VIRTUAL DESKTOP INFRASTRUCTURE IN HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTION: AN APPLICATION OF HOME AND MOBILE COMPUTING ENVIRONMENT

Abstract

Currently, universities have rising demands to apply the incredible recent developments in computer technology that support students to achieve skills necessary for developing applied critical thinking in the contexts of online society. Medical and engineering subjects’ practical learning and education scenarios are crucial to attain a set of competencies and applied skills. These recent developments allow sharing and resource allocation, which brings savings and maximize use, and therefore offer centralized management, increased security, and scalability. This paper describes the implantation of Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) to access the virtual laboratories that bring efficient use of resources as one of Al Balqa Applied University’s (BAU) Private Cloud services. The concept of desktop virtualization implements the sharing of capabilities utilizing legacy machines, which reduces the cost of infrastructure and introduces increased security, mobility, scalability, agility, and high availability. Al Balqa Applied University uses the service extensively to facilitate in/off-campus learning, teaching, and administrative activities and continue performing their work and education functions remotely to cope with the COVID-19 pandemic.