Education has led us to improve technology exponentially, and that technology should in turn be used to bolster the way we teach students.

The Internet of Things is a technology that is already having a big impact in a multitude of areas, and it’s easy to see why. IoT can gather, process, and communicate data between devices in order to automate tasks and optimize processes. Collected data can also have great benefits when it is analyzed by experts. 

These benefits have already proven to significantly improve areas such as health, manufacturing, agriculture, and more, so it is only logical that it can and it will positively affect education too.

In this blog, we will go over some of the ways that IoT can, directly and indirectly, aid education, as well as see some real-world examples of how this technology has been applied.

Campus Security/Safety

An educational institution should be able to ensure that the students are safe and feel comfortable in their learning space in order to fully focus on their studies. This is why many high school and college campuses allocate a big part of their budget to security and monitoring. 

IoT can be used to automate and improve many aspects of security, and therefore, have a better security system while having to spend less. 

IoT-enabled cameras can move independently to focus on whatever is deemed most relevant. Control surveillance devices can be used to remotely monitor all aspects of a facility. And IoT devices can automatically gather and analyze data to keep track of any incoming threats and act fast in case something comes up.

Implementing IoT security systems in campuses can not only directly help in making a more secure academic environment, but also indirectly help students by allowing security budgets to go down and have that extra money be used in other important areas.

Note: Keep in mind that in an area as important as security, having low latency should be a big priority. Seek IoT solutions that focus on reducing latency such as Nabto’s P2P communication protocols.

Keeping Track of Resources

Another indirect way that IoT can benefit education is by helping schools keep a better track of resources. 

Many companies are trying to find ways of reducing energy consumption, and schools are no different. IoT devices provide a boost to schools by automatically identifying when and where energy is actually needed. 

IoT devices can automatically turn off lights in a classroom when outdoor sensors see sufficient light outside or turn them on when it is beginning to get too dark. Computer labs can turn off machines when they are accidentally left on after a lesson. Or heating and cooling systems can be automatically used when the detected temperature goes above or below a certain point.

Since IoT can help manage energy consumption and optimize it, the budget for energy will go down. This extra money can then be invested back into improved the quality of life of students, or in other areas that can improve the educational experience.

Enhancing Information

IoT is an amazing technology for automatic and accurate data gathering and processing. This type of data can be used for many different contexts, and it can especially help in an academic context. 

IoT devices could be used in laboratories or different kinds of biological and chemical experiments. IoT can be used from monitoring the growth of a small plant in primary school to helping people get enough data on a complex system for their master’s thesis.

The use of IoT in education can make students have a clearer understanding of a wide variety of subjects, make learning more fun, and streamline some tedious data-gathering processes.

Smart Classrooms

The classroom of the future will be different. Technology will impact almost all aspects of learning and make it more interesting and efficient.

Augmented reality lets students see extremely detailed 3D models as if they were holograms, while virtual reality can help medical students or pilots in training to experience realistic simulations of their jobs in the future. The Internet itself is critically important in any academic context, especially for remote learners. Soon, more and more classrooms will implement IoT devices to keep students connected to the Internet and automate a lot of processes.

IoT devices can automatically register attendance so that no time is wasted in naming every single student. Basic data collection can help teachers see student’s interests in their class and try to improve. Performance and health can be evaluated in physical education. Lab activities can be streamlined by automating data gathering. All these scenarios are already happening or will soon be a reality thanks to IoT solutions.

Here are some other examples of IoT applications that are already in use:

• C-Pen: A portable scanner tool that helps students share anything they write online or save it as a smartphone picture. 
• Locorobo: An IoT application that helps programming students learn how to design Python, Java, JS, or C apps much faster and monitor the learning progress of each student.
• Magicard: An IoT card that consolidates student’s information and helps monitor attendance, it provides access to medical and transportation facilities and allows the user to pay for goods in the cafeteria.
• Kajeet: An IoT device installed in school buses to monitor the behavior of passengers, allows Wi-Fi connectivity for students, and allows parents to monitor their child’s location in real-time to be confident that they made it to school safely.

Conclusion

It is clear that IoT has many ways of improving academic contexts. Even though some of these applications are already used today, they will become even more prevalent in the future.

IoT can and will have a great impact on many areas, and education is a really significant one.

Read Our Other Resources

We’ve also published a range of IoT resources for our community, including:

• Buying versus building an IoT platform, which discusses how to choose the best option for you.
• Our guide on how to Develop IoT Apps and what platforms you can use.
• A Comparison of IoT Protocols for Developers will help you find the perfect protocol for your device.
• Find the right microcontroller by reading our Complete Guide to Microcontrollers for IoT