The IoT (Internet of Things) has been helping us to connect with other people and share information through smartphones, computers, and other devices. As the IoT evolves, the range of these devices has also significantly increased. It’s not only collecting data with the help of sensors, but it also performs certain actions after analysing the data collected.
Indeed, the IoT has transformed various industries in the past few years, and the education sector is no exception. If IoT is effectively applied in education, it will greatly improve the process of providing education and institutions can enjoy more convenience and security.
What is IoT?
The Internet of Things (IoT) refers to the network of objects implanted into software and other technologies to connect and exchange data with other devices over the World Wide Web. These devices can range from ordinary objects to sophisticated devices. With more than seven billion devices connected to IoT today, experts expect this number to grow exponentially in the coming years. Some experts predict that it could grow to a whopping 22 billion in 2025!
IoT has become one of the essential technologies in the 21st century. Now that it’s easy to connect everyday appliances, from cars to kitchen appliances and thermostats to the Internet using embedded devices, communication between people, things, and processes have become even more seamless.
Thanks to the cloud, low-cost computing, big data, and analytics, physical things can collect and share data with less human intervention. In the hyperconnected world that we live in, digital systems have made it possible to record, monitor, and adjust every interaction between connected things.
Online Safety Impacts
While IoT is very useful for learning, it must be used safely, especially in the presence of children. Nowadays, being online has become an important part of children’s lives. Most kids these days have their own mobile devices, laptops, and computers, allowing them to easily access online games, social media, websites, and apps.
Teachers using IoT in teaching little kids should consider undergoing child safeguarding training courses, where they will learn more about E-safety. While the IoT offers new opportunities for young students’ growth and learning, it can also expose them to various risks. E-safety must play an integral part in every school and university’s safeguarding and child protection measures.
Educational institutions have dual responsibility for e-safety. First, they must ensure that their online procedures keep the students safe, and secondly, they should teach students about safety in using the Internet, both in and out of school. Every institution should create an open environment in which kids and young students are encouraged to raise any questions and participate in an ongoing conversation regarding the dangers and benefits of the Internet. And, of course, online safety should also continue in the home. Implementing a parental control app can provide parents with valuable tools to extend online safety measures beyond the school environment and further protect their children on the internet.
Data Collection
IoT has made our lives easier and improved various aspects of our lives. The rise of IoT has also improved the safety of educational institutions, keeps track of key resources, and improved access to information in the field of learning. IoT works by gathering data from various devices, allowing schools to deliver a better learning experience. These include monitoring progress, delivery from teachers, etc. Educators can even tap into this technology by developing “smart lesson plans” instead of relying on time-consuming traditional lesson plans.
IoT networks have made monitoring device usage in a school setting easier. IoT-connected devices, such as laptops, tablets, or computers, can be programmed to automatically send performance and usage reports directly to teachers, allowing them to monitor the students.
Occupancy indicators and automated motion sensors can provide data about device usage, especially in the school setting, such as computer labs or the school library. Keeping track of this data allows educators to monitor and report how students utilise certain resources and spaces in the school.
Improves School Management
IoT can help keep track of safety within the education setting and improve school management if used correctly. However, schools should hire IoT experts to implement IoT correctly. IoT experts can refer to integration specialists who understand how the Internet of Things works and are familiar with every aspect of IoT, from sensor level to cloud. The best way to hire IoT experts is through an IoT recruitment agency.
There are many ways IoT can improve school management, especially in terms of safety. First, IoT networks have made it possible to implement customizable security plans in connected devices, from digital signage to door locks and sensors. Some schools will use IoT networks in creating different programs to prevent intruders and other security risks. IoT technology also allows solutions, such as a corresponding emergency alert button, to be set up in classrooms. These security applications empower teachers to take the proper action to keep their students safe.
Schools can also tap into IoT in automating or programming devices like lighting. For instance, they can set the lights to certain schedules or attached to occupancy sensors and be programmed to switch off whenever a classroom is empty. Indeed, IoT connectivity can help to improve the way schools operate. Aside from improving building efficiency, it helps reduce energy waste resulting in significant cost savings.
Remote Education
IoT has made it possible for education to be done remotely for students who cannot come to school. With the help of IoT, education can be constant and not just in a school setting. As a matter of fact, this was the case during the Covid-19 pandemic, when students had to turn to online learning.
No one can predict if situations like the pandemic will happen again, forcing students to study at home instead of coming to school. Fortunately, IoT has offered us various means of maintaining a normal lifestyle without the need to leave our homes, especially in terms of education. IoT has helped develop lessons in webinar format and create educational materials using special software.
IoT solutions in an educational setting have given teachers the ability to operate the class remotely using gesture or voice commands. For instance, if the teacher is sick but does not want to deprive the students of lectures, he can turn to remote learning.
Founder Dinis Guarda
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