Mobile Cloud Computing Based Technologies for Enhancing E-learning Content Delivery and Sharing in Higher Learning Institutions in Tanzania using Learner-Centered Approach

Electronic learning (E-learning) in Higher Learning Institutions (HLIs) offers a cost-effective teaching and learning that support social interactivity, flexibility, context sensitivity, and active participation of learners in learning activities. The objective of this study was to investigate the challenges facing the traditional E-learning tools and leverage the advanced capacity of Mobile Cloud Computing (MCC) to enhance E-learning service delivery and sharing of learning resources focusing in learner-centered approach. Also, the evolvement of mobile computing devices such as smartphones, Personal Digital Assistance (PDA), and laptops owned by learners bring prospects in overcoming the inherent challenges facing HLIs in developing countries such as shortage of computer laboratories and network resources.Consequently, this study proposes MCC-based E-learning content delivery and sharing to augment higher learning institutions with limited resource setting in developing countries. The main benefits of MCC-based E-learning include, first, augment traditional LMS by provisioning abundant processing capacity and storage in the cloud that guarantee unlimited learning materials available for learners and instructors; Second, improves performance in local Learning Management System (LMS) servers by outsourcing execution and storage into the cloud especially when resource-intensive E-learning contents such as games, Virtual Reality (VR), and video streaming are used for learning; third, supports multi-platforms to execute the workload of various E-learning applications in the cloud which is potential for E-learning resource sharing; and fourth, guarantee cost-effective E-learning content delivery and sharing. Keywords: Mobile cloud computing, E-learning, content delivery, Learner-centered learning DOI: 10.7176/JIEA/13-2-03 Publication date:March 31st 202

Synchronization and Caching Solution for Cost-Effective E-Learning in Resource and Bandwidth Constrained Environments

Electronic learning (e-learning) content delivery and accessibility have received significant research attention over years in order to ensure reliability, availability and cost-effectiveness through Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs).The evolvement of mobile computing devices especially smartphones bring prospects in overcoming the inherent limitations of the Internet when accessing web contents.  Among the potential opportunity revealed includes the ability to work offline. Therefore, this study aims to analyze the existing online and offline e-learning systems in order to explore the uniqueness, technical problems and opportunities in this field. In the same vein, this study proposed synchronization and caching approach for cost-effective e-learning content delivery. The proposed approach synchronizes contents from the original server to local database in mobile computing devices in order to deliver contents to learners in a reliable, cost-effective and timely manner. Finally, comparing existing web-based learning system and the proposed approach, the analyzed results provide empirical evidence that, the proposed approach is significant for bandwidth usage cost saving and hence cost-effectiveness due to ability of working offline. Therefore, synchronization and caching approach cut down several limitations in existing e-learning systems including:  reduction of cost of bandwidth usage; improving system performance by cutting down the servers’ workload and internet usage overheads; cutting down costs of purchasing hardware and increasing motivation in learning activities by allowing learners to access learning contents anywhere and anytime. Keywords: synchronization and caching, e-learning, cost-effectiveness, content delivery, offline