5 ways Cloud Computing is Revolutionizing Education
As cloud computing is now being identified in different industries for its clear advantages, businesses have now started to use this new technology by creating different cloud-based applications for their widening user-base. The benefits of cloud computing are obvious: cloud-based applications and infrastructure reduce funds, offer collaboration, and allow organizations to be more flexible with the amount of users and administrators they intake. Cloud computing may appear to be efficient with the brief introduction given here, but it is shown to have greater potential with the change it promises to bring, both in online courses and traditional classrooms.
Here are five fantastic ways cloud computing is changing education, for the better:
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Bye-bye heavy and expensive textbooks. Its no secret that textbooks get heavier and costlier as students learn and grow. Cloud computing solves this problem by digitizing them, and storing them in a virtual library for students to access anytime, anywhere. This also helps to tackle the issue of students who come from financially strained backgrounds, who are not able to use resources provided to them by such institutes. Cloud computing helps level the playing field, by allowing such students to access material that would otherwise have been difficult to obtain.
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Out with the old, in with the new. Students that study in the K-12 stage rely on notes that haven't been updated for over 5 years. This means the information present in those books don't apply to the present world right now, and might most probably be incorrect. In the case of a standard Geography textbook of a class 9 student, the map of India would not be having the correct number of states. Some institutions cut back on updating material due to low funds, and in cases like these, cloud computing comes to the rescue. With this technology, matter can be updated in real time, for a little to nothing. This way, students can study what's relevant and what actually matters, thereby disallowing them to stay behind while the world progresses and changes with time.
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No expensive hardware or software required. Cloud-based applications can be run on Internet browsers, but most are compatible with mobile devices as well. This helps students save enough money, as there wouldn't be any necessity for them to purchase an external storage, with companies like Google offering free cloud-based storage. As with the case of software, the Software as a Service (SaaS) model is available for free or at a low-cost subscription, which remarkably lowers the cost of essential applications for students. Institutions can also rejoice in the saving of funds, by using SaaS applications - cloud based applications for institutes start at a very low cost on a monthly basis.
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Pushing the boundaries. Cloud computing opens a lot of opportunities for students, especially those who are not served well by traditional education systems. Until education moved online, there weren't too many options available for students who didn't finish high school. Now, with the help of Cloud Computing, students can earn their diploma or GED online. Traditional teaching methods might not satisfy every need of a student, but with the evolving requirements of cloud, students now have a plethora of options that allow them to pursue alternative forms of education.
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Anytime, anywhere, any device model of learning. Cloud-based applications give the opportunity of studying content online from anywhere, or connecting to a virtual classroom or webinar anytime, anywhere, and through any device. This makes it possible for students to be updated with the progress of the class, despite not being physically present for the same.
Cloud computing in these ways has helped evolve the education sector, providing students and teachers the liberty to explore their subjects in depth, all the while saving money alongside providing the future generations with high-quality education and resources. It is always a great time to explore such advancements in technology to able to adopt them in your schools and teaching methodologies.
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