Cloud Computing in Computer Science and Engineering Education

Hassan Rajaei; Eman A. Aldakheel

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Conference: 2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition
Location: San Antonio, Texas
Publication Date: June 10, 2012
Start Date: June 10, 2012
End Date: June 13, 2012
ISSN: 2153-5965
Conference Session: Innovations in Computing Education
Tagged Division: Computing & Information Technology
Page Count: 15
Page Numbers: 25.318.1 - 25.318.15
DOI: 10.18260/1-2--21076
Permanent URL: https://peer.asee.org/21076
Download Count: 864

Paper Authors

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Hassan Rajaei Bowling Green State University

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Hassan Rajaei is a professor of computer science at Bowling Green State University, Ohio. His research interests include cloud computing, high performance computing, distributed simulation, parallel and distributed processing, communication networks, wireless communications, and virtual training environments. Rajaei received his Ph.D. from Royal Institute of Technology, KTH, Stockholm, Sweden, and he holds a M.S.E.E. from the University of Utah.

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Eman A. Aldakheel Bowling Green State University

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Abstract

Cloud Computing in Computer Science and Engineering Education Abstract Cloud Computing opens a new chapter in Information Technology. It has roots in Internet technology and, like the Internet, Cloud Computing is rapidly and forcefully advancing into a large range of applications and services. Even though no widely accepted definition of Cloud Computing is available, there is every indication that the technology is here to stay and will push into numerous sectors of society, including education. This paper discusses the potential of Cloud Based Education (CBE) in STEM areas, where it has the potential to better stimulate and better engage students in their pursuit of knowledge. Cloud Computing evolved from virtualization technologies already existing in the IT ecosystem by hiding their underlying complexities from users, with the result that a wide range of customers now can make transparent use of virtualized services. The Cloud delivers a unique view of its resources and services to the client, promoting user friendliness, costeffectiveness, elasticity, and even payastogo. These characteristics have generated very high levels of interest in Cloud Computing worldwide. One important service of the Cloud is the Virtual Data Center (VDC). This capability promotes use of the Cloud for services, including educational services, with minimal need for support from IT workers and minimal investment in infrastructure. Because of this, Cloud Computing is poised to become a game changer, as this paper will demonstrate. With access to Cloud Computing, an educational institution can use VDCs to deliver advanced distance learning, with the greatest benefits coming to STEM areas. In this paper, we introduce the concept of CloudBased Education for Computer Science (CBE CS), we discuss how this framework can be achieved, and we show how this framework can be generalized for use in various STEM areas. We will argue that the potential for the use of Cloud Computing in the teaching of Computer Science is high because CBECS greatly facilitates the teaching of the complex underlying structures often found in Computer Science courses, such as Operating Systems, Communication Networks, Web Applications, Database Management Systems and High Performance Computing. The ecosystem of a typical Cloud utilizes a threelayered architecture. On the top layer, there is Software as a Service (SaaS). In the second layer, there is Platform as a Service (PaaS). In the third layer, there is Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS). In this paper, we analyze how specific Computer Science courses can be mapped to certain layer(s) of the Cloud architecture, and we show how such mappings can facilitate meaningful educational outcomes. Finally, we argue that the data centers traditionally found in educational institutions will be unable to compete with the VDCs offered by Cloud service providers.

Citation
Format

Rajaei, H., & Aldakheel, E. A. (2012, June), Cloud Computing in Computer Science and Engineering Education Paper presented at 2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, San Antonio, Texas. 10.18260/1-2--21076

TY  - CPAPER
AB  -        Cloud Computing in Computer Science and Engineering Education Abstract Cloud  Computing  opens  a  new  chapter  in  Information  Technology.  It  has  roots  in  Internet technology and,  like  the  Internet,  Cloud  Computing  is  rapidly  and  forcefully  advancing  into  a large  range  of applications  and  services.  Even  though  no  widely  accepted  definition  of Cloud Computing is available, there is every indication that the technology is here to stay and will push into  numerous  sectors  of  society,  including  education.  This  paper  discusses  the  potential  of Cloud Based Education (CBE) in STEM areas, where it has the potential to better stimulate and better engage students in their pursuit of knowledge. Cloud Computing evolved from virtualization technologies already existing in the IT ecosystem by  hiding  their  underlying  complexities  from  users,  with  the  result  that  a  wide  range  of customers  now  can  make  transparent  use  of  virtualized  services.  The  Cloud  delivers  a  unique view  of its  resources  and  services  to the  client,  promoting  user  friendliness,  costeffectiveness, elasticity,  and  even  payastogo.  These  characteristics  have  generated  very  high  levels  of interest in Cloud Computing worldwide. One important service of the Cloud is the Virtual Data Center (VDC). This capability promotes use of the Cloud for services, including educational services, with minimal need for support from IT  workers  and  minimal  investment  in  infrastructure.  Because  of  this,  Cloud  Computing  is poised  to  become  a  game  changer,  as  this  paper  will  demonstrate.  With  access  to  Cloud Computing, an educational institution can use VDCs to deliver advanced distance learning, with the greatest benefits coming to STEM areas. In this paper, we introduce the concept of CloudBased Education for Computer Science (CBE CS), we discuss how this framework can be achieved, and we show how this framework can be generalized for use in various STEM areas. We will argue that the potential for the use of Cloud Computing in the teaching of Computer Science is high because CBECS greatly facilitates the teaching of the complex underlying structures often found in Computer Science courses, such as Operating  Systems,  Communication  Networks,  Web  Applications,  Database  Management Systems and High Performance Computing. The ecosystem of a typical Cloud utilizes a threelayered architecture. On the top layer, there is Software as a Service (SaaS). In the second layer, there is Platform as a Service (PaaS).  In the third  layer,  there  is  Infrastructure  as  a  Service  (IaaS).  In  this  paper,  we  analyze  how  specific Computer Science  courses can  be  mapped to  certain layer(s) of the Cloud architecture, and we show how such mappings can facilitate meaningful educational outcomes. Finally, we argue that the data centers traditionally found in educational institutions will be unable to compete with the VDCs offered by Cloud service providers.
AU  - Hassan Rajaei
AU  - Eman A. Aldakheel
CY  - San Antonio, Texas
DA  - 2012/06/10
PB  - ASEE Conferences
TI  - Cloud Computing in Computer Science and Engineering Education
UR  - https://peer.asee.org/21076
DO  - 10.18260/1-2--21076
ER  -