Education is one of the latest industries to experience a change through the introduction of the Internet of Things. Students are gaining access to more material than ever before, and the process of learning has encountered drastic changes. There are various applications of IoT in Education, and this article will explore all of these.

Before we get to know more about IoT in education, let us first define the term IoT.

Table of Contents

What is IoT?

The Internet of things is a system of interrelated computing devices, mechanical and digital machines provided with unique identifiers and the ability to transfer data over a network without requiring human-to-human or human-to-computer interaction.

IoT devices as well as other technologies such as cloud computing are allowing the students to get a more personalized learning experience. IoT makes education more accessible through facilities such as online learning where students from thousands of kilometres away can study various subjects from the comfort of their homes.

Application of IoT in Education

1.      Interactive Learning

In this approach of IoT in education, the learners are able to experience an interactive learning approach. An example of this is the use of IoT and cloud technologies in the mobile applications that students use to learn. There are various applications that students can use to enhance their skills in mathematics, reading, and spellings. These applications can use a traditional school like approach, or they can use a game approach. In the game approach, the student plays games and in the process he or she gains valuable skills that further his or her knowledge.

In addition, other cloud based technologies such as Video On Demand (VOD) can be used to provide the learner with an interactive experience.

2.      Security

This is a crucial application of IoT in education. Parents are very concerned about the welfare of their children. IoT in education allows for the continuous monitoring of the children. This can be achieved through Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) cameras that can be used to monitor the presence of the students in real time. Distress buttons can be used to raise an alarm if there is imminent danger.

This helps keep the children in a safe, happy environment.

3.      Attendance Monitoring

Traditionally, students would come to school and wait for their teacher to come in. Once he or she comes in they start the day by first checking who is present and who is absent. This process would waste a lot of time. IoT in education allows for the automatic monitoring of students as they enter the school facility. Through the use of RFID cards, the system will know in real time who has just entered the premises, and the teacher’s attendance registration record is updated in real time.

4.      Smart Boards

In the past, chalk boards were used. These are highly messy devices and they result in a lot of chalk dust that makes clothes get dirty quite easily. White boards were introduced to enhance the teaching experience. With technological advancements, smart boards are now being used. These are like giant television screens that allow the teacher to write on it. Teachers can write equations, display videos, and play audios all through the use of that smart board. This has led to the death of the overhead projector.

Examples of IoT in Education

This section explores the examples of educational organizations and educational products that are actively using IoT.

1.      Magicard

Magicard, located in the United Kingdom creates a wide variety of student cards. These student cards can be used to monitor the attendance of the students, for payments inside the school’s facilities and for physical access to facilities. This is a revolutionary use of technology as one student card can achieve so much.

2.      Tynker

The company Tynker, located in the United States of America is another example of IoT in education. This company teaches young children to code. This is done by the use of visual code blocks that represent real programming concepts that will help the students to easily understand languages such as java script and python.

3.      Kaltura

Kaltura, located in the United States of America teaches video management and creation tools. It enables students to create, edit, as well as to deliver live or on demand high quality videos. These videos can be delivered to any device, and the process encourages creativity and increased interactions that improve the learning experience.

4.      Locorbo

This company based in the United States of America also teaches students programming and robotics education. This is done through robots that teach programming languages such as JavaScript, Matlab, C and Python. The product LocoloT instructs students on how to design, build and connect IoT systems from the ground up.

5.      Promethean

This United States of America based company makes use of IoT in education. It makes interactive displays that use natural writing technology. It also uses cloud based lesson delivery and personalized training for the educators.

6.      Pluralsight

This is yet another American company. It has a wide variety of online courses that allow students as well as professionals to learn from its online platform. It makes use of paths in which the individual can learn content that is relevant to him or her, and then through the use of the Skills IQ platform, the individual can then test their comprehension of the courses present.

7.      Raspberry Pi and Arduino

These are development kits that help students learn to create real electronic systems. They can be connected to various embedded sensors, and the student can then upload the code to the module and obtain the data from the development kits. They can also be used by professionals when they want to quickly create a proof of concept. In addition, they can also be used by electronic hobbyists to learn more about electronics.

8.      ScanMarker

This product allows for the users to quickly scan editable text from books, and documents directly into a phone. It allows the user to listen to the text whilst scanning it. This is an excellent way of absorbing information.

Conclusion

The applications of IoT in education are showing how technology has revolutionized the education industry.

We hope you enjoyed the article!