1. Cloud Computing Student Access and Success Through a DOL Grant
The League for Innovation
STEMtech conference
November 3, 2010

2. Wake Tech’s Virtual College
Fall Semester 2010 enrollment
Total WTCC curriculum enrollment = 17, 918
Online/hybrid enrollment = 14,483
36% increase over Fall Semester 2009
Programs offered online
11 degree programs
39 Certificates
Courses 2010
578 sections of 323 course
225 faculty teaching online/hybrid courses

3. Before: The way it was After: The way it is now
Students must come to a physical lab to complete lab projects.
Institutional barriers:
Enrollment limited to number of computers in lab
Availability – must work with other scheduled courses for lab time
Costly equipment needed – need one computer per student in the physical lab
Student barriers:
Travel to campus to take courses
Not offered at all campuses
Time needed during day to complete courses
Potential lost wages
After: The way it is now.
Students can access labs 24/7 from anywhere in the world!
Changes to institutional barriers:
Capability to double enrollment through virtual machines
Provides opportunity to expand service area. Online courses make programs available to anyone, anywhere in the world… Only need connection to the internet!
Students can access courses 24/7 with an internet connection.
Frees valuable classroom & lab space
Saves money on building additional physical labs and additional computer equipment. One virtual machine can be set up to accommodate dozens of students, as compared to one computer per student in a physical lab.
Changes to student barriers:
Complete courses from home
Eliminates need to travel to campus, saves students money
Complete work anytime that is convenient for student which allows them to work or meet other obligations
Students must come to a physical lab to complete labs.
Students can access labs 24/7 from anywhere in the world!

4. Cloud Computing
Refers to course delivery of software applications, platforms, and infrastructure
Accessible from anywhere
Permits new method of learning
Advantage:
Low cost
Permits labs to be put online
Avoids high cost of software for colleges and students
Refers to course delivery of software applications, platforms, and infrastructure
Each student has access to the same software and equipment, leveling the field so that no student has an advantage or barrier over another
Sharing the software will provide students with the latest technology and software available
Permits new method of learning
With netlab faculty are able to log in at the same time as students and see what they are doing or take control of the screen and show the students where they are making mistakes
Promotes student centered learning
Accessible from anywhere
Advantage:
Low cost: less equipment to purchase, fewer labs and physical space needed, fewer computers and software to maintain by IT staff
Permits labs to be put online
Avoids high cost of software for colleges and students
Students: no equipment or software to purchase leads to fewer education costs and lower student loans (less debt for students)

5. Cost Comparison Reduce Costs by 60%
Cloud Computing
$58,000
Virtual
Lab
Lab
$36,000
Reduce
Costs by
60%
1 physical lab = $36,000
lab equipment= $24,000
software = $500 per computer for 24 computers = $12,000
NetLab = $58,000
NetLab = 4-5 physical labs
$36,000 x 4 = $144,000
% Savings
$58,000 NetLab / $144,000 for 4 labs = 40%
NetLab reduces costs by 60%
4 Physical Labs with 24 computers = $144,000
Cloud Computing = $58,000

6. DOL Grant: Benefits Pilot Cloud Computing
Offer 4 high demand IT programs completely online
Reach students interested in starting or accelerating IT careers
Reach under and unemployed
Added faculty resources
Teaching Resource Center (TRC)
Instructional Designer
Unemployment Rate: 9.8% or 440,387 - July 2010 (seasonally adjusted from US Bureau of Labor Statistics)
Expected 30% increase in number of computer network, systems and database administrators from
See chart
Teaching Resource Center
Lab designed to provide faculty with equipment and software needed to provide high quality, accessible online courses
TRC is not limited to just the physical lab, but also includes online resources for faculty and an Instructional Designer
Hired to be resource to faculty in developing engaging, pedagogically sound online courses

7. Trends for Certificate Areas
From: Occupational Outlook Handbook Edition

8. Statistics for IT Jobs in NC
Among the fastest growing occupations in NC between 2004 – 2014
Represent 118,610 jobs in NC
As of September 2010, there were 4,240 IT positions available in NC
From: NCTA – North Carolina IT Workforce Market Analysis, October ( ends_rpt.pdf)

9. IT Job Trends for North Carolina
Exp. Annual Jobs Current Increase Computer & Information 11,040 N/A Systems Managers Computer Programmers 11, % Computer Specialists 3, % Database Administrators 3, % Network & Computer 7, % Systems Administrators

10. Median IT Hourly Wage
Jobs NC Federal Computer & Information $ $ Systems Managers Computer Programmers $ $ Computer Specialists $ $ Database Administrators $ $ Network & Computer $ $ Systems Administrators

11. Accomplishments – Year 1
Developed or Adapted 20 courses in 4 IT related certificates (CCNA, MCSA, JAVA, and C#)
9 faculty members participated in course development with assistance from our DOL funded Instructional Designer
Networking equipment (switches & routers), virtual servers & computer, and virtual software were all set- up and configured to deliver the 4 certificates
22 JobLink Career Centers were equipped with assistive technology equipment
Assistive Technology Equipment provided:
Equipment for 1 computer per site
Web cams
Amplifiers
Magnifying tools

12. Accomplishments – Year 2
4 certificates offered completely online
CCNA – Cisco Certified Networking Associate
MCSA – Microsoft Certified Systems Administrator
Visual C#
JAVA Programming
Increased enrollment
Fall 2008 (hybrid courses) = 106
Fall 2009 (hybrid courses) = 150
Fall 2010 = 549
Partnerships
Futures Inc. – marketing videos and job placement services
JobLink – job placement services
NetLab
Increased enrollment
Hybrid courses were offered in Fall 2008 & Fall 2009 semesters
Students had to come to physical lab to complete lab assignments
Partnerships
Futures Inc. –
Futures will provide three short videos marketing the certificate programs in the grant
Access to Futures’ Pipeline NC to promote the certificate program, match interested candidates to certificate programs
Make Pipeline NC available to current grant students to assist with job placement and career resources
Joblink
Will make computers available for students to complete online grant courses
Grant purchased assistive technology devices housed in Joblink locations to make computers accessible to students with varying abilities
NetLab
Uses cutting edge technology to provide students with a real life experience of networking and programming
Set up by faculty at WTCC
Faculty develops and maintains the environments needed for student labs

13. Fall Semester Enrollment 2008 - 2010

14. Fall Semester Enrollment by Certificates 2008 - 2010
CCNA
Prior to the NetLab appliance, no CCNA courses were offered online at all. In Spring 2009, two courses were offered as hybrid courses.
CCNA courses represent 28% of the Fall 2010 enrollment for online certificate courses 153 of 549
% Enrollment by Program for Fall 2010
MCSA = 19%
CCNA = 28%
JAVA = 31% (108 students in CIS 115 = 19% of 549 enrollment)
Visual C# = 22%

15. Hands-on Demonstration
Participants will login to physical routers and virtual PCs to perform an exercise designed introduce network routing concepts.