimizing virtual machine (VM) resource requirements. Also, the authors propose a novel nested VM architecture used in a cybersecurity virtual laboratory environment containing over 90 VMs on a single host. Using open source tools and minimizing the operating systems of VMs, the authors were able to significantly reduce VM resource requirements while increasing VM performance. This work provided helpful information for technology educators who seek to reduce their VM overhead and increase virtual lab environment performance. This paper also provided a groundwork for further research into maximizing virtual lab environment performance.

show abstract

The Impact of Virtualized Technology on Undergraduate Computer Networking Education

Cited by 8 publications

References 5 publications

Untitled

Untitled

Simulation-Based Learning via Cisco Packet Tracer to Enhance the Teaching of Computer Networks

Challenges of Virtual Machine Performance in Information and Computer Technology Virtual Lab Environments

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About