Cloud Computing and Undergraduate Researches in Universities in Enugu State: Implication for Skills Demand

Abstract

This study identified the perceived influence of cloud computing in undergraduate researches in universities in Enugu state, Nigeria. Four objective and research questions were formulated to guide the study. The population for the study was 135 third and final year computer education students in University of Nigeria, Nsukka and Enugu State University of Science and Technology in Enugu state Nigeria. A structured questionnaire of 37 items was used to collect data and was validated by three experts. Data were analyzed using mean and standard deviation. The findings of the study revealed that using cloud Skype for online lectures makes choice of project topic difficult, while using YouTube for online video makes choice of project topic clearer. Cloud computing services make Information upload easier, however, using cloud service to enroll for online courses decreases cost of project researches. This study therefore, recommended that cloud computing should be encouraged by the government and school Management for their student and staff for academic researches, while increasing funds for procuring facilities for effective cloud computing, and for training of students/lectures for appropriate skill acquisition.