{The Use of Cloud Technologies in Education and Collaborative Learning

Cloud technologies have become a fundamental component of contemporary higher education. They enable access to learning materials from any location, support real-time collaboration, and integrate communication, assessment, and content management into unified digital ecosystems. This article presents a hybrid analytical and practical study on the use of cloud technologies in higher education, with a specific focus on collaborative learning. It combines a narrative review of recent research on cloud-based learning environments with a small-scale observational study comparing three platforms widely used in universities: Google Workspace for Education, Microsoft 365, and MoodleCloud. Three student groups completed the same short analytical report using only one of these platforms. Completion time, editing activity, and participation rate were recorded. Results indicate that cloud technologies can increase student engagement, improve group-work efficiency, and support more flexible and inclusive learning. Google Workspace showed the strongest support for real-time collaboration, Microsoft 365 offered powerful but slightly more complex tools, while MoodleCloud excelled in course management rather than synchronous group editing. The study was prepared as part of the course “Basics of Research” at Alatoo International University (Computer Engineering programme). It discusses remaining challenges such as digital literacy, usability, institutional integration, and data protection, and concludes with recommendations for multi-platform ecosystems and more intentional integration of collaboration tools into course design.