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School on the Cloud: Connecting Education to the Cloud for Digital Citizenship

Education on the Cloud 2015

What is needed for successful Cloud

Computing implementation in education?

December 2016

SchoolontheCloud.eu

543221 - LLP - 1 - 2013 - 1 - GR - KA3 - KA3NW

School on the Cloud: Connecting Education to the Cloud for Digital Citizenship

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Deliverable Title: Summit publications. What is needed for successful Cloud Computing

implementation in education?

Deliverable Nr: 6.4b

Due date: 30 December 2016

Version: 2.0

Dissemination Level: Public

Editor: Karl Donert

Project Title: School on the Cloud (SoC)

Project Nr: 543221 – LLP – 1 – 2013 – 1 – GR - KA3 - KA3NW

Project Start Date: January 1, 2014

Duration: 36 months

European Commission: Lifelong Learning Program - ICT Key Action 3 European Project

This project has been funded with support from the European Commission, Lifelong Learning

Programme of the European Union. This publication reflects the views only of the author, and

the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the

information contained therein.

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D6.4c 3rd Summit Publications

What is needed for successful Cloud Computing implementation in education?

Author(s) : Karl Donert (ILN Ltd.)

Date of Update :

30 December 2016

Due date of deliverable :

December 2016

Start date of project :

01 December 2013

Duration :

36 months

Revision :

V2

Dissemination Level :

PU

Abstract: This deliverable is the publication based on research undertaken before the third summit meeting of the School on the Cloud Project. It is based on literature research and surveys of project participants.

The publication considers the current needs for the development of Cloud Computing in European education. It examines some of the ongoing barriers to the implementation of Cloud Computing in education and explores leadership and policy issues.

The publication led to the development and launch of a Brussels Declaration for a Cloud Computing Strategy for European Education.

With the support of the Lifelong Learning Programme of the European Union This project has been funded with support from the European Commission. This publication reflects

the views only of the authors, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.

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What is needed for successful Cloud Computing implementation in education?

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Cloud Computing is an innovative technology that developed from distributed, grid, and

utility computing. The Cloud can be considered to be an extension and convergence of the

following technologies, the grid, virtualization, Web 2.0 and Service Oriented Architecture

(SOA) technologies. It uses the Internet to deliver a wide variety of different IT services

including grid programming and software while, according to Kaur et al. (2015), keeping

users unaware of underlying location and infrastructure1.

Cloud Computing is an industry experiencing exponential growth. It is based on the

evolution of networking infrastructure. It provides the foundation for digital administrative

and operational systems in the consumer, corporate, and public sector markets, including

education. It is used today in almost every type of public and private organisation. Relevant

products, such as mobile device applications including Gmail, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube,

and Google Apps for Work, are multiplying2.

The Cloud has generated significant interest within all sectors of education, as it delivers

elastic computing resources over the Internet provided by external service providers3. This is

a new paradigm in the provision of information technology tools in support of learning,

teaching and administrative functions in education and training4.

Today, Cloud-based services are ubiquitous, bringing low-cost, large-scale computing

capacity to individual users. This in turn is facilitated by the widespread adoption of tablet

and smartphone technologies among users5. Today across Europe, the Cloud supports email,

information storage, photo sharing, collaborative tools, mapping and more. So, the Cloud

enables organisations to allocate most of its budget to delivering end-user services while in

the past it may have allocated 80% of its IT budget to infrastructure and only 20% to the

delivery of services.

According to Anshari et al. (2015), Cloud Computing has emerged with new paradigms

attributable to Web 2.0. Education institutions can avoid over-investing in IT infrastructure

and training IT support staff to install and run the application on the users’ own computers

as well as the need for constant maintenance, monitoring and 24/7 technical support for ICT

and e-learning6. This can be replaced by renting a hosted Cloud-based service and in its place

the institution can focus on the resources necessary to maintain quality in its teaching and

learning.

1 Kaur, R. and Singh, S., 2015. Exploring the Benefits of Cloud Computing Paradigm in Education

Sector. International Journal of Computer Applications, 115(7). 2 M. Armbrust, A. Fox, R. Griffith, A.D. Joseph, R. Katz, A. Konwinski, G. Lee, D. Patterson, A. Rabkin, L. Stoica, M.

Zaharia, 2010, A view of cloud computing, Commun. ACM 53 (4), 50–58. 3 Shiau, W.L. and Chau, P.Y., 2016. Understanding behavioural intention to use a cloud computing classroom: A

multiple model comparison approach. Information & Management, 53(3), 355-365 4 Koutsopoulos, K.C. and Sotiriou, C.T., 2015. School on the Cloud: A Needed New Paradigm in Open Classroom.

International Journal of Innovation and Research in Educational Sciences, 2(6), http://www.ijires.org/administrator/components/com_jresearch/files/publications/IJIRES_477_Final.pdf 5 Silva, D. and Donert, K., 2015. Communicating Geography with the Cloud.GI_Forum, 2015, pp.315-319,

http://www.academia.edu/download/38195397/GI-Forum-2015-Silva-Donert.pdf 6 Anshari, M., Alas, Y. and Guan, L.S., 2015. Pervasive Knowledge, Social Networks, and Cloud Computing: E-Learning 2.0. Eurasia Journal of Mathematics, Science & Technology Education, 11(5), pp.909-921.

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Cloud technology is transforming the ways we work by reducing the local complexity of IT

services by introducing common features across functions and automation in the

management process. As Cloud Computing had matured, its compatibility with other

computing solutions has become routine. Cloud Computing is now stable and reliable,

providing opportunities to implement new ways of learning and collaboration. As a new

paradigm, it can provide huge cost savings and more efficiency in large areas of the

education sector. New platforms and tools are being created to provide services that are

alternative to the traditional on-premise computing.

From an education organization’s perspective, regardless of the benefits, Cloud Computing

is a highly disruptive innovation and according to Bytheway et al. (2015)7 perceived as one of

the following positions: i) as an expensive investment, ii) delivering a valued service

providing learning driven by learners, iii) a system offering progressive change, iv) an

innovation for the few, v) a situation where implementation can be difficult. The technology

challenges traditional on-premises ICT solutions, but it creates many other educational

opportunities that did not exist before8.

7 Bytheway, A.J., Whyte, G. and Venter, I., 2015. Understanding IT management in Higher Education,

http://repository.uwc.ac.za/xmlui/bitstream/handle/10566/2039/BythewayWhyteVenter%20May%202015.pdf?sequence=2 8 Koutsopoulos, K.C. and Kotsanis, Y.C., 2014. School on Cloud: Towards a paradigm shift. Themes in science and

technology education, 7(1), pp.47-62

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Cloud-enabled education innovations are needed to modernise learning and teaching at

systemic level and make it fit for purpose in a digital Europe. The purpose of this publication

is to drive forward an agenda for the Cloud-based modernisation of education, showcase

innovation and embed its use into educational practice.

The aims are to :

a) Review the state of the art at the end of the School on the Cloud project cycle,

b) Identify evidence for the benefits of Cloud Computing;

c) Review the organisational and institutional implications of Cloud Computing in

education;

d) Examine the barriers and policy needs for its successful implementation in terms of

governance, policies, procedures and skills required; and

e) Make recommendations to European policy makers for further development.

This has been achieved by a

(i) Literature survey of current Cloud Computing activity in education;

(ii) Survey of perceived ongoing needs of School on the Cloud Project partners and

(iii) Questionnaire on preferred policy preferences for the adoption of Cloud Computing

in education and in Europe.

The final stage included the development of recommendations offering high-level advice

and guidance for the European Commission.

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Almost all businesses are using Cloud-based applications, so why not education?. The Cloud

is more than simply a low-cost solution as it allows the scaling up or down of computer

capacity to meet needs. There are also clear benefits of accessibility, collaboration and

flexibility as well as allowing educators to focus on quality in learning and teaching strategies

and innovation. However, Cloud Computing strategies are still largely determined by

technology professionals instead of those concerned with the quality of learning. This is

disappointing as Cloud Computing has the potential to create new models of learning and

achieve impact at a large scale.

Educational organisations are always looking for opportunities to rationalise their resources.

Cloud Computing offers the relative advantages of achieving cost savings from decreased

capital expenditures on IT and reduced maintenance and energy costs. It is a highly

adoptable technology because of its dynamic scalability and the use of virtual resources. The

Cloud helps institutions aggregate and manage their computing resources, by providing a

seamless, flexible, and dynamic service with almost limitless scalability9.

While Cloud Computing offers many potential advantages, the real impact for education

institutions has not yet been comprehensively investigated. The emergence of Cloud

Computing established learning processes which are more cost efficient, easily accessed, and

reliable. Cloud computing is more responsive when there are problems and all issues are

dealt with at the Cloud service provider.

The move towards Web 2.0 applications and the introduction of ‘utility-based’ computing is

having a significant impact on existing ICT service provision and support within institutions.

The JISC-funded Work-with-IT project10 examined the evolution of working practices. It found

that changes in technology significantly impact upon staff, affecting attitudes and efficiencies

in situations where it was not well managed. As a result, there are a number of concerns

reflecting how education institutions respond to the changes the Cloud will engender in their

IT environment. They suggest change management needs to be undertaken to ensure that

staff have the right skills and necessary confidence to work in the new technological

environment and that holistic strategies, policies and procedures are developed to support

them in the organisation to adopt new ways of working.

Educational institutions must recognize that the changes in computing provision through the

Cloud will inevitably affect all its operations. Ullman 201411 confirmed that Cloud Computing

has the potential to greatly change how education works. Most educational institutions

already rely on some form of Cloud technology for registration, information storage and

9 Shiau, W.L. and Chau, P.Y., 2016. Understanding behavioral intention to use a cloud computing classroom: A

multiple model comparison approach. Information & Management, 53(3), pp.355-365 10

Gourlay L (2011), Embedding Work with IT: Final Report, http://www.webarchive.org.uk/wayback/archive/20140614102951/http://www.jisc.ac.uk/media/documents/programmes/staffroles/ewwitfinalreport.doc 11

Ullman E (2014), The case for Cloud Computing in K12, Tech and Learning White Paper, http://www.techlearning.com/white-papers/0009/the-case-for-cloud-computing-in-k12/69386

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internal and external communications. This is because it is a cost effective solution for the

implementation of the hardware and software and improve the quality of current systems of

education. The significance of IT governance means there are also major practical

considerations to address, such as storage, ownership and security.

Entire national education systems, for example in Italy, Romania and Northern Ireland have

implemented the Cloud in all schools, predominantly for administration and communication,

in recent years. The Cloud can also transform learning and teaching and improve the quality

of education by offering accessibility, personalisation and flexibility.

Most universities now deploy Cloud Computing as a cost-effective solution to the problem of

providing reliable services, data storage, and computing power to students without more

investment in computers and maintenance costs. Universities benefit when their ICT capacity

needs to be extended, customised and scalable12. They benefit from data storage and the use

of databases, e-mail, educational applications and tools for students, faculty and researchers.

An understanding of Service Level Agreements and data governance requirements for

institutions is important.

According to Subashini & Kavitha (2011) Cloud Computing is less risky and more reliable than

developing in-house systems. Hosted Cloud services offer better conditions and staff

specialised in security, privacy and other areas of concern, meeting operational standards,

compliance, and certification13. Software developments and updates take place on the Cloud,

rather than at the institution. Institutions only pay for what they need. Scalability,

redundancy and disaster recovery plans are built into Cloud infrastructures, therefore many

universities are now relying on managed data centres for the allocation of computing

resources in a trusted environment.

Web 2.0 software applications for teaching and learning environments can be accessed

through the Cloud. Remote servers deliver tools on demand, as needed by the learner, on

different devices. Embedding Cloud Computing in learning processes thus extends learning

from traditional learning situations to collaborative settings that emphasise learning

anywhere and anytime.

Web 2.0 has changed the online behaviour of users, whereby students and pupils can

become consumers as well as producers of content14. This has influenced the ways people

interact online for instance via weblogs, podcasting, social networks and wikis. It has opened

12

Doelitzscher, F., Sulistio, A., Reich, C., Kuijs, H., & Wolf, D. (2011). Private cloud for collaboration and e-Learning services: from IaaS to SaaS. Computing, 91(1), 23-42. 13

Subashini, S., & Kavitha, V. (2011). A survey on security issues in service delivery models of cloud computing. Journal of network and computer applications, 34(1), 1-11. 14

Martínez, M.S. and Alonso, R.I., 2015. Convergence and interaction in the new media: typologies of prosumers among university students.Comunicación y Sociedad, 28(2), p.87.

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up new possibilities in education, sometimes referred to as e-learning 2.015 16.

Cloud Computing environments can be used to create personalised programmes suited to

each learner. According to Swinke (2012) the strongest influences on the learners are their

own preferences, interests and emotions, in other words their personal characteristics they

have towards learning.17 Despite this situation, most e-learning environments and MOOCs

have been developed for homogenous target groups. They have limited possibility to

personalise learning and learners are served the same content. Cloud-based approaches

could be used to create more meaningful learner profiles and better systems through

‘adaptivity’, personalization and cultural awareness. ‘Adaptivity’ is described as the

alignment of learner objects to the learner’s situation. The result of the adaptation process

is personalization.18

An initial level of adaptation can be reached based on a system of recommendation, which

helps select valid learning items for the learner19, either by comparing the behaviour of

other, similar learners, or else by using a content-based approach which examines the

characteristics of the items a learner used in the past or else a combination of these

analytics. Very few learning environments consider the cultural background of the learners.

Cultural aspects of students are challenging to define and as a result are undervalued as a

factor influencing learner progress.20

The use of digital media and the individualisation of learning places the learner at the centre

of the learning process. The independence of learners and the freedom to access and use

resources and services when and how they want ,can result in the development of highly

personalised approaches to meet their learning goals. In this situation, learners must decide

themselves the learning content that fits best and which resource will help to increase their

learning achievements.

In this way the individual learning needs of different students can be catered for, whether

working from home or in school, individually or collaborating with others. Learners

personalise their own space and upload their own information. For teachers, a personalised

learning environment enriches curriculum methodology and enhances and extends the

experiences of the learners. By designing suitable resources and interactive tasks they can

monitor and track progress. For the administrator Cloud Computing facilitates

communication between all education stakeholders, school, university, home, learner, staff

and administration.

15

Downes, S., 2005. E-learning 2.0. Elearn magazine, 2005(10), p.1. 16

Ebner, M., 2007, April. E-Learning 2.0= e-Learning 1.0+ Web 2.0?. InAvailability, Reliability and Security, 2007. ARES 2007. The Second International Conference on (pp. 1235-1239). IEEE. 17

Swinke T. (2012) A Unique, Culture-Aware, Personalized Learning Environment, iJET – Volume 7, Special Issue 2: "FNMA", November 2012, http://dx.doi.org/10.3991/ijet.v7iS2.2323 18

Dominic, M., Britto, A.X. and Francis, S., 2015. A Framework to Formulate Adaptivity for Adaptive e-Learning System Using User Response Theory.International Journal of Modern Education and Computer Science, 7(1), p.23. 19

Drachsler, H., Verbert, K., Santos, O.C. and Manouselis, N., 2015. Panorama of recommender systems to support learning. In Recommender systems handbook (pp. 421-451). Springer US. 20

Hunt, A.N. and Tickner, S., 2015. Cultural dimensions of learning in online teacher education courses. Journal of Open Flexible and Distance Learning,19(2), pp.25-47.

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Bearing in mind the rapidly growing number of applications, tools and resources that can be

used for personalised learning, it is quite challenging to manage this efficiently within a

learning environment. Research of Web 2.0 usage amongst students at university underline

the fact that it is hard to keep focused on these tools or to monitor them in an appropriate

way21 22. The Personal Learning Environment (PLE) has developed as a concept defined as

the combination of different applications used within a framework and with a strong

relationship to learning aspects23. The of the use of PLE’s as an approach by learners

responds to the idea that the learners can accept a system whereby they can manage these

applications according to their needs24. New modes of interaction develop between the

teacher, the student and the knowledge or content (Figure 1)25.

Greater personalised learning implies individual learners take greater responsibility for their

own learning. In this situation, the teacher/trainer/tutor becomes a facilitator. This allows

learners to work at their own pace depending on his or her stage of development and

readiness to progress. This is a learner-centred model, based on the individual preconditions

and needs of each student and demands a change of culture by the teacher/trainer,

facilitating learners along different pathways of self-directed learning.

Personalised learning environments provide scope for reaching those in society who for

some reason or another have been ‘hard to help’. These include adult learners, lifelong

learners, migrants and early school leavers. In the personalised education space digital

media is created and accessed.

21

Paulin, D. and Haythornthwaite, C., 2016. Crowdsourcing the curriculum: Redefining e-learning practices through peer-generated approaches. The Information Society, 32(2), pp.130-142. 22

Rahimi, E., van den Berg, J. and Veen, W., 2015. Facilitating student-driven constructing of learning environments using Web 2.0 personal learning environments. Computers & Education, 81, pp.235-246. 23

Safran, C., Helic, D. and Gütl, C., 2007. E-Learning practices and Web 2.0. InConference ICL2007, September 26-28, 2007 (pp. 8-pages). Kassel University Press. 24

del Barrio-García, S., Arquero, J.L. and Romero-Frías, E., 2015. Personal learning environments acceptance model: The role of need for cognition, e-learning satisfaction and students’ perceptions. Educational Technology & Society, 18(3), pp.129-141. 25

de la Varga González A (2012), The importance of " Cloud Education " at Development Organizations: Proposed concepts, purposes, strategies and tools for the Education Network of AECID, Proc. 1st International Workshop on Cloud Education Environments (WCLOUD 2012), Antigua, Guatemala, November 15-16, 2012, 1-6

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Figure 1: Interactions at the Knowledge-Content Interface (De La Varga Gonzalez, 2012)

The Cloud facilitates both formal and informal learning for learners. It also promotes the

openness, sharing and reusability of learning resources26. Learners can become active

participants in their own learning process. Independent resources can be assembled in a

way to fulfil specific learning goals. This paradigm transformation empowers learners to

regulate their own learning establishing the individual’s personal learning space and social

interactions (Figure 2)27.

26

Shum, S. B. and Ferguson R., "Towards a social learning space for open educational resources," in Proc. 7th Annual Open Education Conference (OpenED2010), Barcelona, Spain, 2010. 27

Mikroyannidis A, Okada A, Scott P, Rusman E, Specht M, Stefanov K, Protopsaltis A, Held P, Hetzner S (2012), The importance of " Cloud Education " at Development Organizations: weSPOT: A cloud-based approach for personal and social inquiry, Proc. 1st International Workshop on Cloud Education Environments (WCLOUD 2012), Antigua, Guatemala, November 15-16, 2012, 1-6

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Figure 2: Personalised learning space and social interaction (Mikroyannidis et al., 2012)

Cloud Computing can also have a significant impact in the classroom. Cloud-based learning

environments can effectively facilitate student reflection abilities and enhance their learning

motivation, comprehension, and performance.28 The services for collective actions through

information sharing and collaboration to using services encourage interaction. The Cloud

also offers organisational features for study management, tracking and enabling files to be

stored and shared / synchronised to enable collaboration over the Internet.29

Along with the greater control for learners comes increased flexibility for teachers. They can

select from the entire pool of available applications those which best complement their

curriculum and students at any given time. The wide range of Cloud-based tools can also be

quickly and easily served to users through the Cloud.

Cloud Computing increases the flexibility of access to modern applications, while at the

same time improving security aspects such as availability, data storage or communication.

Furthermore, one major aspect in Cloud Computing scenarios is the opportunity to provide

ubiquitous accessibility of the desired tools and apps through a set of standardized services.

For many education organisations, Cloud Computing offers access to computing power that

would otherwise be beyond their reach. As costs are incurred on a per use basis, the risks of

committing funds to expensive capital computing purchases are removed. Scalability allows

the organisation to add capacity for access as and when it is needed and the flexibility to

scale down as well as up, driven by demand.

Most notably in terms of access, Cloud-supported learning scenarios can be independent of

28

Y.-T. Lin, M.-L. Wen, M. Jou, D.-W. Wu, A cloud-based learning environment for developing student reflection abilities, Comput. Hum. Behav. 32, 2014, pp. 244–252. 29

V. Stantchev, R. Colomo-palacios, P. Soto-acosta, S. Misra, Learning management systems and cloud file hosting services: a study on students’ acceptance, Comput. Hum. Behav. 31, 2014, pp. 612–619.

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i) time, where the user's interaction within the scenario considered synchronous or

asynchronous, ii) location, where learners may be co-located or in remote places, and iii)

scale, flexible in terms of the number of learners interacting in the learning environment.

Above all, education is committed to its students. Many of these students come to learn

with their own devices and increasingly with expectations about how and when they want to

use them. Education institutions must provide greater interoperability between the

organisation and student platforms, as well as 24/7 access to secure, reliable networks and

the ability to create, deliver, and share content across the institution on any number of

devices.

Using Cloud Computing in education is about meeting student needs as well as running an

efficient education ecosystem. Cloud computing provides students with access to software

and product services; therefore, students must be able to use these resources, and thus the

belief in one's own ability to succeed in specific situations or accomplish a task (self-efficacy)

plays a critical role in their behaviour.

ISACA30 points out that it is important for organizations to recognise the benefits of Cloud

technology, but to get the most benefit a clear governance strategy and management plan

must be developed that sets the direction and objectives for their use of Cloud Computing.

Cloud Computing offers a new way of sourcing an institution’s IT infrastructure. Education

institutions are generally seeking a better and more cost-effective way to implement IT

services, without the burdensome cost of maintenance and upgrades. However education

organisations tend to have a unique culture and mission that affects how decisions about

computing and IT services are made. Leaders need to consider which services they will

source and administer elsewhere (external to the organisation) and which services they

should operate centrally or locally in the institution.31 There are significant governance

implications of Cloud Computing in the context of education at institutional, regional,

national and even international levels. Education organisations will need to carefully reflect

on the management and governance of their information systems32.

Consideration is required regarding whether current structures and practices will need to

change. For many institutions there will be little change required in policy, for instance for IT

procurement where purchasing a pay-per-use Cloud service should be covered by normal

policies and procedures. Similarly, acceptable use policies are unlikely to require change.

Where change will be required is if Cloud Computing is being introduced as part of an overall

initiative to change practice, in which case institutions will need to ensure their policies are

30

ISACA (2011). IT control objectives for cloud computing: controls and assurance in the cloud, ISACA (Information Systems Audit and Control Association). 31

Kumbhkar, M. and Chouhan, Y.S. 2015. Analysis of Cloud Computing in Higher Education, International Journal of Advanced Research in Computer Science and Software Engineering, 5(6), pp.1140-4. 32

McDonald D, MacDonald A & Breslin C, (2010) Final report from the JISC Review of the Environmental and Organisational Implications of Cloud Computing in Higher and Further Education, Glasgow, University of Strathclyde

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aligned with this.33

At a local level, the roles of computing personnel are likely to evolve from providing services

to procuring and monitoring cloud services and relations with Cloud Computing providers.

Staff will have to monitor the rapidly evolving landscape of Cloud Computing and plan ahead

for the regular renewal of service contracts.

To make full use of the Cloud, institutions will need to put aside their fears about data

security in particular and manage the risks by ensuring appropriate contractual

arrangements with providers. They will also have to accept that users will increasingly be

able to by-pass institutional policies over computing provision and live in an environment

where applications are subject to rapid upgrades outside the control of the institution.

The ownership of data needs to be clearly established within the contract. Contracts for

Cloud services should assert that the customer retains ownership of the data stored in the

Cloud. Educational institutions may then wish to re-assign ownership to the user who

uploaded the content. In cases where educational materials are being stored in the Cloud,

new intellectual property rights clearance may have to be carried out.

Contractual negotiations for Cloud Computing services may be better carried out by regional

or national education authorities, rather than by individual schools, colleges or smaller

universities who do not have access to expensive legal services. There may be additional

advantages here in that multiple institutions become part of one “cloud”, facilitating cross-

institutional data sharing and collaboration.

Cloud Computing allows for cost-efficient centralization of an organisation’s IT

infrastructures. It takes advantage of server capabilities to adjust allocation of resources

based on demand. This is all invisible to teachers and students. For those staff involved in

managing and supporting the IT infrastructure, new skills will be required. Elements such as

contract negotiation and servicing will replace more technical systems support. Remote

management and maintenance saves time and increases security. For instance, an

application or operating system served by the Cloud can be upgraded once at the server

level, rather than updated on each individual platform. Access can be restricted or denied in

the event of a loss or theft.

To summarise, in higher education, financial issues related to implementing the Cloud may

be an issue as complex as precarious unsustainable finance models may be in place. In

schools, governance issues may be locally determined, or else they may occur at regional or

even national level through Ministries of Education.

Information technologies are increasingly being used in society and in advancing the

economy. They are transforming the ways of working, studying, communicating, accessing

information and spending leisure time. The ability to benefit from the use of digital tools and

digital media supports all spheres of life in European society.

33

Sclater N (2010), IITE Policy Review, Cloud Computing in Education, Moscow, UNESCO Institute for Information Technologies in Education

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The Recommendation of the European Parliament and the Council (2006)34 recognised the

importance of eight key competences for lifelong learning: communication in the mother

tongue; communication in foreign languages; mathematical competence and basic

competences in science and technology; learning to learn; social and civic competences;

entrepreneurship; cultural awareness and expression; and digital competence. Since this

time Digital Competence has been acknowledged as one of the 8 key competences for

Lifelong Learning by the European Union.

Ensuring that all citizens have these key competences is a priority for European and Member

State policies, as recommended at European level in the Europe 2020 Strategy35 and then

supported by the four leading policy initiatives, the Digital Agenda for Europe36, New Skills

and Jobs37, Youth on the move38 and the Innovation Union39.

Digital Competence is broadly defined as the confident, critical and creative use of ICT to

achieve goals related to work, employability, learning, leisure, inclusion and/or participation

in society.40 Digital Competence supports basic skills in ICT: the use of computers to retrieve,

assess, store, produce, present and exchange information, and to communicate and

participate in collaborative networks via the Internet. The importance of Digital Competence

has been highlighted in the flagship policies of the Europe 2020 strategy41, the Digital Single

Market42 and the New Skills Agenda43.

The Digital Agenda for Europe 2020 confirmed Digital Competence as fundamental for all

individuals in a knowledge-based society, emphasising that it is essential to educate

European citizens to use ICT and digital media and particularly to attract young people to

ICT. Key actions consisted of proposing digital literacy and competences as a priority for the

European Social Fund and also developing tools to help recognise and identify the

competences of ICT users, linked for instance to the European Qualifications Framework

(EQF).

The Digital Agenda established Action 62: the development of EU-wide indicators of digital

competences and media literacy44. This examines the danger of digital illiteracy, as people

without sufficient digital competence are at risk of becoming excluded from important

activities, not being able to take full advantage of the available opportunities. Therefore the

European Commission confirmed that actions for encouraging digital competence

development for all citizens, regardless of their age, profession or existing ICT use, were

needed and indicators established to measure progress being made across Europe.

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http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=celex%3A32006H0962 35

http://ec.europa.eu/europe2020/index_en.htm 36

http://daeimplementation.eu/ 37

http://ec.europa.eu/social/main.jsp?catId=568 38

http://ec.europa.eu/youthonthemove/ 39

http://ec.europa.eu/research/innovation-union/index_en.cfm 40

Kirsti Ala-Mutka (2011), Mapping Digital Competence: Towards a Conceptual Understanding, JRC Technical Notes, Joint Research Centre JRC67075 41

https://ec.europa.eu/digital-single-market/en/europe-2020-strategy 42

https://ec.europa.eu/digital-single-market/en 43

http://ec.europa.eu/social/main.jsp?catId=1223 44

https://ec.europa.eu/digital-single-market/en/content/action-62-eu-wide-indicators-digital-competences

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Digital competence was viewed as a productive and strategic personal development

competence. This includes mastering tools and computer applications as well as more

knowledge, skills and attitudes. It should also include the latest popular tools and practices

as they develop. As a result the guidelines for digital competence development were based

on recognizing the main areas of digital competence, and tasks to be carried out with

contemporary tools and practices.

The Cloud Computing industry has been involved in European Commission initiatives seeking

to develop Cloud Computing in Europe. The European Cloud Partnership45 was established

under the 2012 European Cloud Strategy, a strategy for Unleashing the Potential of Cloud

Computing in Europe, which lists measures aimed at accelerating and strengthening the use

of Cloud Computing in all sectors of the national economy. It provided a Trusted Cloud

Europe report46 to the Commission in March 2014 to improve the functioning of a digital

single market for Cloud services and a flexible common framework of best practices at the

legal, technical and operational level. This consists of legal and operational guidelines as well

as technical standards to be voluntarily adopted by Cloud providers to show that their

offering is in compliance with the common framework.

A system of systematic consensus building, through public consultations, workshops,

coordination groups were established, targeting all stakeholders, including citizens, public

administrations, the Cloud industry and Cloud users. This purpose was to determine a

common understanding on issues such as risk management, security requirements, privacy

needs, enforcement methods, procurement practices, and any needs for legislative reform.

This involved:

Cutting through the jungle of technical norms and standards;

Systems of certification of trustworthy cloud computing providers applicable to the

whole of the EU;

Preparing samples of safe and just contract conditions for customers in the field of

Cloud Computing, including service provision contracts and

A European Cloud Partnership (ECP) with the member states and the sector, whose aim

is to use the public sector's purchasing power. 47

The use of Cloud Computing in the public sector, including education and training, has been

a priority at European level and is one of the objectives benchmarked as part of the Digital

Agenda for Europe: A Europe 2020 Initiative and ICT-enabled benefits for EU society48.

45

https://ec.europa.eu/digital-single-market/en/european-cloud-partnership 46

https://ec.europa.eu/digital-single-market/en/news/trusted-cloud-europe 47

Maresova, P. and Kacetl, J., 2015. Cloud Computing in the Public Sector–Case Study in Educational Institution. Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences, 182, pp.341-348. 48

European Commission 2012, Public Services Online ‘Digital by Default or by Detour?’ Assessing User Centric eGovernment performance in Europe – eGovernment Benchmark 2012, https://ec.europa.eu/digital-agenda/en/ict-enabled-benefits-eu-society-analysis-and-data

18

The European Commission acknowledges that Europe must become much more “Cloud

active” to stay competitive in the global economy, but public Cloud Computing adoption is

fragmented. So what has been stopping Cloud adoption in Europe? Major barriers included

concerns surrounding legal issues and data security. Each country has developed specific

data laws that must be followed. These will change over time as technological advances

emerge and government regulators fine-tune their policies.

There appears to be a common set of challenges that need to be addressed if Cloud

Computing is to be implemented in education institutions. Bradshaw (2012)49 identified 12

key obstacles for Cloud adoption. These ranged from data location, security issues and slow

performance to limited tax incentives. The biggest reason for choosing to adopt Cloud

services was to lower IT costs, but main concerns were related to losing control and

integrating Cloud services with existing architecture.

Over 60% of respondents cited four specific barriers, primarily related to data control:

1. Legal jurisdiction: Where does the service reside? Where does the data reside? What if

I don’t want my data stored in a specific country?

2. Security and data protection: Who is responsible for security, data protection, and

backups? What happens if something goes wrong?

3. Trust: How do I tell which services are reliable? Who guarantees data integrity and

availability?

4. Data access and portability: Once I sign a contract, how much interoperability will I

have? Can I interact with different services and move my data from one service

provider to another?

It was clear that Europe needed to respond to maximise Cloud Computing adoption by

fostering EU-wide standardisation of Cloud services and data legislation.

Most schools and universities have built up a local network infrastructure with lots of

computers and IT facilities. Despite substantial funding for information technology in schools

over an extended period of time, and its stated importance in achieving national and

European targets, there is a lack of reliable comparative data and indicators to support

evidence-based policies. The benchmarks established by the European Commission focus on

Digital Competences of citizens, rather than in education and training.

Despite the clear advantages, education tends to adopt a careful approach to the integration

of Cloud Computing. Its introduction in educational organisations is transformational,

requiring a change of management approach for its implementation to be successful.

Research supports the idea that leadership and the behaviour of managers determine the

relative success or failure of education institutions implementing it in their activities50.

49

Bradshaw D (2012), Cloud in Europe: Uptake, Benefits, Barriers, and Market Estimates, http://cordis.europa.eu/fp7/ict/ssai/docs/study45-workshop-bradshaw-pres.pdf 50

Pouezevara, S., Mekhael, S. and Darcy, N., 2014. Planning and Evaluating ICT in Education Programs Using the Four Dimensions of Sustainability: A Program Evaluation from Egypt. International Journal of Education and Development using ICT, 10(2), pp.120-141.

19

The European Commission contracted a survey of ICT in school education51 to collect up-to-

date information on the availability and use of ICT in schools for the purpose of learning. The

results showed that while improvements in infrastructure provision and use had been made,

it remains insufficient in some schools and Member States. Additionally, while teachers are

generally positive towards the use of ICT in learning, they mainly use it for preparation of

classes. More needs to be done to provide the training and support to teachers to make the

most out of the pedagogical use of ICT. The advent of Cloud Computing was not addressed.

Wastiau et al. (2013)52 report on a survey undertaken through national Ministries of

Education of the use of ICT in schools in Europe collected data from schools (school heads),

classrooms (teachers) and primary and secondary students. This research showed that

students and teachers had much greater access to educational technology than ever before.

Mobile learning devices (laptops, tablets and mobile phones) were increasingly seen as

useful, offering portability and choice as to when and where to use them.

The impact of this was expected to be positive on learning processes and students’

competence. However there was no overall relationship between high levels of

infrastructure provision with student and teacher use, confidence and attitudes. There was a

relationship between teachers’ digital competence and their use of ICT in the classroom and

participation in professional development activities significantly influenced the use of ICT in

education. Students’ use of ICT for learning during lessons was related to teachers’

confidence in their own ICT competences.

The survey showed the highest frequency of ICT use and ICT-based activities took place

during lessons in schools that combined written policy statements about ICT integration in

teaching and learning as well as in subject learning, using incentives and rewards for

teachers using ICT and implementing concrete support measures such as professional

development and the provision of ICT coordinators. The teachers and educators thought it

was quite challenging not to be overwhelmed by so many different tools available.

However, ICT remains not well integrated into the curriculum or as part of daily teaching.

This is because many teachers still adopt a ‘teacher-centred’ approach and do not know how

to apply the Cloud into their subjects. They still use technology to support or supplement

traditional modes of teaching, or as a remedial tool to reinforce basic activities. They replace

traditional classes with presentations with a data projector, but the education processes

remain the same. Teachers distribute or share electronic materials instead of printed copies.

However technology has not yet brought a significant change in the students’ mode of

learning.

Yet a lot of investment and resources have been given to ICT implementation in schools.

Without pedagogical change, teachers still use old methods to teach with new tools. The

focus of the next stage should be on the integration of Cloud-based approaches into the

curriculum to facilitate effective transformation of learning. Cloud adoption should be

curriculum driven and not technology driven and connected closely to future curriculum

reform. An over-emphasis on technology has to be avoided while considering how it can

51

https://ec.europa.eu/digital-single-market/sites/digital-agenda/files/KK-31-13-401-EN-N.pdf 52

Wastiau, P., Blamire, R., Kearney, C., Quittre, V., Van de Gaer, E. and Monseur, C., 2013. The Use of ICT in Education: a survey of schools in Europe. European Journal of Education, 48(1), pp.11-27.

20

effectively transform learning, recognising it as the means to help achieve future curriculum

goals by providing a learner-centred environment. Individualised teaching and learning

means preparing learning environments, monitoring individual learning processes and

assessing a group’s learning outcomes. These tasks require in-depth teacher training, pre-

service as well as in-service.

The expectations of education stakeholders have never been higher. Computer systems are

expected to provide a quick, reliable, 24/7 service, which requires a different service model.

Students are not just using one device, they are using two or three. They require ready

access to content and to collaboration tools that enhance learning, teaching and in the case

of higher education, research. The evolution of support systems is also critical, as learners

require more resources, faster services and smarter tools.

Reporting on the drivers and barriers to the adoption of Cloud Computing in higher

education, McDonald et al. (2010) commented on the importance of socio-cultural issues

existing in education relating to perceived, but not necessarily well-founded, risks associated

with Cloud Computing53. In particular, the assumption made by managers that the security

of data and applications in the Cloud was more likely to be compromised than with in-house

storage, concerns over jurisdiction and privacy of data, and a worry that commercial Cloud

providers do not sufficiently understand the requirements of universities.

Huang and Li (2015) undertook research on situations where school and teachers use the

convenient service provided by Cloud Computing technology to build personalised and

information-rich teaching environment to support and improve teachers’ teaching and

students’ learning54. They confirm that at present, the main applications of Cloud Computing

in school education are through the school website, an online learning system, teaching

management system, networked teaching resource website, an interaction platform

between the school and parents. These systems offer convenience for creating and sharing

teaching resources with students, organizing teaching activities and implementing

assessment. However they mainly have the basic characteristics of computer assisted

teaching, rather than learner-centred approaches.

Teachers suggest the Cloud can help establish a rich learning environment and improve

learning productivity as well as enabling a collaborative sharing of resources and unlimited

service support. It is safe and reliable as Cloud storage services can provide protection and

backup safety for important data. However the fact that the Cloud enables an individual-

oriented approach, centred on the needs of the learners was not suggested.

Perhaps one of the biggest difficulties faced by teachers and trainers in embracing Cloud

Computing will be in changing their professional paradigm, shifting from a teacher-centred

approach to a learner-centre one. The necessary changes in teaching style to take full

advantage of the Cloud for learning are difficult to accept by teachers and trainers. Pre-

service and in-service training of teachers has to ensure the interaction between

53

McDonald D, MacDonald A & Breslin C, (2010) Final report from the JISC Review of the Environmental and Organisational Implications of Cloud Computing in Higher and Further Education, Glasgow, University of Strathclyde 54

Huang, L. and Li, M., 2015. Research on the Application of Cloud Computer Assisted Instruction, International Symposium on Social Science (ISSS 2015), http://tinyurl.com/js6amlt

21

pedagogical objectives and the potential of Cloud Computing is developed to support them.

The readiness of the organisation is crucial to the adoption of Cloud Computing. For its

efficient implementation, there should be realistic expectations of the challenges of

integration. Leaders must address challenges of systemic change management in

implementing Cloud Computing, concerned with the design of an entirely new system rather

than trying to adjust existing situations. A number of specific shifts are thought critical to

convert the entire “learning ecosystem” of an education organisation such that it transforms

the:

Central and supporting work processes to a customised learner-centred approach.

Internal social infrastructure to a customised learner-centred approach,

Relationships with the external environment and the move to a collaborative,

proactive relationship with the external community.

Change processes to systemic transformational change, from an organization for

learning to a learning organization, based on establishing a culture of growth and

effective change management. 55

To achieve this leaders need to ensure there is unified understanding around Cloud

Computing across the organisation, strategies in different areas are connected so that they

are in alignment with the major institutional functions, namely teaching, learning,

administration, recruitment and in higher education research and development and that

changing priorities and policy are taken account of. 56

55

Duffy, F. M., & Reigeluth, C. M. (2010). The school system transformation protocol. In: F. M. Duffy (Ed.), Dream! Create! Sustain!: Mastering the art and science of transforming school systems 199-215. 56

Ryan, A. (2011), Education for Sustainable Development and Holistic Curriculum Change: A Guide for HE Institutions, The Higher Education Academy, York.

22

Leadership is becoming more important as an issue for successful Cloud Computing

implementation in education. School leaders play an increasing role in leading change,

providing vision and objectives, as well as professional development initiatives in using the

Cloud to bring about pedagogical changes. In the past most time was spent on the

infrastructure, network and computer hardware rather than learning outcomes and

curriculum integration.

The very rapid take-up of Cloud Computing with associated wifi-enabled services is making a

crucial impact on the way leadership is conceptualised and practised in education. Education

leaders need to cope with extremely rapid changes. They must develop open and inclusive

policies for full integration of the Cloud in education. The Cloud for learning should be based

on long-term educational objectives and become an integral part of the core educational

agenda. Considerable staff professional development and support are required. Leaders thus

must possess the strategy and knowledge in leading change as the technology impacts on all

stakeholders. Unfortunately there has been limited research about leadership and Cloud-

adoption in education and little information on difficult-to-assess risks.

Jameson (2013)57 argues that e-leadership is vital in order that leaders, managers and staff

across all education phases can recognise the importance of adapting to the exponentially

increasing changes occurring in education as a result of technology advancements (Figure 3).

This implies a systemic change as advocated by Toh et al. (2014)58, who suggest an ecological

leadership model is necessary (Figure 4), where leaders have to think and act in a more

holistic way and develop collective actions.

57

Jameson, J., (2013), e‐Leadership in higher education: The fifth “age” of educational technology research. British Journal of Educational Technology, 44(6), 889-915. 58

Toh, Y., Jamaludin, A., Hung, W.L.D. and Chua, P.M.H., 2014. Ecological leadership: Going beyond system leadership for diffusing school-based innovations in the crucible of change for 21st century learning. The Asia-Pacific Education Researcher, 23(4), pp.835-850.

23

Figure 3: An e-Leadership framework for educational technology in higher education

Figure 4: Model of ecological leadership for diffusing innovations (Toh et al, 2014)

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In such a highly complex, emergent and rapidly changing system, different skills are required

such as the capacity to rapidly absorb, prioritise and respond to new information, to

selectively deal with overwhelmingly large amounts of information and the high levels of

interpersonal and intercultural skills necessary to build high levels of trust in online

environments.

25

Towards the end of the project just prior to the third summit held in November 2016, the 55

partners taking part in School on the Cloud were invited to complete a short online survey to

a) review ongoing challenges, b) state the specific needs they have in their organisations and

c) describe any ambitious Cloud-Based projects they would like to try or be involved in

sometime in the future.

A total of 70 responses were received from the partnership. The general comments they

made recognised the importance of the paradigm shift in developing learning-based Cloud

Computing in education.

“Using Cloud Computing means a shift in the way people (and society) think about

education”

“The Cloud is a tool to change pedagogical approaches and the learning processes”

“Cloud Computing can be a key driver for innovation and transformation in learning and

teaching, stimulating profound changes for educational institutions.”

“Wide visions are necessary to support change and develop Cloud based education”

“Pedagogy should be the starting point for every use of Cloud tools in education”

“We are aiming towards a Cloud system for all, Personal Learning Networks that allow us

to share best practices and new developments in the educational sector in real time,

establish synergies and thus, receive up-to-date information and significantly enhance

learning horizons.”

The survey results are now summarised.

Q1: What are the ongoing challenges / needs facing you and your organization?

The survey participant responses can be classified into six main categories:

i) Building capacity

“Reported levels of the use of different technological tools for educational purposes

among youngsters lag far behind their levels of technology use in daily life”

More than 10% of responses indicated that, either mobile devices (smartphones, tablets,

laptops) were not allowed in schools, or else wifi was forbidden due to possible health issues

or BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) systems were not allowed. In all four countries were

mentioned.

On the other hand some positive situations were described:

“I am fortunate enough to work in an organization which fully supports digital education,

thus providing us with Internet access in all premises. Tablets are allowed and fully

exploited both in primary and secondary education. There is training and continuous

support from leaders. So I think a challenge is to transmit that knowledge and experience

to others”

Respondents made several comments related to capacity building and integrating the Cloud

in education. They mentioned the need to engage more people in their organisations,

26

expanding the network to encourage the use of Cloud Computing to all public schools and

networking with other institutions to adapt the curricula.

The challenge was to have an education system organised well enough to include Cloud

Computing.

Participants envisaged building a network of people in the faculty, throughout their

university and among universities and schools. There were many stakeholders involved in

ensuring effective integration of Cloud Computing in the education system, but it was clear

that teachers had a particularly important role to play in building capacity, so they ought to

be better informed. A key capacity building component was the need for the involvement of

teacher training organisations and the need for in-service training.

ii) Changing the mindset

While it is relatively easy to have a Cloud Computing infrastructure and ensuring access to

the Cloud is feasible, changing education and teaching is more difficult. Teachers need to be

familiar with different pedagogical concepts and their use in learner-centred context. So, the

use of Cloud Computing in education will not, on its own, bring about better learning and

teaching. However its adoption and integration implies a change of mindset, using the tools

reflectively and strategically, so that a shift in paradigm to learner-centred approaches can

be developed.

“Most educators use technology mainly as a useful aid for delivering course content

and/or for increasing student motivation, rather than as a tool for transforming teaching

and learning”

“Instructors tend to restrict the use of technology to mainly representation tools such as

PowerPoint, and make minimal use of interactive technologies (social media, simulations,

games, educational software, and media manipulation software, etc.) that can promote

student-centered, collaborative, and inquiry-based learning environments”

Participants said that teachers don't really know what they want from ICT or the Cloud, nor

are they aware of the potential of Cloud Computing. Most organisations only used ICT in

computer classes/rooms. Educators did not realise the openness of e-learning courses. In

general, the teaching profession had very low levels of motivation for using innovative

teaching and learning in general.

We need to encourage teacher's interests. The primary challenge was therefore to convince

colleagues that Cloud Computing could help to bring about inclusive education. In fact, even

in cases where there are good facilities, teachers don’t integrate technology in their lessons.

In order to be able to do this they need training and support (see item vi).

iii) Poor facilities

Surveys of schools and ICT in Europe have suggested most schools are connected to the

Internet 59 and universities have good access, but School on the Cloud research suggests this

is not the case.

59

European Schoolnet (2013), Survey of Schools ICT in Education, https://ec.europa.eu/digital-single-market/sites/digital-agenda/files/KK-31-13-401-EN-N.pdf, pages 33, 43-46

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The absence of wifi or slow Internet service was considered to be the largest ongoing

challenge for 25% of the survey respondents. They reported having no access, or wifi that

was only available for teachers, or only accessible in some parts of the buildings. Other

reported issues included slow speeds, low bandwidth and unreliability. Given that high

quality, reliable Internet access is a fundamental requirement for Cloud-based education this

finding was alarming. Participants commented not only on difficulties in schools, but also in

universities, where Eduroam was unreliable, and in libraries.

More than 20% of respondents mentioned challenges with the availability of technology in

their organisation. Comments were made on poor computer rooms, outdated technology, a

small number of mobile devices available and a lack of a basic ICT infrastructure. The

technical infrastructure was described as not stable. Lack of funding was described by 10%

of respondents, with less being spent by schools leading to not enough devices being

available. Some organisations had low or no technology support.

“Lack of readily available administrative/technical support for the integration of

technological tools into teaching and learning”

“Governments have to promote lease-systems for obtaining more devices with the same

capacities and renewable after 3 years. With a solid contract.”

Under the drive towards a Digital Single Market and with the trend towards the creation and

use of Open Educational Resources (OER), with the aim that educational materials produced

with public funding are available to all so that learning can happen anytime, anywhere60.

Many educational organisations were thus far from the goal of establishing highly digitally

equipped, that is to say with recent equipment, fast broadband (10mbps plus) and high

'connectivity'. Indicating that more strategic visions and partnerships are needed in Europe.

iv) Lack of staff expertise

“There is a lack of essential pedagogical knowledge by many teachers and educators on

how to take full advantage of the true potential of technology for transforming the nature

of teaching and learning”

School on the Cloud research confirmed teacher participation in training for teaching and

learning with ICT and Cloud Computing was not compulsory, yet according to European

Schoolnet (2013), the teachers most confident in using ICT were those who had spent time

on training and professional development. 61 More than 15% of respondents reported that

there was no training available for them and that training for all staff members to include

cloud related technologies in teaching was an important challenge as staff had low personal

competences.

v) Low or no leadership

Leadership and policy making was considered a challenge by almost 20% of survey

participants. They cited little or no support from leadership for education, the absence of a

60

https://ec.europa.eu/digital-single-market/en/ict-education 61

European Schoolnet (2013), Survey of Schools ICT in Education, https://ec.europa.eu/digital-single-market/sites/digital-agenda/files/KK-31-13-401-EN-N.pdf

28

national organisation or policy, or of a clear strategy for education. More support from

leaders was therefore called for.

“It is vital to persuade the stakeholders - ministry, educational institutes - to adopt the

idea, invest and promote the Cloud in education”

“We need a national Cloud Computing in education project”

Leadership styles needed to change from transaction leadership to transformational

leadership. This was evident in curriculum issues, such that

“There is a very narrow curriculum without space for cloud based learning, traditional

ways of teaching dominate ” and

“any individualised learning, adaptation and usage is expected to happen in spare time”.

vi) Other challenges

A number of other challenges were cited by respondents including:

Data Protection

Freedom of Information

Intellectual Property

Ethics

Accessible Information

Network Codes of Conduct

Dignity and Respect

Access to free tools and software

Privacy issues

Q2. What needs to be done in the future to support you and your organization?

Proposed solutions to the challenges covered three main areas:

i) Training,

ii) Leadership and policy and

iii) Resources and infrastructure.

i) Training

Training was considered by more than 50% of survey respondents to be a high priority for

the future. This included training for all stakeholders including teachers, administrators,

managers, leaders and parents. Initial teacher training should be updated and a basic

teachers' professional development program created at national level.

“Need to have a proper training course developed for leaders and managers. This can be

developed online and F2F. Should be a compulsory part of training for leadership (eg of

Head Teachers).”

“Continuous training needs to be done so as to help all educators and administrative staff

to be updated in terms of using cloud services as well as change the attitudes of those

who feel intimidated by the use of Cloud”

“Develop Centres for Continuing Education and expertise to update teacher training”

29

The training opportunities could be online, blended and face-to-face, it could cover subject-

specific areas and generic Cloud-based competences in order to raise awareness about the

potential of Cloud Computing and stimulate interest in using the Cloud as well as in creating

Open Education Resources.

ii) Leadership and policy

Almost 40% of respondents commented on the importance of different aspects of Cloud

Computing leadership and management in education to raise awareness and develop policy

at European, national, regional and organisational levels.

“Leaders/managers need to have tools that can be used to explicitly help them create

their visions of the future of their education organisation - and in integrating the

opportunities for the Cloud to help them reach these goals. They can then use local

networks for the dissemination of Cloud applications”

“National policy should be developed towards the acquisition of Cloud competences in

order to support the innovative procedures educators need to follow”

“Education on the Cloud should be proposed by national policy under 3 axes: with

structure, with educational goals and didactics processes – leading to develop a national

guide serving the Cloud in education.”

Transforming the structure of the education environment by European and national policy

developments was considered necessary by almost half of the respondents. This included:

Working on Cloud competences for teachers and educators and their international

certification,

Ensuring teacher training is updated accordingly,

improving the quality of broadband,

Transforming the school curricula and assessment to reflect the opportunities for

personalised learning afforded by the Cloud

Establishing common policies to promote and support innovation and digital learning and

teaching

An increase in the research grants available and the number of funded national and

European projects about Cloud Computing in education.

iii) Resources and infrastructure

The suggested solutions included updated equipment and improved IT networking

capability, but also modern classrooms and flexible learning spaces and the development of

pedagogical ICT-coaches.

“We should develop Cloud oriented classrooms, removal of white or black boards,

incentives for all pupils to have their own laptop or tablet, technological support and

helpdesk”

“To further facilitate the proliferation of technology in our establishment, the institution

should provide stronger support to faculty with appropriate technical and administrative

resources that will promote the effective infusion of emerging technologies into teaching

and learning. The provision of high quality professional development, in particular, is vital

30

for generating the necessary changes in teaching culture that will enable our institution

to reap the full benefits of ICT advances.”

Examples of good practice, clear guidelines and recommendations, new ideas and regularly

updated lists of useful (essential) tools were all considered important, as well as a reward

system that:

“recognizes the value of excellent teaching even in the higher education sector”

Q3. Are there any examples of ambitious Cloud projects taking place or to try in the

future?

The survey participants provided the following list of ambitious projects (in alphabetical

order):

3 Greek and European repositories: Photodentro, Europeana, LRE

A platform aiming to create a friendly environment for primary school students

working in STEM while playing (gamification), teachers create digital activities with

great potential for the future http://makeworld.eu

A platform promoting reading communities through the use of the cloud enhancing

students' literacy skills http://www.lifelongreaders.org/index.php/en/

Apps for good. Pupils making apps for learning https://www.appsforgood.org/

Augmented reality around our school

Authoring tools in 3-D and virtual environments, for the creative exploitation of the

platform by educators http://www.gameit.gr/

Camtasia to create screen recording of different software features we do in class.

https://www.techsmith.com/camtasia.html?gclid=CMPhm9TXyM8CFc-97QodCdcAjQ

Creative Classrooms Lab http://creative.eun.org/

Curated OWR to provide additional scaffold for student learning https://alison.com/

Digileren: http://www.digileren.be/ (platform for distance learning)

E-Learning Services in the Cloud: applications and results for cloud education

http://www.kc-class.eu/packages/p5-e-learning-services-in-the-cloud

Educational devices for virtual reality and for augmented reality.

EO Innovation Platform Testbed Poland

http://kosmonauta.net/2016/01/rozpoczecie-projektu-testowej-chmury-dla-

obserwacji-ziemi/

Experimenting with xBox and Live accounts to provide a virtual learning space for

students to communicate

Fire App Fights Wildfires with Data https://www.microsoft.com/en-

us/research/video/fire-app-fights-wildfires-with-data/

Geo-games in schools http://enable-project.eu/

Geo-statistical platform http://gis.stat.si/

Geolocational e-content for education for the Ministry of Education

http://egradiva.gis.si/web/egradiva, http://www.youtube.com/gisfilmi

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Google expeditions, immersive virtual journeys:

https://www.google.com/edu/expeditions/

Hessebox, sync and share. A independent cloud based system for all employees,

students, scientists and lecturers https://www.rz.uni-frankfurt.de/61778980/Sync-

and-Share

Het onderwijsarchief: https://onderwijs.hetarchief.be/ (a large number of video's

from the past and the present to use in the classroom)

IMALE - innovation in ICT procurement in schools http://www.imaile.eu/

Integrate e-content into e-textbooks and to further develop the applications based

on own augmented reality platform

https://nio.gov.si/nio/application/nvaluta?lang=en

Inter-European networks (on the Cloud) for pupils

Library 4.0, incorporating into the teaching and learning process the utilization of

virtual and augmented reality

Mapas de España from Instituto Geográfico Nacional (National Geographic

Institute) :

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.orux.oruxmapsIGN&hl=es

Media for the disabled, Media use of persons with disabilities Social participation

without media is hardly conceivable. The UN Convention on the Rights of Persons

with Disabilities (UN CRPD) allocates media as a key for the achievement of full and

effective participation within the society. So far reliable data about the media

usage of persons with disabilities are missing. This research is supposed to fill this

data gap. In order to conduct the equal access to media the accessibility of media

services is focused. So far the user perspective played a small role. The aim of this

study is to investigate how persons with disabilities actually use media, what kind

of motives and expectations they have and what kind of access barriers to media

exist. For the first time, this research examines meaningful data regarding the

media usage habits, motives and expectations for media use of persons with

disabilities as well as access barriers to media. http://www.kme.tu-dortmund.de

MOOC's with better functionality

Naturaleza Magrama from the Ministry for Agriculture and Environment:

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=air.com.tragsatec.mobile.IEPNB&hl

=es Pokémon GO!

Notice boards using virtual reality software Aurasma to engage students

https://www.aurasma.com

Office Mix to provide for students and this provides me with data analytics into

students who are working on the materials. https://mix.office.com/en-

us/Home

Portfolios for students primary school to collect their digital, even non-digital work,

with an easy management system

Portuguese Virtual School, e-books for students http://www.escolavirtual.pt/

32

Pupils making home-made apps for learning, children who want to change the way

they learn but we have a lack of interest from the government on this issue

Research project “KC Class, Cloud assisted services”, concluded March 2014,

EuroCloud Slovenia. http://www.kc-class.eu/?set_language=en

(semi-) automatic recommendations of additional content in consumption and

authoring process (EEXCESS)

sCool: https://scooledu.org/ sCool teaches children in primary schools digital

social responsibility from an early age, that actively promotes media literacy, safety

and a culture free from cyber-bullying

Students making and sharing their maps for interdisciplinary school curriculum

oriented areas http://www.digital-earth.edu.gr/index.php/el/map-menu

The Living Book - Augmenting Reading For Life (Ref. #: 2016-1-CY01-KA201-

017315), 2016-2019 http://www.euc.ac.cy/en/news--

announcements/ευρωπαϊκή-χρηματοδότηση-erasmus-για-το-έργο-

«ζωντανό--βιβλίο»

The whole school should be different, should have an atmosphere of well-being for

pupils (see e.g. https://education-

2025.wikispaces.com/The+Classroom+of+the+Future or

http://www.treehugger.com/green-architecture/lava-prefab-

classroom-of-the-future.html )

Use of cloud data in GIS

Using learning analytics to support learners

Using learning analytics to support personalized learning

Valuable Energy in a smart school - VERY school http://www.veryschool.eu/

WeZoozAcademy: http://www.wezoozacademy.be/ (learning through online

videos)

Yoepy: http://www.yoepy.nl/ (a social media platform for children)

Q4. Any other points and ideas

A valid international certification (like ECDL European Computer Driving License)

for Cloud Computing in Education

Clear and accessible funding from the EU

Define a holistic approach to education using Cloud Computing

Develop educational devices for virtual reality.

Enforcement of the European agenda on digital literacy

Establish common European data protection laws and data security standards

Focus on the use of the Cloud as the best facilitator for real educational change

around individualising student learning.

Gather the opinion of pupils in the process of change and development is missing

33

Preparing a school of the future through the Cloud

Promote digital ethics

Research how much and which applications on the Cloud have infiltrated in

communities of very low income and how much these communities are affected by

the Cloud.

Research new methods for learning adjusted to the enormous amount of open

information.

The concept of School on the Cloud to be formalized in EU resolutions and/or

recommendations. This can stimulate national stakeholders to react positively.

Using the School on the Cloud recommendations as awareness raising materials

We must ensure the impact of European policy in each member state on

implementation of the Cloud in education

Some final comments included:

“A key characteristic of 21st century education is that classrooms are more diverse than

ever. Students have very different needs due to their social and cultural backgrounds,

their linguistic backgrounds, and their physical and intellectual abilities. Viewing

education through the lens of inclusion implies adapting flexible teaching and learning

methods, adapted to different needs and learning styles with innovative approaches to

teaching aids, and equipment as well as the use of ICTs. Due to the diverse needs of pupils

with disabilities personalized learning should be central to any approach to teaching and

learning. Although there are many definitions and interpretations, there is a consensus

that personalized learning puts the learner at the centre of any approach to teaching.”

“We should focus on sharing, citizenship and ethics, for a more sustainable and above all

more human world.”

“There are problems with data privacy laws and regulations when private data about

students is put in the Cloud data centres outside our country or outside the European

Union.”

“ We need more proper research on the added value of using the Cloud in education”

“How can the users be sure that the Cloud will still be for free in the future?”

34

Cloud Computing poses many challenges for policy makers, although the possibility of cost

savings, efficiency gains and innovation are recognised62, but generally the implications for

education and training have hardly been considered in European and national policy

initiatives, yet they are crucial for the successful implementation of economic policy and

strategic developments.

The European Commission has taken a leading role in Cloud Computing implementation in

the EU. It has acknowledged the central role the Cloud has for the future of Europe and

Europe 2020 and especially for the European economy and the role the EU should play in

building a global competitive advantage, ongoing prosperity, and world-leading innovation

for Europe’s commercial and public sectors63.

The European Commission established the European Cloud Partnership (ECP)64 in 2012. This

was an initiative to connect important stakeholders including technology leaders, Cloud

users, private and public sector organisations and policy-makers in order to recommend how

to establish a Digital Single Market with no walls for Cloud Computing in Europe.

In 2014, the ECP published a policy document with its vision for a Trusted Cloud in Europe65.

It makes clear the substantial direct economic value the technology is making to the

European Union and supports and promotes the adoption and use of Cloud Computing in

Europe by addressing major legal, technical, operational and economic barriers. The

publication identifies important steps that needed to be undertaken, including:

i) A flexible common framework of best practices with legal, technical and operational

guidelines as well as technical standards, to be voluntarily adopted by Cloud providers

in compliance with the common framework.

ii) Consensus building through public consultations, workshops, coordination groups etc.,

targeting stakeholders, including citizens, public administration, the industry and users,

in order to reach a common understanding on issues such as risk management, security

requirements, privacy needs, enforcement methods, procurement practices, and

legislative reforms that might be needed.

Under the Digital Agenda initiative, the Cloud Select Industry Group was established by the

Software and Services Cloud Unit based at the European Commission’s Directorate-General

for Communications Networks, Content and Technology. The Group included participants

from major European and multinational companies and large organizations with significant

involvement in the Cloud Computing business. The purpose was to give independent

feedback and guidance on future developments.

62

González-Martínez, J.A., Bote-Lorenzo, M.L., Gómez-Sánchez, E. and Cano-Parra, R., 2015. Cloud computing and education: A state-of-the-art survey. Computers & Education, 80, pp.132-151. 63

Vogels W (2014), Cloud computing in Europe should put power in the hands of the customer, http://www.allthingsdistributed.com/2014/05/european-cloud-power-in-the-hands-of-customers.html 64

http://ec.europa.eu/digital-agenda/en/european-cloud-partnership 65

http://ec.europa.eu/digital-agenda/en/news/trusted-cloud-europe

35

In 2012, the European Commission published, "Unleashing the Potential of Cloud Computing

in Europe"66. This identified a number of key research actions that should be sustained

by Cloud Select industry Groups67. The European Commission has worked with industry to

develop and approve a code of conduct for Cloud Computing providers68. This established a

uniform set of data protection rules. A sub-group of the Cloud Select Industry Group have

been working on defining standardisation guidelines for Cloud Computing Service Level

Agreements69. Another has been trying to deliver certification schemes for the industry70 as

part of the European Cloud Initiative and the Digital Single Market Strategy 201571.

In education, the European Commission initiated a review and analysis of the uses of ICT

across Europe. The outcomes included a comprehensive set of policy action

recommendations that could be used to help further developments and mainstream the

implementation of technology in learning and teaching72. Online consultation was used to

validate a set of 60 possible policy recommendations that had been developed during the

'Up-Scaling Creative Classrooms in Europe' (SCALE CCR) project73. This initiative included

several consultations (two expert workshops and seven in-depth expert interviews) and

evaluations (thematic analyses, internal discussion, DG EAC Thematic Working Group on ICT

and Education).

ICT is acknowledged as a key enabler of innovation and creativity in European Education and

Training systems74. Innovating in education is a priority in several flagship initiatives of the

Europe 2020 Strategy75, the Agenda for New Skills and Jobs76, Youth on the Move77, the

Digital Agenda78, and the Innovation Union79. It has also been emphasised in the European

Commission's Communication on 'Opening up education through new technologies'80 and its

supporting documents 81 . However, there remains an implementation gap in formal

education settings, which has been reported in several surveys and studies82 83 84 85 86. These

66

http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=COM:2012:0529:FIN:EN:PDF 67

http://ec.europa.eu/information_society/newsroom/cf/dae/document.cfm?doc_id=1624 68

https://ec.europa.eu/digital-single-market/en/cloud-select-industry-group-code-conduct 69

https://ec.europa.eu/digital-single-market/en/cloud-select-industry-group-service-level-agreements 70

http://ec.europa.eu/digital-single-market/en/cloud-select-industry-group-certification-schemes 71

http://ec.europa.eu/digital-single-market/en/digital-single-market 72

Brečko, B.N., Kampylis, P. and Punie, Y., 2014. Mainstreaming ICT-enabled Innovation in Education and Training in Europe, JRC, http://ipts.jrc.ec.europa.eu/publications/pub.cfm?id=6361 73

Up-Scaling Creative Classrooms in Europe (SCALE CCR), http://is.jrc.ec.europa.eu/pages/EAP/SCALECCR.html 74

http://ftp.jrc.es/EURdoc/JRC83502.pdf 75

http://ec.europa.eu/europe2020/index_en.htm 76

http://ec.europa.eu/social/main.jsp?catId=958 77

http://ec.europa.eu/youthonthemove/ 78

https://ec.europa.eu/digital-single-market/en 79

http://ec.europa.eu/research/innovation-union/index_en.cfm 80

http://ec.europa.eu/education/policy/strategic-framework/education-technology_en.htm 81

http://ec.europa.eu/smart-regulation/impact/planned_ia/docs/2013_eac_003_opening_up_education_en.pdf 82

Ibrahim, M.S., Salleh, N. and Misra, S., 2015. Empirical studies of cloud computing in education: a systematic literature review. In Computational Science and Its Applications--ICCSA 2015 (pp. 725-737). Springer International Publishing 83

Koch, F., Assunção, M.D., Cardonha, C. and Netto, M.A., 2016. Optimising resource costs of cloud computing for education. Future Generation Computer Systems, 55, pp.473-479. 84

Eurydice. (2011). Key Data on Learning and Innovation through ICT at School in Europe 2011. Retrieved 15 December 2013, from Education, Audiovisual and Culture Executive Agency http://eacea.ec.europa.eu/education/eurydice%20/documents/key_data_series/129EN.pdf 85

Kampylis, P., & Punie, Y. (2013). Case report 1: eTwinning - the community for schools in Europe. In P. Kampylis, N. Law & Y. Punie (Eds.), ICT-enabled innovation for learning in Europe and Asia: Exploring conditions

36

highlight that, although there has been some activity promoting Cloud Computing use, only

a very limited research base on its use for learning and in education is available and there

are few resources that can be used to support its application.

Policy recommendations were taken into account in establishing a Digital Single

Market strategy for Europe87, adopted on the 6 May 2015. It includes 16 initiatives that were

to be delivered by the end of 2016, based on:

i) Improved access to digital goods and services across Europe for consumers and

businesses;

ii) Establishing circumstances for digital networks and innovative services to flourish;

and

iii) Exploiting the growth potential of the digital economy.

At a global level, the Cloud Security Alliance88 is a not-for-profit organization with the

mission to promote the use of best practices for providing security assurance within Cloud

Computing, and to provide education on the uses of Cloud Computing to help secure all

other forms of computing. It is led by industry practitioners and supported by a number of

founding charter companies. They have worked with noted experts in different fields, such

as governance, law, network security, audit, application security, storage, cryptography,

virtualization, risk management and several others, in order to provide authoritative

guidance to securely adopt Cloud Computing solutions.

The Cloud Computing industry has shown some interest and activity with the education and

training sector. This mainly involves the delivery of online courses and support for open

access resources. For example, the initiative launched by edX and Microsoft to develop

online courses for secondary school leaders to drive systemic change and improve

education89.

Education policy has not considered the Cloud, rather it has focused on the critical and

creative uses of ICT in general. Cloud Computing encourages innovative teaching and

learning approaches, which can be developed independent of the subject, in order to put

learners at the centre and engage them actively in the learning process. Teacher education

and training (pre-service, in-service and mid-career) has been recognised as central to

innovation and change, especially as digital competences have become a key priority in

education and training90.

Teachers are more familiar with traditional pedagogical and didactical methods and they

need positive policy recommendations and support for change. The European Commission

Staff Working Document on “Supporting the Teaching Professions for Better Learning

for sustainability, scalability and impact at system level (pp. 21-35). EUR 26199 EN. Luxembourg: Publications Office of the European Union 86

OECD. (2013). Innovative Learning Environments, Educational Research and Innovation. Retrieved 10 November 2013, from OECD Publishing, http://dx.doi.org/10.1787/9789264203488-en 87

http://ec.europa.eu/digital-single-market/en/digital-single-market 88

http://www.cloudsecurityalliance.org 89

http://blog.edx.org/edx-and-microsoft-collaborate-to-help-k-12-school-leaders-improve-education 90

Van den Brande. L, Carlberg, M. & Good, B. (2010) Learning, Innovation and ICT: Lessons learned by the ICT cluster - Education & Training 2010 programme, https://erte.dge.mec.pt/sites/default/files/Recursos/Estudos/key_lessons_ict_cluster_final_report.pdf

37

Outcomes”91 identified the need to support the teaching profession as a key component of

improving the quality of learning and the performance of learners. The on-going

professional development of teachers was critical for the future.

Ten key actions were identified by the report at Member State and European levels. At

European Commission level, the Commission could contribute by:

Providing more detailed policy advice, based on a strengthened knowledge base

established by exchange between policy makers, practitioners, researchers and

other stakeholders, with the necessary differentiation to address country-specific

requirements;

Focusing on actions with potential systemic impact and multiplier effects through

future EC education and training programmes, for example 2020-2027.

Supporting the creation of a School Leadership Policy Network to facilitate

exchange between national policy makers, practitioners, researchers and other

stakeholders, to mediate and disseminate the fruits of research and to stimulate

the development of national networks for school leadership;

Exploiting the work of the High Level Group on Modernising Higher Education,

making recommendations to support policy reforms and innovations to promote

excellence in teaching all over Europe.

Extending virtual communication and cooperation between educators, via the

eTwinning action and by providing a web environment for exchange between policy

makers and a channel of communication with the school community: and

Supporting networking, team building and professional exchange and development

among adult educators in Europe.

European policies have taken several approaches to digital competence. They tend to

emphasise different perspectives and often have elaborated their own specific concepts and

definitions to highlight the desired aspects. DG Information Society and Media emphasised

inclusion to the digital society, DG Enterprise and Industry promoted ICT skills as necessary

for innovation and industry, DG Education and Culture highlight digital competence as a key

to lifelong learning, and DG Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion acknowledge digital

competence among the necessary new skills for new jobs. All these perspectives tend to

complement each other but result in fragmentation in terms of action and monitoring.

Furthermore, all of them highlight that the main issue today is no longer access to and use of

technologies, but the capability to benefit from them in meaningful ways for life, work and

learning.

This is borne out by the observation that European measurements of digitalisation currently

concentrate more on measuring access and use rather than skills, in other words they

measure quality of use or competence and the attitudes and strategies for use. In 2013, the

European Digital Competence Framework for Citizens, also known as DigComp, was

91

European Commission (2012) European Commission Staff Working Document, Supporting the Teaching Professions for Better Learning Outcomes, SWD(2012) 374 final, Brussels

38

launched92. It offers a tool to improve citizens’ digital competence that focuses on a

conceptual reference model, specific vocabulary and competence descriptors. DigiComp also

gives examples of how it can be used at the European, national and regional levels. This is

based on work undertaken by the Joint Research Centre on the ‘task of being a 21st century

citizen”93 and the range of skills required (Figure 5)94.

Figure 5: Groups of skills and attitudes considered to be important constituents of Digital Competence

(JRC, 2011)

McDonald et al. (2010)95 have examined the implications of Cloud Computing

implementation for higher education institutional activities. Their report suggested

institutions and their IT and service managers would need to:

Better understand existing ICT costs and how these costs might be apportioned

back to cost centres and potentially individual users,

Develop an appropriate, holistic IT strategy which potentially contains in-house and

outsourced Cloud components,

Establish a governance model and requirements for their data and information

systems,

Consider socio-cultural influences in assessment of benefits and risks,

92

https://ec.europa.eu/jrc/en/publication/eur-scientific-and-technical-research-reports/digcomp-20-digital-competence-framework-citizens-update-phase-1-conceptual-reference-model 93

https://ec.europa.eu/jrc/en/digcomp 94

Ala-Mutka, K., 2011. Mapping digital competence: towards a conceptual understanding. Luxembourg: Publications Office of the European Union, ftp://ftp.jrc.es/users/publications/public/JRC67075_TN.pdf 95

McDonald D, MacDonald A & Breslin C, (2010) Final report from the JISC Review of the Environmental and Organisational Implications of Cloud Computing in Higher and Further Education, Glasgow, University of Strathclyde

39

Adopt an informed approach to analysing and managing the actual risks,

Manage the change brought about by moving towards the Cloud ,

Evolve the institutional ICT support structure to accommodate outsourcing where

necessary and

Explore how Cloud Computing could be used to help implement radically different

ways of supporting teaching and learning, research, business community

engagement and administrative activities.

This policy review confirms that the European Commission has predominantly been

concerned with data protection, ownership, privacy and control of Cloud Computing. For

the Cloud to be successful in Europe, policy makers must ensure consumer needs are met

not only in terms of the service available, the flexibility to use as much or as little of the

available Cloud services they want and the cost, but also to inform people through

education and training so that they are able to take advantage of the opportunities. As a

result the School on the Cloud project undertook research of preferred policy options of the

participants attending the third summit conference in November 2016. The results of this

are presented in the next section with the recommendations made to European policy

makers.

40

In order to identify the most suitable European policies for implementing Cloud Computing

in Education, an online policy survey was created inviting School on the Cloud partners. The

survey was testing within Working Group 1 of the School on the Cloud Network Project and

revised based on their comments and suggestions. They were presented with the following

scenario:

You are responsible for European Education policy measures and your challenge is to

encourage the implementation and use of Cloud Computing across different sectors

of education. Rate the following policy options.

On a scale of 1 to 7, how relevant are each of these policy recommendations (1 means

not relevant and 7 means fully relevant).

In 2013, the EU had expressed its opinions

A total of 26 possibly EU policy options were selected and developed (Annex 1) based on:

i) An analysis of EU opinions on the future of education through its 2013

communication, “Opening Up Education” 96. This suggests the development of

policy that will a) provide opportunities to stimulate innovation through Open

Learning Environments; b) encourage teachers to innovate, connect them through

communities of practice and reward them accordingly; and c) enable innovation for

learners to ensure digitally-acquired skills can be certified and recognised for

further learning or work

ii) Recent education policy literature 97 98 99 100 101 102 and

iii) Other policy surveys in Europe 103 104 105 and beyond106.

96

COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS Opening up Education: Innovative teaching and learning for all through new Technologies and Open Educational Resources /* COM/2013/0654 final, http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:52013DC0654&from=EN 97

Hippe, R. and Dinis Mota da Costa, P., 2016. Equity in Education in Europe(No. JRC104595). Joint Research Centre (Seville site), https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Luisa_Araujo/publication/311718779_Equity_in_Education_in_Europe/links/5857d7aa08aeabd9a589d327.pdf 98

Ludlow, D. and Rauhut, D., 2013. Services of General Interest: policy challenges and policy options. Europa XXI, 23, pp.69-83. 99

Dohse, D. and Ott, I., 2014. Heterogenous skills, growth and convergence.Structural Change and Economic Dynamics, 30, pp.52-67. 100

Veloso, L. and Estevinha, S., 2013. Differentiation versus homogenisation of education systems in Europe: Political aims and welfare regimes.International Journal of Educational Research, 62, pp.187-198. 101

Alexiadou, N.A.F.S.I.K.A., 2014, May. Policy learning and Europeanisation in education: The governance of a field and the transfer of knowledge. In: Transnational Policy Flows in European Education: the making and governing of knowledge in the education policy field. Oxford: Symposium Books. http://www.diva-portal.org/smash/get/diva2:736625/FULLTEXT05 102

Nóvoa, A., 2013. The blindness of Europe: new fabrications in the European educational space. Sisyphus-Journal of Education, 1(1), pp.104-123. 103

Yang, J., 2017. Survey and Reflection of Open Education Policies. In Open Education: from OERs to MOOCs (pp. 23-37). Springer Berlin Heidelberg. 104

Up-Scaling Creative Classrooms in Europe (SCALE CCR), http://is.jrc.ec.europa.eu/pages/EAP/SCALECCR.html 105

Brečko, B.N., Kampylis, P. and Punie, Y., 2014. Mainstreaming ICT-enabled Innovation in Education and Training in Europe, JRC, http://ipts.jrc.ec.europa.eu/publications/pub.cfm?id=6361

41

A total of 70 network participants, based in 55 organisations from 21 countries, completed

the questionnaire. The mean score for each of the policy options was calculated and the

policies ranked in order of importance. The top ten policy measures are presented in Table

1. The full results are provided in Annex 2.

rank Policy Recommendation score

1 Promote the availability and use of Open Educational Resources (OER) for

broadening and updating learning content. 6.16

2 Make sure that technological Cloud innovation in formal education settings is

part of a wider transformation agenda, which includes pedagogical and

organisational innovation. 6.06

3 Encourage the development of a 'culture of innovation' at system

level, removing the fear of change and supporting decision-makers, teachers,

and other stakeholders when taking sensible risks and trying new things. 5.87

4 Invest in structures, such as national and/or transnational inter-linked portals, to

share Cloud opportunities, exchange knowledge and success stories. 5.85

4 Create organisational structures (e.g. formal recognition and informal

reputation mechanisms, technical support, pedagogical advice, etc.) to support

and motivate teachers to participate in professional networks, disseminating

pedagogical innovation. 5.85

6 Ensure the stable and sizeable budget that is required by organisations for

sustainably successful Cloud developments, with impact at system level. 5.81

6 Develop long-term strategies to develop the capacity of school leaders to

adopt and adapt new approaches to leadership (e.g. distributed leadership) in

order to envisage, support and orchestrate the use of the Cloud in education. 5.81

8 Revise performance appraisal strategies for teachers and schools to allow

more innovative Cloud-based teaching and learning to flourish. 5.79

8 Develop a well-articulated innovation agenda for the Cloud, which has both

long-term vision (ensuring policy support) and achievable short term goals for

the progressive take up of innovation. 5.79

10 Support the development of large Cloud in education teacher professional

networks (networks of networks) that offer a wide range of opportunities for

collaboration. 5.78

Table 1: The most suitable Cloud in Education policy measures

The top ten policy options highlight the importance of open content as a means for

stimulating high-quality, innovative ways of learning and teaching through Cloud-based

technologies and digital content. Policy makers should devote attention to the creation and

dissemination of good quality digital learning resources in order to increase their use by

teachers and students during lessons. Although this is largely the domain of national

governments and Ministries of Education through curricula, the European Commission

clearly has an important role to play in this, by identifying and sharing best practices and

supporting exchanges of experience and expertise between countries.

106

Ra, S., Chin, B. and Lim, C.P., 2016. A holistic approach towards Information and Communication Technology (ICT) for addressing education challenges in Asia and the Pacific. Educational Media International, 53(2), pp.69-84.

42

Survey participants recognised the necessity for systemic and transformational change and

acknowledged the role of leadership in enabling the implementation of Cloud-based

education. It is clear that European education policy should play a major role to establish

and mainstream future education visions based on Cloud use as a tool. They should also

support the leadership actions needed to bring about the necessary transformation to a

learner-centred education system, by regularly monitoring progress in Member States.

In higher education, Watson and Watson (2013)107 suggest that this sort of systemic change

is necessary as institutions come under increasing pressure to better meet the needs of

modern society. These pressures involve educating a significantly larger and more diverse

portion of the population, with less public funding, increased competition and growing

commercialization of the sector. Cloud Computing will eventually transform higher

education as more and more institutions move to online education modes in pursuit of more

student registrations and a wider range of learning interactions. They suggest the result is a

struggle between quality, more open access and business models promoting greater

efficiency and diversity.

EU Policy for educational leadership should encourage knowledge exchange on how

innovative Cloud-based practices are made possible, create organisational structures to

support and motivate teachers as leaders to participate in professional networks,

disseminating pedagogical innovation, encourage the development of a 'culture of

innovation' and develop long-term strategies to develop the capacity of education leaders to

adopt new methods of leadership that allows innovation to flourish.

Grassroots European initiatives, like the Digital leadership programme 108 should be

encouraged and supported. This approach recognises the experiences that students get

outside formal education and seeks to extend student responsibility and leadership

into roles traditionally carried out by teachers and other adults. Participating schools recruit

pupils who are given a brief to provide leadership in the use of digital technologies in their

school and wider communities. The pupil-leaders mentor teachers and support staff

development, raising teachers' awareness of potential uses of technologies in learning. This

mentoring scheme has the potential to help education organisations raise levels of

achievement, attainment, and confidence of staff in using digital technology and most

importantly growing the mentors own leadership skills.

Actions such as these can be supported by education and training programmes such as

Erasmus+ and Horizon 2020, administered by the European Commission for the period

2020-2027.

The role of empowering structures across borders was also evident, whether these would be

used to facilitate the exchange of experiences and results of innovative pilots or support

networks of innovative organisations, which might be used to benchmark and monitor

developments in different countries. EU policy actions should encourage focused support

for teachers and reinforce the integration of Cloud-based activities within in-service teacher

training provision and initial teacher education. Such capacity building actions in teachers’

107

Watson, W.R. and Watson, S.L., 2013. Exploding the ivory tower: Systemic change for higher education. TechTrends, 57(5), pp.42-46. 108

http://edfutures.net/Digital_Leaders

43

professional development will necessitate the establishment of Cloud-based activities within

learning communities and the development of future-looking networking and collaborative

approaches109.

In order to establish which types of policy actions were deemed most important, their focus

was reviewed and grouped into 9 different activity categories:

i) Innovation driven,

ii) Monitoring and standards,

iii) Building visions, leadership

iv) Systemic change, large scale,

v) Content driven,

vi) Pedagogy, learning & teaching,

vii) Networking and collaboration,

viii) Research-informed, and

ix) Change management.

Each policy option could then be classified into one or more of these categories. The

purpose was to determine whether some categories of policy action were preferred more

than others by the survey participants (Table 2).

Table 2: Policy action categories

109

Bacigalupo, M. & Cachia, R. 2011. Teacher Collaboration Networks in 2025. What is the Role of Teacher Networks for Professional Development in Europe? (Sevilla, JRC-IPTS).

category no. of

actions

mean

score

policy action example

innovation-

driven

10 5.74 Develop a well-articulated innovation agenda for the Cloud,

which has both long-term vision (ensuring policy support) and

achievable short term goals for the progressive take up of

innovation.

monitoring

and standards

6 5.65 Develop mechanisms and standards for recognising, validating,

and rewarding innovative Cloud practices (pedagogical,

organisational and/or technological).

building

visions,

leadership

7 5.71 Encourage education organisations to build on their strengths,

available resources and readiness to implement Cloud

Computing, following a step-by-step approach that could lead to

sustainable momentum.

systemic

change, large

scale

10 5.70 Encourage the scaling up of Cloud innovation at local level (e.g.

through mentoring programmes) so that it is used more broadly

in different areas of a given organisation.

content

driven

4 5.78 Promote the incorporation of Cloud-based approaches into

formal curricula

pedagogical,

learning &

teaching

4 5.85 Revise performance appraisal strategies for teachers and schools

to allow more innovative Cloud-based teaching and learning to

flourish.

networking

and

collaboration

9 5.67 Encourage collaboration and communication channels between

supra-national agencies (i.e. European Commission, OECD,

UNESCO etc.) on the Cloud in education, in order to co-

44

Content-based and pedagogical issues scored highest and research-informed approaches

and monitoring and standards were least important. However, the results show that each of

the policy categories was important and that there was very little consensus in the relative

importance between the different categories. The survey showed that there were many

different barriers to the successful implementation of Cloud Computing in education. This

implies the need for broad and balanced European policy, dealing on the one hand with

innovation and change, while addressing the issues concerning each of the different policy

categories.

develop indicators and benchmarks for the Cloud in education.

research-

informed

6 5.65 Support research-based changes in organisational structures and

routines, such as timetables and learner grouping, in order to

meet local Cloud needs (self-organisation - grass roots

innovation).

change

management

11 5.71 Encourage the development of a 'culture of innovation' at

system level, removing the fear of change and supporting

decision-makers, teachers, and other stakeholders when taking

sensible risks and trying new things.

45

For Cloud Computing to be successful in Europe, governments must ensure the needs of

education are met, without being tied in by service and equipment upgrades. Organisations

must be able to leave at any time and the freedom to use as much or as little of the available

Cloud services they want and only pay for those being used. The EC suggest this approach

will bring the latest technology and resources into the hands of organizations of all sizes, if

concerns like data protection, ownership, privacy and control are placed in the hands of

Cloud users.

The Third School on the Cloud summit concluded with a Declaration to European

Commission policy makers, calling on “A Cloud Strategy for European Education”110 that

prioritises the development of Cloud Computing in education (Annex 3).

Looking to the future, there are a wide variety of political, economic, social, technological,

legal and environmental factors that are likely to affect Cloud Computing in the education

sector over the coming years. Currently, the main EU policy drivers are economic,

predominantly relating to the workplace, the job market and citizens contribution to a stable

and successful Europe. In order to enable this, it is therefore crucial that Cloud Computing

policy addresses barriers to its implementation in education.

A number of areas of further School on the Cloud activities can be suggested:

a) An ongoing review of the take-up and uses of Cloud Computing in education

monitoring and horizon scanning.

b) An analysis of early adopters and the lessons to be learned

c) Projects to showcase examples of highly successful, innovative practice;

d) Exploring the adoption and challenges of learner-centred education

e) The feasibility of creating a leadership academy for Cloud Computing in education

f) Research how the Cloud Computing paradigm and related technologies might

significantly change teaching and

g) Investigate how Cloud Computing in education qualification and certification can

best be introduced and exploited.

110

http://media.wix.com/ugd/c335f8_47a7d778496842dca132bb0af700cd29.pdf

46

Annex 1: European Policy Recommendations

Policy Recommendation

1 Revise performance appraisal strategies for teachers and schools to allow more innovative

Cloud-based teaching and learning to flourish.

2 Develop a well-articulated innovation agenda for the Cloud which has both long-term

vision (ensuring policy support) and achievable short term goals for the progressive take up

of innovation.

3 Develop mechanisms and standards for recognising, validating, and rewarding innovative

Cloud practices (pedagogical, organisational and/or technological).

4 Encourage the scaling up of Cloud innovation at local level (e.g. through mentoring

programmes) so that it is used more broadly in different areas of a given organisation.

5 Promote the availability and use of Open Educational Resources (OER) for broadening

and updating learning content.

6 Invest in structures, such as national and/or transnational inter-linked portals, to share

Cloud opportunities, exchange knowledge and success stories.

7 Make sure that technological Cloud innovation in formal education settings is part of a

wider transformation agenda which includes pedagogical and organisational innovation.

8 Support research-based changes in organisational structures and routines, such as

timetables and learner grouping, in order to meet local Cloud needs (self-organisation -

grass roots innovation).

9 Ensure political commitment and sustained effort over time required for the use of the

Cloud to flourish in education.

10 Support knowledge exchange (e.g. participation in national/international conferences and

workshops) to further understand how innovative Cloud practices are possible.

11 Develop monitoring mechanisms to ensure that the well-being of teachers and learners,

and values like equity and inclusion are taken into account with Cloud-based education.

12 Support initiatives for the open research of benefits derived from Cloud Computing in

education.

13 Encourage the development of a 'culture of innovation' at system level, removing the fear

of change and supporting decision-makers, teachers, and other stakeholders when taking

sensible risks and trying new things.

14 Promote diversity in the use of the Cloud funding pilots in different contexts and with

diverse implementation strategies.

15 Promote the incorporation of Cloud-based approaches into formal curricula.

16 Establish subject-based Cloud in education pilots and initiatives.

17 Support the development of large Cloud in education teacher professional networks

(networks of networks) that offer a wide range of opportunities for collaboration.

18 Ensure the stable and sizeable budget that is required by organisations for sustainably

successful Cloud developments, with impact at system level.

19 Encourage collaboration and communication channels between supra-national agencies

(i.e. European Commission, OECD, UNESCO etc.) on the Cloud in education, in order to co-

develop indicators and benchmarks for the Cloud in education.

20 Engage experts for identifying common Cloud challenges and opportunities, in order to

support the exchange of effective policies and practices among European Member States.

(under the Open Method of Coordination)

47

21 Promote programmes and initiatives that develop knowledge about the Cloud and the

innovation management abilities of stakeholders (i.e. education decision-makers, school

leaders etc.).

22 Promote mixed approaches for scaling up of Cloud implementation in education, which

combines centralised top-down policies and bottom-up, self-organised practices.

23 Take the initiative (e.g. forming cross-sector Cloud working groups) to create a common

vision between stakeholders from policy, industry, research, education practice and the

wider public.

24 Encourage education organisations to build on their strengths, available resources and

readiness to implement Cloud Computing, following a step-by-step approach that could

lead to sustainable momentum.

25 Develop long-term strategies to develop the capacity of school leaders to adopt and adapt

new approaches to leadership (e.g. distributed leadership) in order to envisage, support

and orchestrate the use of the Cloud in education.

26 Create organisational structures (e.g. formal recognition and informal

reputation mechanisms, technical support, pedagogical advice, etc.) to support and

motivate teachers to participate in professional networks, disseminating

pedagogical innovation.

48

Annex 2: Policy recommendations results, ranked

rank Policy Recommendation score

1 Promote the availability and use of Open Educational Resources (OER) for

broadening and updating learning content. 6.16

2 Make sure that technological Cloud innovation in formal education settings is

part of a wider transformation agenda which includes pedagogical and

organisational innovation. 6.06

3 Encourage the development of a 'culture of innovation' at system

level, removing the fear of change and supporting decision-makers, teachers,

and other stakeholders when taking sensible risks and trying new things. 5.87

4 Invest in structures, such as national and/or transnational inter-linked portals, to

share Cloud opportunities, exchange knowledge and success stories. 5.85

4 Create organisational structures (e.g. formal recognition and informal

reputation mechanisms, technical support, pedagogical advice, etc.) to support

and motivate teachers to participate in professional networks, disseminating

pedagogical innovation. 5.85

6 Ensure the stable and sizeable budget that is required by organisations for

sustainably successful Cloud developments, with impact at system level. 5.81

6 Develop long-term strategies to develop the capacity of school leaders to

adopt and adapt new approaches to leadership (e.g. distributed leadership) in

order to envisage, support and orchestrate the use of the Cloud in education. 5.81

8 Revise performance appraisal strategies for teachers and schools to allow

more innovative Cloud-based teaching and learning to flourish. 5.79

8 Develop a well-articulated innovation agenda for the Cloud which has both long-

term vision (ensuring policy support) and achievable short term goals for the

progressive take up of innovation. 5.79

10 Support the development of large Cloud in education teacher professional

networks (networks of networks) that offer a wide range of opportunities for

collaboration. 5.78

11 Support research-based changes in organisational structures and routines,

such as timetables and learner grouping, in order to meet local Cloud needs

(self-organisation - grass roots innovation). 5.72

12 Encourage education organisations to build on their strengths, available

resources and readiness to implement Cloud Computing, following a step-by-

step approach that could lead to sustainable momentum. 5.71

13 Develop mechanisms and standards for recognising, validating, and

rewarding innovative Cloud practices (pedagogical, organisational and/or

technological). 5.69

13 Promote programmes and initiatives that develop knowledge about the Cloud

and the innovation management abilities of stakeholders (i.e. education

decision-makers, school leaders etc.). 5.69

15 Encourage the scaling up of Cloud innovation at local level (e.g. through

mentoring programmes) so that it is used more broadly in different areas of

a given organisation. 5.65

15 Develop monitoring mechanisms to ensure that the well-being of teachers

and learners, and values like equity and inclusion are taken into account with

Cloud-based education. 5.65

49

15 Promote the incorporation of Cloud-based approaches into formal curricula. 5.65

18 Establish subject-based Cloud in education pilots and initiatives. 5.62

19 Support initiatives for the open research of benefits derived from Cloud

Computing in education. 5.60

20 Promote mixed approaches for scaling up of Cloud implementation in education,

which combines centralised top-down policies and bottom-up, self-organised

practices. 5.60

21 Support knowledge exchange (e.g. participation in

national/international conferences and workshops) to further understand how

innovative Cloud practices are possible. 5.57

22 Promote diversity in the use of the Cloud funding pilots in different contexts and

with diverse implementation strategies. 5.57

23 Ensure political commitment and sustained effort over time required for the use

of the Cloud to flourish in education. 5.54

24 Take the initiative (e.g. forming cross-sector Cloud working groups) to create a

common vision between stakeholders from policy, industry, research, education

practice and the wider public. 5.50

25 Engage experts for identifying common Cloud challenges and opportunities, in

order to support the exchange of effective policies and practices among

European Member States. (under the Open Method of Coordination) 5.43

26 Encourage collaboration and communication channels between supra-

national agencies (i.e. European Commission, OECD, UNESCO etc.) on the Cloud

in education, in order to co-develop indicators and benchmarks for the Cloud in

education. 5.25

50

Annex 3: School on the Cloud Brussels Declaration

A Cloud Strategy for European Education

The Third School on the Cloud Summit held in Brussels on 18 November 2016 confirms that

Cloud Computing has created a paradigm shift in education, and calls on the European

Commission to establish a Cloud Computing Strategy for European Education, in which the

development of Cloud Computing in Education is prioritised, so that:

Access to Cloud Computing in education is considered a basic necessity for all.

Cloud computing creates a ‘connected education ecosystem’ –a 24/7/365 learning

community which involves all stakeholders.

Developments start from a clear pedagogical concept – based on 21st century skills and Cloud

literacy as part of the Skills Agenda and Key Competences.

The Cloud is used to create your own personal learning network.

Educators are prepared for different roles based on the paradigm shift.

Initiatives pay attention to quality – not abundance.

Clear European policies are developed to support innovation in Cloud-based education

European funding is made available for Cloud Computing education initiatives

An evidence-based monitoring system is established to benchmark achievements across

Europe.

In order to address this, the Third School on the Cloud Summit:

(1) Calls on the European Commission, first and foremost, to give full consideration of this

Declaration;

(2) Calls on the European Commission to take stock of the proposals and make an inventory of

issues relating to the use of Cloud Computing in Education and, if considered appropriate,

establish a European monitoring system for Cloud-based education, with suitable indicators as

has already been developed for SMEs;

(3) Invites the Education Committee of the Council of the EU to prepare related items for

discussion by EU education ministers and the European Parliament

(4) Calls on the Member States to propose and adopt, in the light of this Declaration, possible

new measures to improve access to Cloud Computing in education situations and policies that

engage all education stakeholders in its implementation;

(5) Asks the Maltese and Estonian Presidencies of the Council of the EU to transmit this

Declaration to the Committee of Education Ministers;

(6) Calls on the future Chairmanships of the Committee of Ministers to address the issues

raised.

November 18th 2016

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School on the Cloud: Deliverable D6.4b