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Research Article
Mobile Cloud Application Design Process Model for Education Paduri Veerabhadram*, D. de Beer, P. Conradie Vaal Un iversity of Technology South Africa
Abstract The mobile cloud computing has significant scope to change the education system. In this paper, cloud computing is introduced as a new rapidly growing approach in providing better and efficient educational application for mobile device. In this paper we explore how to develop cloud computing application data storage, and this technology can impact in education. Cloud computing is emerging as one of the most important enabling technologies for providing seamless background support to mobile applications. This paper provides a framework
for the delivering of data storage and processing services on a cloud computing platform. We believe cloud computing will have and will impact the current education system, and improve the quality and affordable. This paper presents the positive impact of using a mobile cloud application design process model architecture, for the education sector. ent in future.
*Correspondence Paduri Veerabhadram
[email protected]
Keywords: Cloud Computing, Mobile Learning, Electronic Learning, Mobile Cloud Application Design Process Model Architecture.
1. Introduction The Mobile Cloud Computing (MCC) Forum [1] defines mobile cloud computing as “an infrastructure where both data storage and data processing happen outside of the mobile device”. Mobile cloud applications thus move the computing power and data storage away from mobile phones and into the cloud. This enables mobile computing not only for smart phone users, but a much broader range of mobile subscribers. MCC is a new paradigm for mobile applications, whereby most of the processing and data storage associated with the applications is moved off the mobile device to powerful, centralized computing platforms located in the cloud. These centralized applications are then be accessed over the Internet, using either a thin native client or web browser on the device. However, this model for MCC still does not fully leverage the powerful communications, context and commercialization capabilities of the mobile network itself. MCC builds on the principles of cloud computing, bringing attributes such as on demand access and Everything as a Service (XaaS) to the mobile domain, adding Network as a Service (NaaS) and Payment as a Service (PaaS) to the demand capabilities. This allows applications to leverage the
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full power of mobile networking and billing without the need for specialist application servers. The phrase “Mobile Cloud Computing” was introduced after the concept of “Cloud Computing” (CC) was defined in 2007. It has been attracting the attention of entrepreneurs as a profitable business option, that reduces the development and running cost of mobile applications [2]. In this paper, we highlight the theoretical background of mobile computing in section 2. In section 3 we present scenarios for existing systems, then in section 4, we outline MCC. In section 5, the proposed mobile cloud application design process architecture is discussed, followed by the methodology, discussion, result, and finally the conclusion.
2. Background Mobile cloud computing can divided into cloud computing and mobile computing. Mobile devices can be laptops, Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs), smart phones, which connect with a hotspot or base station utilizing 3G, WIFI, or GPRS. Since the computing and major data processing phases have been migrated to cloud, the capability requirement of mobile devices is reduced. This enables low-cost mobile devices to participate in complex information system processing, normally only possible with highly powerful
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information technology platforms. Although the client in mobile cloud computing is changing from Personal Computers (PCs) to mobile devices, the main concept is still cloud computing. Mobile users send service requests to the cloud through a web browser or desktop application. Then the management component of cloud allocates the required resources. Nowadays, mobile devices are extremely powerful, for example the iPhone 4S/5 and Samsung S3/S4, going far beyond the traditional mobile phone capabilities of conversation, SMS, Email and website browser. These capabilities include various sensing modules like navigation, optics, gravity, orientation, which brings a convenient and intelligent mobile experience to users. In 2010, Google CEO Eric Schmidt, describing mobile cloud computing in an interview, stated that “mobile phones will become increasingly complicated, and evolve to a portable super computer” [3]. In the face of various mobile cloud services provided by Microsoft, Apple, and Google, users may be confused about what mobile cloud computing exactly is, and what its features are.
3. Present Scenario for Existing Systems 3.1. Mobile-Learning Mobile learning (m-learning) is a pedagogy where mobile devices are used for educational purposes. The main objective of mobile learning is that the students can get knowledge from a centralized server to share or store data resources at any time and any place. Mobile cloud computing allows one to learn through multiple online sources, on a wide range of topics, utilizing a mobile device [4]. Examples of sources include text, audio, and video. Two main types of mobile learning functionalities can be identified. 3.1.2 Mobile Learning Functionality i). Cloud Model In the cloud model (depicted in Figure 1) the user access the cloud using his/her credentials, thereby allowing the sharing of resources for authenticated users. ii). Client Model: The client model (Figure 1) highlights the fact that the user has to download applications and install software on his or her mobile device. The user has to access resources utilizing GPRS, Bluetooth or WI-FI, connecting to the cloud network. In this paper, we will further explore the process flow of mobile learning, and applied this scenario to future mobile cloud trends.
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Figure 1 The Process flow of Mobile-Learning Cloud Model [4] The process of mobile learning is depicted in Figure 2. Consisting of six steps, it is divided into data storage, memory management, process layer, network access, firewall, and security. Data storage is used for storing huge amounts of data, which is coming from cloud to mobile subscribers. The process layer is again interacting with the security, firewall and memory management. Memory management are responsible for organizing and managing data, originating from the cloud. 3.1.3 Mobile-Learning Client Model As shown in Figure 3, mobile users retrieve data either in the form of text, video or voice, hosted on cloud centers. The subscribers select which they want to download from the data centers with the help of self-assistance, storing the data on mobile databases. This allows mobile cloud computing application to play a vital role in storing and sharing of education related material. Mobile cloud computing applications, utilizing the six steps depicted in Figure 2, can therefore greatly enhance the availability and functionality of educational electronic resources.
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Data Storage
Memory Management
Network Access
Firewall
Process Layer
Security
Figure 2 The Process flow of Mobile-Learning Cloud Model [4]
Data from Cloud
Select a Topic
Store
Learning Materials in Text/Images
Self Assistance
Figure 3 The Process flow of Mobile-Learning Client Model [4]
Mobile cloud computing application helps to increase the storage space in the cloud. There are more applications for teaching and learning as opposed to single platform, independent tools and scalable data storage [4]. Mobile cloud computing application design models assist, by offering high quality class education at an affordable price. Mobile cloud based resources are also available at low cost and even in some instances, free of cost. Mobile cloud applications, therefore, offers a cost effective solution to the problem of how to provide better services and data storage security. For example, with previous desktop computing, when a hard disk crash, all or most of data
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would be lost. However, if data is stored in the cloud, crashing of the local devices will not impact on the availability of data stored in the cloud. Cloud computing therefore offers the optimal data storage solution [5].
4. Mobile Cloud Computing Briefly, MCC provides mobile users with the data processing and storage services. The mobile devices do not need a powerful configuration (e.g., CPU speed and memory capacity) since all the complicated computing modules can be processed in the
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cloud.From the concept of MCC, the general architecture of MCC are depicted in Figure 4.
Figure 4 Mobile Cloud Computing Architecture [5]
Mobile devices are connected to mobile networks via base stations (e.g. Base Transceiver Stations (BTS), access points, or satellites) that establish and control the connections and functional interfaces between the networks and mobile devices. Mobile users‟ requests and information (e.g. identification and location) are transmitted to central processors that are connected to servers, providing mobile network services. Here, mobile network operators can provide services to mobile users, based on Home Agents (HA) and subscribers‟ data stored in databases. Subscribers‟ requests are then delivered through the cloud. In the cloud, cloud controllers process the requests to provide mobile users with the corresponding cloud services. These services are developed utilizing the concepts of “utility” computing, virtualization, and Service-Oriented Architecture (SOA). The details of cloud architecture
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could be different in different contexts. For example, four-layer architecture is explained in [7] to compare cloud computing with grid computing. Alternatively, a SOA, called Aneka, can be used to enable developers to build .NET applications with the supports of Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) and multiple programming models. [8] and [9] presents an architecture for creating market-oriented clouds, and [10] proposes an architecture for web delivered business services. In this paper, we focus on a layered architecture of cloud computing as depicted in Figure 4. This architecture is commonly used to demonstrate the effectiveness of the cloud computing model in terms of meeting user‟s requirements [11].
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Acta Engineering The details of cloud architecture could be different in different contextualization. Generally, cloud computing is a large-scale distributed network system implemented based on a number of servers in data centers. The cloud services are generally classified based on a layer concept, represented in Figure 5. In the upper layers of this paradigm, Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), Platform as a Service (PaaS), and Software as a Service (SaaS) are stacked. Data centres layer: This layer provides the hardware facility and infrastructure for cloud computing. In the data centre layer, a number of servers are linked with high-speed networks to provide services for customers. Typically, data centres are built in less populated places, with a high power supply stability and a low risk of disaster. Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS): IaaS is built on top of the data centre layer. IaaS enables the provision of storage, hardware, server and networking components. The client (user) typically pays on a per-use basis. Thus, clients can save cost as the payment is only based on how much resource they use. Infrastructure can be expanded or shrunk dynamically as needed. Examples of IaaS include Amazon EC2 (Elastic Cloud Computing) and S3 (Simple Storage Service). Platform as a Service (PaaS): PaaS offers an advanced integrated environment for building, testing and deploying custom applications. Examples of PaaS include the Google App Engine, Microsoft Azure, and Amazon Map Reduce/Simple Storage Service. Software as a Service (SaaS): SaaS supports software distribution with specific requirements. In this layer, the users can access an application and information remotely via the Internet, and pay only for what they use. Sales force is one of the pioneers in providing this service model. Microsoft‟s Live Mesh also allows sharing files and folders across multiple devices simultaneously. Although a cloud computing architecture can be divided into four layers as shown in Figure 4, it does not mean that the top layer must be built on the layer directly below it. For example, the SaaS application can be deployed directly on IaaS, instead of PaaS. Also, some services can be considered as a part of more than one layer. For example, data storage service can be viewed as either in IaaS or PaaS. Given this architectural model, the users can use the services flexibly and efficiently. 4.2 Cloud based m-learning Mobile learning is designed based on two main concepts, namely electronic learning (e-learning) and mobility. However, traditional m-learning
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Aufau Periodicals applications have limitations in terms of high costs, not only regarding devices but also network related. Furthermore, low network transmission rate and limited educational resources also contribute to reduced educational usability [12],[13],[14]. Cloudbased m-learning applications can be introduced to address these limitations. For example, utilizing a cloud-based application with large “cloud-based” storage capacity and powerful “cloud-based” processing ability will proved a much richer service to students [15]. In effect, major benefits can be obtain by combining m-learning and cloud computing. In this study, smartphone software based on the open source JavaME UI framework and Jaber for clients was utilized. Through a web site built on Google Apps Engine, students communicate with their teachers. Also, teachers were able to obtain information related to student‟s knowledge level in a timely manner. In addition, a contextual m-learning system based on IMERA platform [16] shows that a cloud-based m-learning system helps learners access learning resources remotely.
5. The Proposed Mobile Cloud Application Design Process and Architecture In this paper, we further highlight advantages offered by the mobile cloud computing application design process in education. These include: Low-cost Performance Reduce software cost New version software updates Universal data access Device independent Open source platform The goal of the MCC architecture is to provide a proxy for mobile clients connecting to cloud services. Figure 6 shows an overview of the MCC and its main features. The architecture consists of three parts, the mobile clients, the middleware and cloud services. Since cloud services are usually controlled by service providers, the middleware performs all the necessary adaptation for mobile clients. Some services require real-time updates, for example, news, Blogs, and Twitter services. The middleware also pushes updates of service results to mobile clients via HTTP, immediately after receiving updates. The purpose of the deployment of these applications is to assists students to enhance their understanding regarding the design of appropriate mobile cloud computing applications. In [17], an education tool is developed based on cloud computing, thereby create a course on image and video processing. Through mobile phones, learners can understand and compare different algorithms used in mobile applications (e.g. de-blurring, de-noising, face detection, and image enhancement).
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Software as a Service (SaaS) Platform as a Service (PaaS) Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) Data centers
Figure 5 Service-oriented cloud computing architecture
Figure 6 Mobile Cloud Applications Design Architecture
Table 1 Mobile cloud application computing design application tools S.No
Question
Agree
Disagree
Strongly Agree
Strongly Disagree
1
Mobile cloud computing design application is useful for education. Mobile cloud application platform is it significant enhancing learning tool for education. MCC is effective revolution for higher education Mobile cloud application tool platform is effective in academic with Social networking. Do you believe mobile cloud application platform is the future Do you believe mobile cloud technology change the HE Landscape.
60%
20%
50%
40%
60%
45%
50%
45%
75%
50%
47%
48%
82%
50%
52%
46%
84%
50%
55%
46%
85%
52%
64%
47%
2 3 4 5 6
Table 2 Mobile cloud application computing design application tools Question 1 2 3 4 5 6
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Agree
Disagree
60% 60% 75% 82% 84% 85%
20% 45% 50% 50% 50% 52%
Strongly Agree 50% 50% 47% 52% 55% 64%
Strongly Disagree 40% 45% 48% 46% 46% 47%
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Figure 7 Mobile Cloud Learning Environment Software Tool applications using for universities in class room
6. Research Design A quantitative research approach was applied, measuring lecturer and student attitude towards mobile learning, specifically related to the mobile cloud application design process model for education with mobile device. Additionally, the research problem identified factors that influence outcomes, the impact of an intervention, or to understand the best predictors of outcomes. Implemented as a survey, six questions were utilized to measure student perceptions (refer Table 1, Table 2 and Figure 7).
read documents, look at video tutorials and listen to lectures or seminars. Mobile cloud computing application design models assists in the development of high quality education applications at affordable price. Mobile cloud based application can assists students and lecturer on a relative low pricing model, especially if WIFI networks are utilize at institutions. These WIFI networks are normally provided free of cost, unlike 3G and GRPS based networks.
8. Future Conclusion 7. Discussion and Result Present literature was explored to identify existing mobile cloud application design process models based on cloud computing theory and mobile cloud computing, either adopted by learning theorists or by the educational technologist [18]. The process of designing and evaluating of mobile learning systems revealed that mobile cloud application design process models and cloud communication are important. It is, however, realized that this design model process cannot be utilized in all types of the mobile learning systems. In general, mobile cloud application design process model learning systems are usable for those students and staff who are on the move most of the time. In this design model process, all students and lecturers have an equal opportunity to have access to the course material and recourses, Text based documents, audio and video files are buffered from the cloud to mobile users. This will allow users to
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In the study, we outline a possible architecture for the implementation of m-learning utilizing the cloud. Employing a survey, we explore attitudes towards cloud computing. Results indicate a positive attitude, with most respondents considering MCC as a solution high cost and accessibility constraints in higher education. As such, cloud computing has the significant scope to change the education system. In present scenario e-learning are becoming increasingly popular. Cloud computing will surely help in the development of the education resources offered to poor people, which will increase the availability of education to them. Cloud based education will help students, staff, trainers, and institutions, improving communication and interaction. Even governments can take initiatives to implement MCC systems in schools and colleges, improving the accessibility to educational resources. Mobile cloud computing is one of mobile technologies for future, since it combines the advantages of both mobile computing and cloud
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computing, thereby providing optimal services for mobile users. [12]
Acknowledge ment The authors wish to thank, Ms. Edith Terblanche and Mr. Roger Baxter.
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