Solve city IT problems in AWS cloud education game
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AWS Cloud Quest helps those new to cloud computing gain familiarity with AWS services as they solve challenges in a virtual city.
Amazon Web Services has released a free role-playing game in which users solve a city’s problems with AWS solutions.
AWS Cloud Quest: Cloud Practitioner, is an open-world game that teaches “foundational cloud computing concepts while learners zap drones and collect gems in their quest to solve challenges in a virtual city,” the company said in its announcement.
Designed to support the development of foundational cloud computing skills in those new to the field, the game helps users gain familiarity with AWS services and categories. They are introduced to compute, storage, database and security services as well as common use cases, billing and pricing models, security concepts and business impacts.
Users are cast as new members of a city’s IT staff, customize their avatar and begin solving the city’s problems with AWS solutions. They complete 12 hands-on assignments consisting of a business problem, a solution walk-through, learning videos, a practice lab and a do-it-yourself activity.
In one scenario, players are asked to help the city move its beach wave size prediction webpage to the cloud. In another, the city’s marketing department wants separate virtual private clouds for each department that communicates with each other. Users are also tasked with adding memory to the servers at the local school by scaling their EC2 instance and creating secure roles, processes and identities for staff at the stock exchange.
AWS also announced a revamped AWS Educate program that offers self-paced learning in 50 courses and 10 interactive labs.
AWS Cloud Quest and AWS Educate are part of Amazon’s investment in providing free cloud computing skills training that aims to reach 29 million people by 2025 in more than 200 countries and territories.
“AWS Cloud Quest and AWS Educate intentionally move away from passive content. We want to make abstract cloud computing concepts real through interactive and hands-on activities that immediately let learners turn theory into practice,” said Kevin Kelly, director of cloud career training programs at AWS. “We’re continuing to innovate how learners can build their cloud knowledge and practical skills, meeting them where they are and bringing knowledge within anyone’s reach by making these programs free.”
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