Abstract
The key determinants of cloud computing provide a convincing argument for HEIs and its stakeholders to adopt the innovation. These benefits reflect the essential quality characteristics of the cloud, such as Broad network Access; Measured Service; On-demand Self-Service; Rapid Elasticity; and Resource Pooling. However, there are also risks associated with the cloud, leading to non-adoption, such as Confidence, Privacy, Security, Surety and Trust. Understanding the impact of these factors can support multiple stakeholders, such as students, lecturers, senior managers and admins in their adoptive decision of CC in their respected institutions. Using the Multiview 3 (MV3) methodology, a research model was proposed to explore the key qualities and risks that determine the adoption or non-adoption of CC by UK HEIs from multiple perspectives. An exploratory qualitative study was conducted on 32 University stakeholders across 2 UK Universities. The findings suggest that security, privacy and trust are the key determinants to non-adoption as participants felt that the cloud cannot fully guarantee the safeguarding of sensitive information. Determinants to cloud adoption include improving relationships between students and teachers via collaborative tools, in addition to proposing cloud apps for mobile devices for accessing virtual learning materials and email securely off-campus. In conclusion, University stakeholders are still at a cross-road when it comes to cloud adoption, but future advances of the cloud may help to steer their decision to adopt this innovative technology given its overwhelming potential.
Highlights
There was a total of 18 University stakeholders who were interviewed, namely University students, lecturers, senior managers and admins, across two UK Universities situated in North-West England in order to determine the quality and risk factors which influence adoption and non-adoption of cloud computing (CC) from multiple perspectives
This study is the first to explore the determinants of CC adoption by Higher education institutions (HEIs) in terms of quality and risk factors from multiple perspectives
The key quality factors reflected the essential characteristics of the cloud, such as Broad network Access, Measured Service, On-demand Self-Service, Rapid Elasticity, and Resource Pooling
Summary
Cloud computing (CC) has become a major player in education [1]. CC via novel computing paradigms enables students, teachers and admins, among other stakeholders at Universities to access a host of cloud services. These computing paradigms are Software as a Service (SaaS), Platform as a Service (PaaS) and Infrastructure as a service (IaaS) (see Sultan [1]). CC virtualizes resources, for example, software applications, enabling them to be distributed over the Internet as opposed to deploying them on student computers or workstations [2]. CC can allow for e-learning systems, mobile learning and online distance learning [3]-[8]
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