When are IT labs still valuable?
S. Movafaghi, S. Hojjati, H. Pournaghshband, T. Chan, J. S. Collins (2012) Impact of Virtualization Technology in the IT Classroom
In this paper virtualization technology, especially the virtual operating system, and its usage within an appropriate environment for the information technology (IT) classroom is discussed. We will categorize two types of environments using virtual technology, namely stable and unstable environments. Some universities are dismantling IT labs because of high cost to support and based on the assumption that all IT students have laptop computers. We agree with this assessment as long as the appropriate virtual lab is established for courses that require a stable environment. However, we continue to recommend that appropriate physical lab(s) be available also for courses that require an unstable environment. In this paper we will discuss the recommended number of guest operating systems for a specific number of students and resources.
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