Education on the Cloud
Second Summit, Palermo, Italy, October 31 2015
Overview and Progress
Karl Donert, Director: Innovative Learning Network Ltd.
Director: European Centre of Excellence: digital-earth.eu
kdonert@yahoo.com

Presentation Aims
• provide an account of some activities of the
European School on the Cloud network
(http://www.schoolonthecloud.eu/)
• review the ‘State of the art” publication
• to focus on some issues related to the
project, for network members

School on the
Cloud Network
http://www.schoolonthecloud.eu
@schoolon_cloud
https://www.facebook.com/SchoolOntheCloud
Linkedin group schooloncloud-7426807

School on the Cloud
http://www.schoolonthecloud.eu
Network of 57 partners:
21 universities, teacher training
9 NGOs, 8 schools, SMEs, research
institutes, adult education and VET
providers, a European professional
association, a library

School On The Cloud
Project Aims
SoC considers answers to three key questions:
• What is the impact of the Cloud on education
stakeholders? (policy, teaching practices, and
facilitating individualized learning processes)
• How should education respond to the
potential of the Cloud?
• What might the situation be like in the future?

Impact of the Cloud

Impact of the Cloud

SoC: Four Working Groups
WG 1 Lead/manage
the Cloud: transition
WG 2 i(nnovative)
Teacher
WG 3 Learner focus:
personalisation
WG 4 Future
scenarios for
education?

Transition to the Cloud
(leadership and management)

Transition to the Cloud
(leadership and management)

Managing and leading
http://tinyurl.com/kr4rzcq

Skill needs of staff

iTeachers: Getting Smart?
What does it mean to be an
iTeacher? (innovative teacher)

iTeachers: Getting Smart?
What does it mean to be an
iTeacher? (innovative teacher)

Learning & teaching
http://edu.symbaloo.com/mix/iteacher

Tools for iTeachers, iLearners
http://tinyurl.com/nha2fv7

iLearner(s) in the Cloud
Independent learners
How does the role of
learning and the actions of
learners change? If at all….

Dealing with the Future

• As experts in the field ….
• What do you (your organisation) want from
the Cloud in the future?
• Try to write down ONE thing
• Share it on http://tinyurl.com/socfuture
Future Perspectives

Future Perspectives
http://tinyurl.com/socfuture

School On The Cloud
Project Workflow

School On The Cloud
Project Workflow

School On The Cloud
Project Tasks
• Research the “state-of-the-art”
• Establish methods and means for network members to
share their findings and expertise
• Produce a series of core publications on the
exploitation of Cloud in different educational contexts
• Develop guidance resources
• Disseminate outputs within and beyond the confines of
the network, and
• Establish links with other European-wide or nation-
wide initiatives.

Project Tasks

Project Tasks

State of the art survey
Cloud Policy And Action
• Huge variation between countries – from
digital and Cloud Strategies, to Public Cloud
developments, to nothing
Promoting the Cloud in Education
• Many actors – from national and regional
government to private companies and NGOs

State of the art survey
Using the Cloud
• Lots of isolated initiatives
• Some national and regional developments eg N.
Ireland, Italy, Romania
• Some countries lagging a long way behind
Other information
• Many research groups, publications
• Higher education is very active
• Lots of events about education and the Cloud

Cloud computing promises to:
• improve the efficiency of education
organizations
• optimize the technology-enhanced
learning experiences in an affordable way
• EU Policy perspectives
• Case Studies
Education on the Cloud
2015: State of the Art

Education on the Cloud
2015: State of the Art
• European policy has a focus on economic
development and sustained growth in Europe
• Cloud Computing can be a key driver for
innovation and transformation
• Measures to develop and widely implement
innovation must be encouraged
• Capability to exploit should be developed

DG CONNECT: European
Cloud Computing Strategy

ETSI: Cloud Standards Coordination
The Cloud Select Industry Group on Service Level Agreements
Development of model 'safe and fair' contract terms and conditions
The Cloud Select Industry Group on Certification Schemes
The Cloud Select Industry Group on Code of Conduct
Establishing a European Cloud Partnership
http://ec.europa.eu/digital-agenda/en/cloud-computing-strategy-working-groups
Digital Agenda: European
Cloud Computing Strategy

https://www.enisa.europa.eu/events/enisa-events/cloud-security-conference-
reaching-the-cloud-era-in-the-eu
ENISA: European Cloud
Computing Strategy

European Cloud Computing
Strategy
• ”Unleashing the Potential of Cloud
Computing in Europe”
• outlines actions to deliver a net gain of 2.5
million new European jobs, and an annual
boost of €160 billion to the European Union
GDP (around 1%), by 2020
• designed to speed up and increase the use of
Cloud Computing across all economic sectors

European Cloud Computing
Strategy
• ”Unleashing the Potential of Cloud
Computing in Europe”
• outlines actions to deliver a net gain of 2.5
million new European jobs, and an annual
boost of €160 billion to the European Union
GDP (around 1%), by 2020
• designed to speed up and increase the use of
Cloud Computing across all economic sectors

CloudWatchHUB
http://www.cloudwatchhub.eu

CloudWatchHUB
http://www.cloudwatchhub.eu

CloudWatchHUB
http://www.cloudwatchhub.eu

DG Education & Culture

• 59 examples of Cloud Computing developments
• tested, piloted, implemented in education around
Europe
• vary from national assessments and reviews, to
public and private sector developments.
• advantages and benefits of Cloud Computing are
illustrated as potential barriers are overcome
Education on the Cloud
2015: State of the Art

• National e-learning platform
http://www.scoilnet.ie
Scoilnet – portal for Ireland

E-Books digi4school
http://www.bmfj.gv.at/ministerin/Aktuelles/Themen/PK-EBooks.html

• School district Cloud, Unna
• Sustainable infrastructure
• 21 schools, 10,000 students
http://www.unit21.de/medientag-unit21/
Unit.schule.21

Managing integrated Cloud
technologies
• 50,000 active Cloud accounts to assist
students with tasks from virtually anywhere
• 5 devices enabled for each of 20,000 students
http://www.unwe.bg/en/

• Institutional e-learning platform
• participatory approach to content
creation and distribution
https://eclass.aegean.gr/)
Open eclass

Cooperative learning 2.0
http://www.teacherdesignteams.be/
added value of cloud computing in
cooperative learning

VivaCognita
• knowledge sharing and knowledge building
virtual community platform
http://vivacognita.org/

Living Schools Lab
• whole-school approach to ICT
• highly innovative pedagogical practices
• rethink learning and teaching strategies
• network of living schools
http://tinyurl.com/o6kvxvp

Learning with, or
despite computers
• pedagogical concept ‘LED-leren’
(LED learning)
LED stands for
• ‘Levensecht’ (lifelike),
• ‘Eigentijds’ (contemporary)
• ‘Duurzaam’ (sustainable)

Alphabets of Europe
• multilingual awareness
• creative language learning
• kindergarden
• digital books and activities
http://www.alphaeu.org/

• learning design tool, graphical personalisation
• conceptual and flow models
http://cadmosld.com
CADMOS LD: personalised
learning

• Erasmus+ project, school staff mobility
• integrate ICT and CLIL into pedagogical
vision
http://glocaleducationfor2010.blogspot.it/
Glocal Education for 2020

• experimental - augmented reality, handwriting
and speech recognition, motion detection
• applies Embodied & Situated Cognition theory
• psycho-pedagogical practices
http://infanziadigitales.altervista.org
Inf@nzia Digi.tales 3.6

• created by a school Special
Education Department in
cooperation with their library
and Deaf Unit
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C9oFxX_5XSQ
Learn Portuguese Sign
Language App

• Competition on Open Discovery Space
• 370 schools, 37 countries
http://portal.opendiscoveryspace.eu
Eratosthenes experiment

• app designed and developed for the
American Museum of Spain
http://www.mecd.gob.es/museodeamerica/espacio-
interactivo/Tanto-que-disfrutar-jugando---/RACMA.html
RACMA: Augmented Reality

• local, regional, national and international
• funded projects to support experimentation
and development
• private sector developments
• innovative products (entrepreneurs) and
mobile access to information
Education on the Cloud
2015: State of the Art

• Cloud Computing is being used as a delivery
method for IT services
• wide range of customised solutions and
individual / collective actions
• piecemeal rather than coordinated
• some teachers and learners are enjoying
education benefits
Education on the Cloud
2015: State of the Art

Newsletter

Visions

Visions

Visions

Visions

Visions

Some conclusions (Panoutsopoulos et al, 2015)
• Paradigm shift (fundamental change in methods of
delivering education) (Koutsopoulos & Kotsanis, 2014)
• Vision = Cloud-based learner-centred approach
• Link use of services and tools to individual
learners – specified by instructional strategies
• Exploit powerful services like video-on-demand
and simulations (Gonzalez-Martinez et al., 2015)
Gonzalez-Martinez J.A. et al, 2015. Cloud computing and education: A state-of-the-art survey. In
Computers & Education, Vol. 80, pp 131-152.
Koutsopoulos, K. and Kotsanis, Y., 2014. School on the Cloud: Towards a Paradigm Shift. In Themes in
Science & Technology Education, Vol. 7, No. 1, pp 47-62

• Facilitate inquiry-based learning in social
contexts (Denton, 2012)
• Share, access data for anytime anyplace learning
(Abrams, 2012)
• Quality learning experiences (Silva & Donert, 2015)
• Teachers create, edit, share innovative learning
scenarios, with the use of media-rich content
Abrams, N.M., 2012. Combining Cloud Networks and Course Management Systems for Enhanced
Analysis in Teaching Laboratories. In Journal of Chemical Education, Vol. 89, No. 4, pp 482-486
Denton, D.W., 2012. Enhancing instruction through constructivism, cooperative learning, and cloud
computing. In TechTrends, Vol. 56, No. 4, pp 34-41
Silva, D. and Donert, K., 2015. Communicating Geography Through the Cloud. In GI_Forum ‒ Journal
for Applied Geoinformatics, Vol. 1, pp 315-319
Some conclusions (Panoutsopoulos et al, 2015)

• School on the Cloud network formed to explore
how education should respond
Learn from:
• available Cloud technologies
• existing Cloud-based educational initiatives
• network expertise and experiences
To provide guidance and support to stakeholders
Some conclusions (Panoutsopoulos et al, 2015)
Panousopoulos H, Donert, K., Papoutsis, P, Kotsanis I. 2015. Education on the Cloud: Researching
Student-Centred, Cloud-based Learning Prospects in the context of a European Network, Proc. CELDA
2015, http://tinyurl.com/nghy5ay

• Seeking links with other research initiatives
• Stimulation of further projects, such as:
(i) evaluate future education scenarios on the Cloud
(ii) design, application, and evaluation of context-
specific Cloud-based educational solutions that
span across all levels of education, and
(iii) develop and test Cloud-based services and tools
able to cater for special educational needs
Future Perspectives (Panoutsopoulos et al, 2015)
Panousopoulos H, Donert, K., Papoutsis, P, Kotsanis I. 2015. Education on the Cloud: Researching
Student-Centred, Cloud-based Learning Prospects in the context of a European Network, Proc. CELDA
2015, http://tinyurl.com/nghy5ay

School on the Cloud 2015
17-18 November 2015 for the Third School on
the Cloud Summit, Brussels, Belgium
• More later this meeting and on the Web site,
newsletter and through LinkedIn, Facebook
and Twitter
http://www.schoolonthecloud.eu

More answers
than
questions!

Karl Donert
www.innovativelearning.co.uk
kdonert@yahoo.com
@karldonert