A Cloud Based Learning Framework for Eradicating the Learning Challenges of Ethiopian Working Professionals, Disables and Women

Information Technologies have been changing with high speed and existing educational and training frameworks are required to be reviewed, restructured, and redesigned in aligning with the evolving technologies and advanced features. This can strengthen their survival in the highly competitive professional environment. Many of the institutions across the world have been consistently trying to upgrade and transform their educational systems to reduce the cost of learning, enhance the convenience and comfort in normal or adverse situations like pandemics or turbulences. The Ethiopian education system is one of them which has been consistently facing certain critical challenges to afford the education extensions & teaching facilities for citizens. These issues and challenges become critical to those who are working professionals, disabled, and females with pregnancy or the learners who can’t join the classes on regular basis with traditional teaching-learning processes like regular, summer, extension and distance education etc. In recent years a limited number of institutions in Ethiopia tried to encounter accessibility barriers by adopting advanced learning & teaching systems but acceptable level of such systems is still not satisfactory, promising, and popular. However, it has been observed that there is a strong and urgent need to have a better and alternative educational platform with extensive accessibility. Such systems become vital when pandemics or other issues lockdown the traditional education and communication systems. The strategic shift from traditional classroom to e-learning and e-learning to cloud-based learning can be a promising transformation and significant improvement towards next generation teaching-learning environment. To achieve this, a Unified Cloud based E-Learning Framework (UCELF) is proposed and functionally tested using Cloud based Opens Source applications. This study is an attempt to apply an exploratory applied research design using mixed research approach for assessment of the challenges and finally proposing a new cloud-based solution framework for women, disabled, working professionals, and the people challenged by accidental injuries.