Cloud Platforms in the Education Sector
Who would've thought that education would evolve to a point where learning is not restricted to textbooks and classrooms alone? Well, that was the case a couple of years ago. Thanks to technology, especially with the surge of cloud-based technology, there has been a dramatic innovation in the education sector over the past couple of years.
One very obvious innovative effect of cloud-based technology in the educational sector was seen during the Covid-19 global pandemic. Schools, colleges, and other educational institutions resorted to using cloud-based platforms in the learning process. This practical use that prevented disaster during the pandemic opened a lot of possibilities. Educational experts saw how these class-based platforms helped in the creative, critical, and collaborative skills of students.
Common cloud-based platforms that have shaped the innovative nature of education include:
Microsoft Education Center: This cloud-based platform is designed for students to acquire knowledge relevant to their fields. It's designed in such a way to facilitate e-learning or online learning. Its collaborative features are such that students would learn skills relevant to excel in the world.
Coursera: Coursera has been a gigantic online educational platform over the years. It plays host to a lot of learning curves in different disciplines. Students and even teachers alike make use of this platform a lot across the US, UK, Canada, India, Africa, etc.
Google Classroom: This is a cloud-based learning management system incorporated into Google Apps for Education. Students can easily access Google Classroom with their smartphones, tablets, and computers. And the interface for each is creative and interactive.
Knowledge Matters: This is a cloud-based platform that incorporates virtual business online classes, game-like business classes, geared to teach high school and college students business lessons.
Class flow: This is an online cloud-based platform that gives students access to learning resources (lessons, tests, exams), 24/7 without any subscription obligations.
A better way we can understand how class-based platforms have shaped the dynamics in education is to examine its benefits. Let's examine some of these benefits.
Cloud Technologies & Its Benefits in the Educational Sector
Some of these benefits include:
1. Quick Access to Information: Cloud-based resources in the educational sector have changed how often and quickly students and teachers can access information. Cloud-based platforms are hoisted on the internet which is available 99.9% of the time. Students and teachers do not need to take time depending on local information or educational resource institutions; information can be accessed any time of the day with ease on a cloud-based platform.
Cloud technologies have also changed how information is quickly shared among students or teachers to students. Handwritten was either copied manually or photocopied. Cloud platforms have made it possible for students to share and receive not from wherever they are.
Saving learning resources materials has never been easier than before. You don't need to bother about space for your learning materials on your PC, or with the fear of losing them. Students can save their learning resources on the cloud.
2. Innovative Administration: Cloud technology has reshaped how teachers interact with their students. It has made it possible for teachers to make the learning process so much fun. It has enabled college professors, and school teachers to create interactive content, prepare to engage in online tests, create collaborative assignments to foster skills like teamwork, brainstorming, etc.
Not only teachers. Students' way of studying has been improved. Students can readily access engaging learning materials, work on personal projects, homework, and as well as getting feedback on their progress related to their learning.
3. Online Courses: Cloud technology has made it possible for you to learn just about anything in an engaging way. Until now, you'd have to fill your bags with a lot of textbooks as a student or cram your suitcase with a lot of teaching materials. Cloud platforms like Coursera make it possible for people to access courses like SEO, SEM, HTML, PHP, JAVA, Networking, Programming, Softwares, Hardware, etc.
The innovation has been in such a way that you can learn all of these from the comfort of your home. You can track your progress, and even get online certification that is recognized globally.
4. No Need To Go Overboard With Hardware: Cloud technologies entail connecting to cloud-based platforms (applications). This alone has eliminated the need for students and teachers to access learning materials with specific devices. The compatibility of cloud-based technology is with any device. Even students that have cheap smartphones can connect easily to cloud-based platforms.
5. Competitive Integration: Education involving cloud-based technology is holding its own against the traditional educational process. Virtual classes are as effective as physical classes themselves. And people are beginning to find it more appealing owing to how it saves time, being cheap, as well as being quite engaging.
As a teacher, you are no longer frowned upon if you opt to have your classes using the virtual feature of a cloud-based platform. While the traditional education process still has its advantages, there is most likely going to be a blend between the two in the nearest future. It has already begun anyway.
6. Everyone Can Acess Quality Education: One thing about the traditional education process is expensive textbooks that university-level students have to acquire. Some of these textbooks are as high as tuition fees in some cases. Students are refraining to buy them by the given day. Thanks to digital books which are less expensive, students with low income can have access to quality education as their counterparts.
There are cloud platforms where students can access digital books for less expensive prices. With this, students of any financial level can be in the same educational environment.
7. No Need To Go Overboard With Software: Education can be affordable to many students using cloud-based platforms owing to its SaaS (Software as a Service) model. This means that students get to access cloud-based applications for low fees (some require a monthly subscription) or in some cases–free bases. Many of these cloud-based platforms have special packages to enable students to access them hitch-free.
Conclusion
Cloud-based technology is still growing, and it's fast. An eye-opener of how effective it could be for the educational sector was seen during the global pandemic. The opportunities that cloud-based platforms offer are endless. In a few years, it would become part and parcel of teaching methods in the educational sector.