Evaluating Usability and Cognitive Load: A Comparative Study of Cloud-Based and Local Database Systems in Higher Education
Authors: Gutierrez Carreon Gustavo 
Published: January 2025

Aim/Purpose: The need for this paper arises from the lack of comprehensive studies comparing the impact of cloud-based versus local database systems on student learning outcomes. Specifically, there is a need to understand how these different approaches affect usability and cognitive load in educational settings, which are critical factors for effective learning in database courses.

Background: This paper addresses the problem by conducting a comparative study that evaluates student satisfaction, usability, and cognitive load when using cloud-based versus local database systems in a controlled educational environment. By analyzing these factors, the study provides evidence on which approach better supports student learning in database courses.

Methodology: The paper employs a quantitative research design, utilizing surveys to assess usability and cognitive load among students. The research sample consists of 100 undergraduate students enrolled in a Database Systems course, divided equally into a control group using local database installations and an experimental group using cloud-based services. Both groups completed the same set of tasks, and their experiences were measured and compared using standardized questionnaires.

Contribution: This paper contributes to the body of knowledge by empirically demonstrating how cloud-based database systems can significantly improve usability and reduce cognitive load for students compared to traditional local installations. It fills a research gap by directly comparing these two approaches within an educational context. It provides actionable insights that can influence how technology is integrated into database education to enhance learning outcomes.

Findings: The paper’s major findings reveal that students using cloud-based database services experienced significantly higher usability and lower cognitive load compared to those using local installations. These results suggest that cloud-based systems provide a more effective and user-friendly learning environment for students in database courses.

Recommendations for Practitioners: Practitioners are recommended to integrate cloud-based database services into their courses to enhance student learning outcomes, as these platforms have been shown to improve usability and reduce cognitive load. By adopting cloud technologies, educators can provide students with more accessible, efficient, and user-friendly tools that better support their learning process. Additionally, it is advisable to offer guidance and support during the transition to cloud-based systems to ensure that all students can fully leverage the benefits of this technology.

Recommendation for Researchers: For researchers, this paper recommends further investigation into the long-term impacts of cloud-based database systems on student learning outcomes, particularly in diverse educational contexts and with varying levels of student expertise. Additionally, future studies should explore the integration of other emerging technologies with cloud services to determine their combined effects on cognitive load and usability. Researchers are also encouraged to conduct qualitative studies to gain deeper insights into student experiences and identify potential challenges and opportunities in adopting cloud-based systems in education.

Impact on Society: The larger implications of the paper’s findings suggest that the adoption of cloud-based database systems in education could lead to a broader transformation in how technical courses are taught, making them more accessible and efficient for students. As cloud technologies reduce cognitive load and enhance usability, they have the potential to improve learning outcomes across various disciplines, not just in database courses. This shift could drive a wider acceptance of cloud-based tools in educational institutions, promoting a more flexible and scalable approach to learning that can better meet the needs of a diverse student population in an increasingly digital world.

Future Research: Following the advancements made by this paper, future research should focus on exploring the impact of cloud-based database systems on long-term academic performance and retention of knowledge. Additionally, studies should examine how these systems can be effectively integrated into other areas of the curriculum beyond database courses and whether similar benefits are observed. Researchers should also investigate the scalability of these findings across different educational institutions, including those in resource-constrained environments, to determine the broader applicability of cloud-based technologies in education. Finally, it would be valuable to explore student perceptions and experiences with hybrid models that combine local and cloud-based resources to identify the optimal balance for enhancing learning outcomes.