Proposed object-based e-learning framework embracing cloud computing

E-learning is continually evolved in the adaptation of emerging technologies and pedagogies, so does the development of learning objects. Object-based learning approach has been widely adopted in e-learning.The principle concern in the conventional e-learning models is the inflexibility of the e-learning content to assist the use and management of the learning sources which are highly distributed.Rigidity of e-learning content limits its reusability and shareability.Possessing the ability to deliver strong computing power and secure data storage as services, Cloud computing is a promising computing model to promote innovative changes and add notable values to e-learning landscape.The flexibility and on-demand access to a centralized shared pool of computing resources provided by Cloud computing enables high re-usability and share-ability, hence overcomes the principle concern in e-learning due to the rigidity of e-learning content.This paper describes the design of an object-based e-learning framework embracing Cloud computing.The proposed object-based e learning framework can be used to form a new education domain that shares the Cloud characteristics of elasticity, flexibility, efficiency and reliability.Principal to the framework design is the development of Cloud-based e-learning objects where learners have the flexibility to access, personalize and deploy them in e-learning environment.Cloud-based e-learning objects are highly adaptable, reusable and easy changeable, hence allowing them to be used dynamically with greater customizability and flexibility in e-learning.Adapting Cloud computing into object-based e-learning is believed to be able to create a breakthrough in future dynamic -e-learning development

Robust Frequency Domain Equalization in Non-Gaussian Noise Environment

In this thesis,a novel frequency-domain equalizer in non-Gaussian noise environment is proposed for robust communications over wireless channels. The objective of this study is to develop a novel frequency domain equalizer in non-Gaussian noise environment for robust communications over wireless channels

Design And Evaluation Of Integrated Cloud Based E-Learning Framework

"The motivation for conducting this study is to investigate the potential of Cloud e-learning to address the high-cost and high-complexity challenges of conventional learning methods for the upgraded learning processes in higher education. The overall direction of this research is driven towards the students' acceptance of Cloud e-learning and how the actual usage of Cloud e-learning module affects students' perceptions and academic performance. A Cloud e-learning framework is designed and developed to promote optimised resource utilisation in the e-learning processes in higher education. An integrated technology acceptance model is then developed to predict the acceptance and usage of Cloud e-learning among students in higher education. A mixed method and non-probability convenient sampling were used to collect data. CFA and SEM were used to analyse the findings of this study. Pretest-posttest results and students’ academic performance were then analysed to examine the effects from the actual usage of Cloud e-learning module. Results of this study show that content quality, pedagogical quality, perceived usefulness, social influence, attainment value and utility value are important in predicting the intention to use Cloud e-learning in higher education. The findings also reveal that the change of students’ perceptions is time variant, indicating students’ mixed perceptions on the intention to use Cloud e-learning module. Students’ performance analysis evidently reveals that the use of Cloud e-learning improved students’ learning performance in subjects that involve understanding of concepts.

The Effects of Content Design and Usability on Acceptance of Proposed Cloud-based e-Learning Framework

In this digital age where state-of-the-art technologies are evolving swiftly, innovative learning pedagogies have to be accelerated to empower more effective knowledge transfer and engage in lifelong learning. The conventional e-learning approaches have become insufficient to handle the requirements of upgraded learning processes especially in the higher education. The emergence of Cloud computing delivers a significant breakthrough and has gained considerable acceptance in e-learning field. However, despite the readiness of Cloud infrastructures for collaboration and wide accessibility such as Web 2.0 tools, the progress of redefining learning objects to suit e-learning in Cloud environment is not so encouraging. So far, there has been rather little activity being carried out to ensure that e-learning applications are being designed in such a way that promote flexibility use of the learning content. With the availability of Internet and Cloud computing, an e-learning framework utilizing Cloud technology is envisioned. This paper describes a study on the effects of content design and usability on the acceptance of proposed Cloud-based e-learning framework. The study was conducted on a group of 350 IT undergraduates in one of the private universities in Malaysia to evaluate the acceptance of the proposed frameworks. The students were given one trimester to experience the usability of the learning modules developed based on the proposed Cloud-based e-learning framework. As an instrument to analyse the effects of content design and usability on the framework acceptance, a questionnaire consisting twenty four questions was devised and used. There are two independent variables, namely Content Design (CD) and Usability (U), and one dependent variable, namely Acceptance (A), in the research instrument. The results were analysed and reported by running the data in a few statistical tests using SMARTPLS 3.0. The results from this study observed that Cloud-based e-learning modules developed based on the proposed Cloud learning framework is positively accepted by IT undergraduates in the private university. This implies that the proposed Cloud-based e-learning framework can be engaged in the development of a new e-learning infrastructure or application in the future

An Empirical Study of Students' Intention to Use Cloud E-Learning in Higher Education

Technological progress has resulted in constant change of social structures and led to continuous evolution of attitudes and values. Thus, a timely and compre-hensive integrated technology acceptance framework was established, and factors predicting intention to use Cloud e-learning were empirically identified. A total of 11 determinants from varying sources of IS success, learning object criteria, technology acceptance, motivations, social cognitive, and expectancy values were unified and analysed in an integrated manner. The target population for this study was a group of IT students in a private university in southern region Malaysia. The results obtained from this study observed that content quality, pedagogical quality, perceived usefulness, social influence, attainment value, and utility value significantly predict intention to use Cloud e-learning. By integrating IS success, learning object criteria, technology acceptance, motivations, social cognitive, and expectancy values into a single framework, new insights on Cloud e-learning ac-ceptance in higher education can be attained

An Empirical Study of Students' Intention to Use Cloud E-Learning in Higher Education

Technological progress has resulted in constant change of social structures and led to continuous evolution of attitudes and values. Thus, a timely and compre-hensive integrated technology acceptance framework was established, and factors predicting intention to use Cloud e-learning were empirically identified. A total of 11 determinants from varying sources of IS success, learning object criteria, technology acceptance, motivations, social cognitive, and expectancy values were unified and analysed in an integrated manner. The target population for this study was a group of IT students in a private university in southern region Malaysia. The results obtained from this study observed that content quality, pedagogical quality, perceived usefulness, social influence, attainment value, and utility value significantly predict intention to use Cloud e-learning. By integrating IS success, learning object criteria, technology acceptance, motivations, social cognitive, and expectancy values into a single framework, new insights on Cloud e-learning ac-ceptance in higher education can be attained

Robust adaptive frequency-domain equalization for DS-CDMA in non-Gaussian noise channels

Adopting frequency-domain equalization (FDE) in DS-CDMA can partially restore the orthogonality of users and suppress multiple-access interference (MAI). The existing FDEs are designed with the assumption of additive white Gaussian noise. Although the assumption is quite proper for a variety of applications, it has been revealed that many background noises arising in the reality are with non-Gaussian statistics. In this paper, we show that the Gaussian-based FDEs fare poorly in non-Gaussian noise environment. To achieve reliable data transmission in frequency-selective multiple-access channel with unknown non-Gaussian noise, we propose a robust adaptive FDE which consists of a nonlinear preprocessing front-end followed by a linear adaptive FDE. The nonlinear front-end adapts itself to the unknown non-Gaussian noise to suppress the impulses while the FDE effectively removes the MAI. Results from the simulation reveal that the proposed robust FDE is able to perform successfully in both Gaussian and non-Gaussian noise environments

Designing an object-based lesson model based on a proposed cloud e-learning framework

E-learning is persistently evolved in the adaptation of emerging technologies and pedagogies. The advancement and emergence of new technologies also empower continuous development of learning objects. Object-based learning approach has been widely adopted in e-learning. However, conventional object-based e-learning approach is insufficient to deliver the needs of upgraded learning processes especially in the higher education. The challenge of dealing with dynamic concurrency demands and rapid storage growth requirement especially in multimedia elements limits the flexibility and shareability of the e-learning content. The flexibility and on-demand access to a centralized shared pool of computing resources provided by Cloud computing enables high reusability and shareability, hence overcomes the issue in e-learning due to the rigidity of conventional object-based e-learning content. This paper describes a study on the design of an objectbased lesson model based on a proposed Cloud e-learning framework. The proposed Cloud-based e-learning framework adopts the strengths of the current state of the art of Cloud learning frameworks. Principal to the design of the object-based lesson model is the development of Cloud-based e-learning objects where learners have the flexibility to access, personalize and deploy them in e-learning environment. With the availability of smart mobile technology and Web 2.0 tools, a new form of object-based e-learning utilizing Cloud technology is envisioned. Essential components such as Cloud-based e-learning object instructional properties and design principles are discussed. Cloud based e-learning objects being highly reusable and dynamically flexible, can be deemed as a new approach for knowledge aggregation

Self-Perceived Entrepreneurship Skills for Undergraduates of Private University in Malaysia

This study was conducted on a random group of undergraduates in one of the private university in Malaysia to assess the self-perceived entrepreneurial skills of the undergraduates. As there was no standard instrument for this purpose, a simple questionnaire consisting of twelve questions was devised and used. The results were analyzed and reported by running the data in a few common statistical tests including the one-sample t-test, independent samples t-test and the one-way ANOVA. The perceived entrepreneurial skills were compared among the academic age groups and between genders. The study concluded that students in the private university are moderately confident that they are equipped with entrepreneurial skills to face the challenges upon graduation and in life. There were observable effect of the university endeavor in instilling entrepreneurial skills among its students specifically in term of the students' perception of themselves equipped with these entrepreneurial skills. Students were also found to be more confident that they were having more entrepreneurial skills as they mature through the academic years. Males were found to be more entrepreneurial compared to females. Future works along the line include expanding the survey to more samples from other universities and longitudinal study after graduation

Usability of RPG-based Learning Framework

The study assessed the usability of the Role-Playing Game-based Learning Framework (RPG LF) using the System Usability Scale (SUS). The test was conducted on a group of 35 undergraduates who played the sample implementation of the RPG LF. The study concluded with the respondents giving positive feedback on the use of the RPG LF for learning. Detailed probing into gender comparison and academic age group comparison revealed more details about the usability of RPG LF. There was not much difference between the sexes. Younger academic age group demonstrated more uncertainty compared to their seniors in terms of the usability of RPG LF. The study also factorized the original SUS data into 8-question Usability scale and 2-question Learnability scale, respectively. The findings were in line with the findings by other researchers that the 8-question Usability scale is a good substitute for the original 10-question SUS and is a better candidate in comparison to the 2-question Learnability scale. The study concluded that the RPG LF is a good framework to implement game into enhancing learning experience and suggested for longitudinal study to be conducted to assess the effectiveness of RPG LF