Title: 'Classroom in the cloud': from virtual to social collaborative learning

Authors: Jamie E. Smith; Chris Davies; Chris Evans

Addresses: Birmingham Metropolitan College, Sutton Coldfield Campus, Lichfield Road, Sutton Coldfield, B74 2NW, England, UK ' Birmingham Metropolitan College, Sutton Coldfield Campus, Lichfield Road, Sutton Coldfield, B74 2NW, England, UK ' Birmingham Metropolitan College, Sutton Coldfield Campus, Lichfield Road, Sutton Coldfield, B74 2NW, England, UK

Abstract: Electronic learning is growing at an unprecedented rate requiring new approaches to the delivery of technology enabled learning. Global education leaders are facing increasingly diverse learners who expect to learn in a way, time and place that suits them and on a device of their choosing. To meet these challenges, Birmingham Metropolitan College (BMet) joined with global technology leader IBM to create a unique learning experience titled 'Classroom in the cloud'. Using IBM Smart Cloud technology and founded on an ambition to move from virtual learning environments to social collaborative learning spaces that create an eco-system, throughout 2012 BMet has been implementing this vision as it explores the possibilities for the reinvention of learning. This paper revises and expands where appropriate the paper entitled 'Classroom in the cloud' presented at the 1st International IBM Cloud Academy Conference (ICA CON 2012) on Thursday 19th April 2012 in North Carolina, USA.

Keywords: cloud computing; classroom in the cloud; IBM Smart Cloud; Birmingham Metropolitan College; BMet; technology enabled learning; e-learning; electronic learning; online learning; virtual learning; social collaborative learning; social learning; UK; United Kingdom; further education.

DOI: 10.1504/IJCC.2013.055271

International Journal of Cloud Computing, 2013 Vol.2 No.2/3, pp.273 - 287

Published online: 28 Feb 2014 *

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