One of the longstanding challenges of online education is devising ways in which laboratory experiences may be presented effectively to students. In the area of computing, the emergence of virtualization technologies and cloud-based computing services afford the opportunity to construct virtual computing laboratories that serve the interests and needs of both online and face-to-face students. Of at least equal importance, these new configurations provide new efficiencies and degrees of flexibility in academic computing. With the advent of cloud computing -- - in this instance, ubiquitous, on-demand network access to a shared pool of configurable computing resources -- a number of colleges and universities have begun to design and implement virtual computing laboratories. In some instances, the idea of the virtual computer has been sparked by the realization that the combination of increasing ownership among students of laptop computers and ubiquitous access to networks now preclude the need to maintain physical laboratory facilities at the levels required over the last two decades. In other instances, the notion of building a computer lab in the cloud has been a response to the growth of online degree programs and the computing needs and requirements of the students enrolled in online programs, and in yet other cases, the virtual lab has come into existence because it affords unprecedented possibilities for collaboration and resource sharing. Perhaps most important of all, the flexibility of the cloud computing model and the ease with which virtual machines can be built enables course designers the opportunity to build systems that are designed to meet the requirements of specific courses. For example, at North Carolina State University, the combined use of cloud computing and virtualization has enabled the University to expand the number of the production images available for use from approximately 20 to more than 600, thereby vastly increasing the array of resources and configurations available to several classes of users, including faculty and students. While it considers aspects of cloud computing and the use of virtualization technologies that apply under many other circumstances, this presentation focuses on the development, configuration, and management of a virtual computing laboratory that was created in support of the Master of Library and Information Science (MLIS) degree program at the University of Pittsburgh's School of Information Sciences and through the use of Amazon Web Services, as well as cloud-based services provided by vendors. More specifically, the presentation deals with the use of Amazon Web Services and Amazon Machine Images as a basis for a virtual computing laboratory, assessing the operational and technical requirements of a configuration based on a combination of proprietary and open source computing resources and reusable machine images. In addition, the presentation addresses the administrative and economic aspects of provisioning a virtual computing laboratory, and it examines the problems associated with the use and supervision of such resources. Finally, it examines the impact that virtual computing capabilities may have on the design of curricula and delivery of courses in online settings, focusing on opportunities for collaboration and coordination and the virtues of technological continuity.
