Higher education institutes constantly seek innovative ways to enhance learning experiences in today’s fast-evolving digital landscape. Traditional classrooms, while foundational, are increasingly supplemented by advanced educational technologies. Among these, CloudLabs in education has emerged as a revolutionary platform, transforming how educators and learners interact with academic content. Our cloud-based virtual labs for higher education are feature-loaded, fully managed, and ready to scale, empowering learners and instructors with hands-on learning experiences flexibly and cost-effectively.
The CloudLabs Advantage
CloudLabs, with its advanced lab technology, reinvents how learning experiences are delivered. Colleges and higher education institutions get to integrate hands-on, technology-driven learning into their curricula through instructor-led and self-paced labs. Our modern, cloud-based lab environments are fully managed and ready to deploy, backed by automation at scale, ensuring efficient and practical learning experiences.
Hosted securely on AWS, Azure, and GCP, these labs are directly available online, with zero software installation requirement. Additionally, inbuilt administrative controls and real-time in-mail notifications ensure complete controls and cost-effectiveness for educational institutions of all sizes. Continue reading the blog to get a comprehensive overview of all the exclusive advantages CloudLabs provides.
- Industry Acclaimed
CloudLabs for universities and other higher education institutes has become a trusted solution offering fully managed labs to curate comprehensive course curricula based on AI, Machine Learning, cybersecurity, Microsoft official courses, and more. Our ready-to-deploy labs are easy to scale and backed by automation, making learning a seamless task for educators and learners. From Seneca Polytechnic and Queen’s University to the University of Florida, Austin Community College, and Wayne Community College, everyone trusts CloudLabs.
- Cost Efficiency
CloudLabs follows a fixed billing system for each purchased lab. No hidden or extra charges! Most importantly, in-lab, advanced controls help closely monitor resource consumption. Admins are notified occasionally and can start, pause, or resume VM usage per lab. Also, pre-configured credit allocations make it easy for the admins to continue with other vital tasks without manually configuring each lab proposition.
- Enhanced Cybersecurity and Data Protection
Remote learning solutions are the next big thing! However, data theft and cybersecurity breaches are common concerns for learners, making it difficult for educational institutes to continue with cloud solution providers that will assure complete security and exclusive data protection. Our privacy policy is dynamic and reviewed periodically to adapt to the changing needs of the tech environment without compromising the core principles of data privacy. The labs are securely built on the cloud and compliant with industry-affluent security policies – CCPA, COPA, GDPR, and more.
- Compatible with Specialized Learning Environments
Designed for various educational and training scenarios—from hackathons to software training with GPU requirements— our labs ensure efficient and effective learning environments. Moreover, seamless integration with various LMS systems like Moodle and Canvas over LTI 1.1 and 1.2 enables effective communication between the labs portal and these platforms. Also, our labs are ready-to-use labs hosted over Azure, AWS, and GCP cloud, backed by seamless integration with M365, Power Platform, MS Teams, Jupyter, VS Code, and IDE environments.
- Dedicated Support
Digital transformation in education is at its peak, with the number of online learners expected to grow to nearly 60 million people in the near future. With so many talented minds switching to online learning, queries are bound to rise, leading to universities and educational institutions facing a tough time with manual management. However, once switched to CloudLabs, it all turns out to be a walk backed by experienced professionals offering dedicated support with lab-related technicalities.
Case Studies: Real-World Impact of CloudLabs
Case Study 1: Wayne Community College Delivered an Impactful Learning Experience in Artificial Intelligence with the help of CloudLabs’ AI-900 Labs
Wayne Community College, located in Goldsboro, North Carolina, is a public community college offering 70+ credit programs. Annually, it serves 14,000+ curriculums, including Cybersecurity, IT Business support, Artificial Intelligence, and many more Cloud Technology programs. Among the various challenges faced by Wayne Community College, as part of their CSC 215 – Machine Learning II program, they wanted to teach students to use Azure ML services and take the AI-900 exam to get certified. Wayne Community College adopted CloudLabs for their CSC 215 – Machine Learning program, utilizing cloud-hosted simulated environments to streamline training.
By collaborating with CloudLabs, Wayne Community College was able to experience a heap of benefits, which are listed below:
- CloudLabs offered pre-built AI-900 labs with 17 modules per user, including detailed guides and practice tests, requiring no additional setup.
- Students could access labs over a shared URL, ensuring seamless scalability and minimal troubleshooting.
- As a Microsoft Authorized Lab Hoster, CloudLabs provided all necessary resources within a fixed budget, eliminating concerns related to cloud credits and other hidden charges
- The platform also provided step-by-step lab guides with an inbuilt validation feature to ensure accurate task completion and seamless identification of the areas for improvement.
Case Study 2: The University of Florida successfully built an AI Curriculum for K-12 Schools with the help of the CloudLabs Platform
The University of Florida (UF), a top-ranked institution with 16 academic colleges and over 150 research centers, was at the forefront of introducing AI education at the school level. Partnering with the Florida Department of Education, UF launched the AI Foundations program and formulated criteria for four courses in alignment with Florida’s AI teaching standards for state certification: AI in the World, Applications of AI, Procedural Programming for AI, and Machine Learning for AI. CloudLabs turned out to be the perfect solution for the university in developing courses for K-12. Ended up offering 52 AI-900 labs for classroom training over 35 days.
Key highlights of the partnership
- Students accessed meticulously created AI-based lab environments backed by detailed lab guides.
- Also, CloudLabs’ introduction of AI at school levels enhanced certification rates.
- CloudLabs auto gradation facilities backed by the lab validation feature eliminated manual tasks for educators, allowing them to prioritize training as their central focus.
- Active compliance with international data privacy laws – COPPA and FERPA, made CloudLabs a top choice for Florida district schools.
Wrapping Up
CloudLabs enables colleges and higher education institutions to integrate hands-on, technology-driven learning into their curricula through instructor-led and self-paced labs. Our advanced, cloud-based lab environments are designed for seamless deployment, ensuring an efficient and market-relevant learning experience.
Hosted securely on AWS, Azure, and GCP cloud, these labs are easy to scale, providing dedicated access to educators and students, part of globally acclaimed institutions of all sizes. Further, with flexible customization options, zero software download requirements, and modular cost controls, CloudLabs delivers an accessible, scalable, and hassle-free learning solution that is easy to adopt and retain.
Amit Malik is the COO at Spektra Systems, known for his expertise in Microsoft Cloud and digital transformation. He drives strategic planning and operational initiatives, reshaping the cloud landscape to deliver superior business outcomes. He is a recognized thought leader and speaker on Cloud, AI, and IoT, and holds a position among the Leaders Excellence at Harvard Square.
