Integrating Cloud Based Learning Management Systems in Higher Education: Implications for Educational Management

Abstract

In today’s digital age, demands for cloud computing are exponentially rising within practically all sectors globally. The adoption of this novel computing technology is foreseen to cut down on the expenses ICT related solutions, services and infrastructures. Cloud computing has various implications for the educational sector, including teaching and learning practices. It is swiftly becoming an integral part of the global higher educational system, steered by the Education 5.0 demands. Cloud based learning management systems allow for a swifter configuration of ICT infrastructure, intra-institutional connections that are safer as well as quicker deployment of online processes. They facilitate rich and diverse opportunities for knowledge sharing among students and lecturers by means of e-portals and sophisticated learning tools. Besides enhancing the teaching quality, these systems are also capable of drastically reducing the overheads associated with instructive education. It is also anticipated that these systems will enhance the globalization of education or research projects much more efficiently and cost-effectively. Although the potential for cloud based learning systems is increasingly being recognized, it is still in its infancy withing the contexts of Malaysian higher education. There is a pressing need to address various different issues before the successful implementation of this technology within the nation’s higher education system. This conceptual paper focuses on the integration of cloud based learning management systems within Malaysian higher education and the implication of this within the contexts of educational management.