There have been some incredible advances in technology over the past decade, one of which is the Internet of Things (IoT). The IoT is overhauling the education process and making learning more available for students, regardless of ability, status, or geography. Here are our top benefits of IoT for education:
- Learning Foreign Languages
Ask any language teacher and they will tell you that immersion is one of the most powerful tools for mastering another language. When you live in Italy, you get feedback from real Italian people and this is invaluable for tweaking your technique. However, this level of immersion can be hard to recreate in countries where the language is not spoken as widely.
IoT can connect devices to check whether the language students have used the correct words or phrases in simulated environments. The tutors can then give feedback immediately to the students and monitor their progress in real-time.
- Collecting Data
Having accurate attendance data is crucial for teachers to be able to establish which students are regularly missing lessons. Before IoT, the teachers had to take a register at the beginning of each class to find out who is present and track their learning progress manually.
IoT makes it possible to read information about each student from special wristbands with RFID tags. This gives the teacher instant information about who is attending the class from his own smartphone or device. This technology can also be used to assess the level of each student’s performance, so that the teacher can recognise what weaknesses need extra support.
- Smart Classrooms
IoT applications for education are going to form the basis for the tech-based classrooms of the future. The bell will ring, and students will automatically marked as either present, absent or late. Smart-devices worn on the wrist will monitor whether the students are too tired and disengaged, so a break is needed, and virtual whiteboards will capture notes for the whole class. The teacher’s microphone can even take note of any homework assignments mentioned by the teacher and add them electronically into the diaries of the students.
- Communication
At present, teachers will talk to their students online via messenger or webcam, but this option is flawed because it doesn’t imitate the true personal interaction that students get when present physically in class. IoT enhances communication by allowing students to talk to their teachers using digital pens and interactive boards that show real-time information. This data, plus any text or pictures, can be directed to a student’s smartphone or device to speed up and simplify the teaching process, saving time and money.
- Collaborative Learning
Education is starting to shift from a traditional knowledge-based approach, to a more collaborative system where information is shared and discussed. IoT is going to really support this and improve the way that we teach. Connected systems will allow teachers to step back from recording and monitoring students, so that they can instead encourage learning and discussion. In practical tasks, the teachers can then concentrate on giving assistance, feedback, and support to the students as they work. IoT may allow students to flag when they need help to the teacher, or when the level of work they are doing needs to be made more difficult.
- Disabled Students
IoT will be of great benefit for disabled students. For example, students who are hearing-impaired can use special connected gloves and a tablet to convert sign language into audio, or sound into text. This is a vital tool that will support disabled learners to integrate and learn effectively.
- Libraries and Textbooks
When you think about school libraries, you probably imagine shelves packed with books lining the walls as far as the eye can see. Textbooks are essential to the educational process, as they impart knowledge to the students when the teachers are not there. IoT will help us to move past paper books, as students can store multiple digital books on their tablet or smartphone. Many modern schools and universities simply provide students with QR codes on their reading list so they can access the specific books they need quickly and easily. Devices will allow students to take notes, highlight sections and share information with their peers quickly.
