Introduction

For those who haven’t read my previous blog posts, here’s a short summary. A couple of weeks ago I decided that I wanted to know more about cloud computing and get certified as well. I used freely available resources to attain these certifications:

• CompTIA Cloud Essentials (CLO-001)
• Exin Cloud Computing Foundation (CLOUDF)

In short, my conclusion was that the quality of the freely available resources were not sufficient. ITpreneurs responded to this by giving me access to their own paid ITpreneurs Cloud Essentials eLearning Course which I reviewed here.

I also contacted TrainSignal to get access to their training videos for CompTIA Cloud Essentials because their previous training videos on different subjects have always been great. They were kind enough to grant me access to the training videos which made this review possible.

Review

Browser used: Google Chrome 23.0.1271.64 m
Version of the eLearning course I reviewed: CompTIA Cloud Essentials (November 2012)
Total runtime: 5 hours
Period I reviewed the eLearning course in: November 11th

My opinion:

• The trainer/presenter (David Davis) has lots of practical real world experience AND theoretical knowledge on numerous aspects of ICT (Windows, Unix, VMware, networking, etc.).
• The PDF handouts are available for the course outline and for the instructor’s notes, which makes it easier to add your own notes.
• The training is provided online and offline in multiple formats making it convenient for you to learn anywhere you go. File formats include iPod Video, Mp3 Audio, .WMV & high quality .AVI video.
• The spoken parts are well executed (tempo, no distracting accent and good choice of words).
• I like the real world coverage and demonstrations instead of just covering the theoretical parts.
• I like the in more depth technical coverage. I think it might be too much however for people that are more interested in the cloud computing rather than the technical details.
• Things I think the course and its users would benefit from:
  • Interactive elements in addition to the videos.
  • Quiz elements to let students assess where they stand.
  • Use the scenario / sample company case more to better explain how theoretical concepts translate to practical applications. 
  • IA bit more detailed coverage of non technical cloud computing topics. 

The TrainSignal CompTIA Cloud Essentials video training is a convenient resource for people who quickly want to get a broad understanding of cloud computing. The difference with other training materials is that technological aspects are covered in greater detail and that it also shows demos of some of the available cloud services.