Head in the Clouds, Feet on the Ground: Integrating Industry Cloud Curriculum with Project-Based Learning

Background and Context: To align with growing demand for cloud experts, universities offer courses to equip students with relevant skills. However, limited research exists on best practices for teaching cloud computing, which integrates multiple areas of computing. Objective: This study examines a large-scale cloud computing curriculum that integrates project-based authentic assessment with AWS Academy resources, and proposes a pedagogical framework for teaching cloud skills. Method: We designed a curriculum inspired by Project-Based Learning (PBL) and the rigour/relevance framework to bridge the theoretical gap between industry certifications and university requirements. Student reflections on PBL were analysed using a mixed-methods approach, supplemented by educator interviews and student surveys. Findings: This study identifies key challenging areas in teaching cloud computing, including cloud security, scalable architectures, and foundational knowledge of networking, Linux, and debugging. Educator interviews highlighted difficulties aligning AWS Certification content with university delivery structures, limited group work opportunities, and increased workload from certification exams and frequent curriculum updates. Implications: Industry-provided cloud curricula, while valuable for technical currency, are not sufficient alone to develop the integrated architectural and problem-solving skills required in real-world contexts; deliberate pedagogical scaffolding is needed to bridge the gap and connect vendor-specific training with academic learning outcomes. Grounded in both the rigour/relevance framework and authentic learning principles, the four-stage, project-based curriculum presented here offers a replicable model for embedding certification-aligned content into a semester-based subject. This study also identifies prerequisite knowledge and cloud computing concepts that students perceived as particularly challenging, providing insights that may inform curriculum design and teaching practice.