Internet of Things (IoT) has been a boon to the education industry, like many other industries from healthcare, automation, finance and more. It has revolutionized the idea of learning altogether. From virtual classrooms to collaborative learning, IoT is enabling learners with instant and unlimited access to resources. It has enabled institutions to create a community of learners to share knowledge and information.
The inclusion of IoT is widespread across the K-12 spectrum. Even though the kindergartners don’t rely much on collaborative learning, the trend shows that high school learners lean more towards laptops and smartphones than textbooks and chalkboards. According to a recent study of the digital usage of teens in the US (Link shared below the post), it was found that about 73% of learners in the age group of 11-13 own a smartphone, while 91% of learners in the age group of 14-18i. IoT encouraging digital learning has helped overcome this challenge of shifting to modern learning techniques.
IoT has also helped streamline most of the day-to-day activities of educational institutions, right from admission processes, attendance, staff & student management, inventory management, communication with students/parents and, of course, teaching methods. This has also come at a time when the concept of live online classrooms and distance learning is on the rise. Overall, digitalization itself has made the education industry more efficient, with the introduction of intuitive learning and collaboration platforms that can be accessed from anywhere across the world. Here is a very relatable example of an Award-winning Cloud Learning Platform which was developed by Vatsa for one of its customers.
Let’s take a look at how the Internet of Things is changing the traditional ways of teaching:
Borderless classrooms
With textbooks and chalkboards transforming into websites and smart-boards, teachers and lecturers can easily conduct classes from anywhere in the world, for students who are equally dispersed. Introduction of cameras and interactive boards give the same, if not better, learning experience through a digital medium.
Automated ancillary activities
Every educational institute has its own protocol when it comes to academics like student attendance, monthly assessment, etc. and so on. Some of these activities are time-consuming and affect the productivity of teachers. With the introduction of IoT, a lot of such ancillary activities can be automated, which not only saves time but also increases the efficiency of the institute.
Data management & Security
Educational institutes create a huge amount of data like student attendance, reports, results, assessment, track records, etc. and so on. Such huge data needs to be processed and analyzed for efficient learning. IoT is helping assess individual student’s performance and track progress along with personalized recommendations through the use of technologies like Artificial Intelligence& Machine Learning. Technologies like Cloud computing are enabling institutions to add an extra layer of security to their data, create a safe storage space and provide easy and instant access to huge data at the same time.
Inclusion of special students
The traditional learning techniques and systems fell short when it came to teaching special students or students with disabilities. But today, the internet has given rise to phenomena like remote learning, audiobooks, text-to-speech, etc. which has enabled hundreds of students to learn at their own speed and convenience.
Mobile apps
IoT and mobile apps go hand in hand. The billion-dollar industry of mobile applications is a boon to the learners. Learning techniques like interactive learning and gamification have changed the dynamic of the education industry. Custom apps tailored for the institutes and their academics are enabling learners to access their resources and study material on their smartphones. The growth of the education industry has observed an increasing curve with the introduction of IoT. The convenience, personalization and the quality of education has increased tenfold. More people are getting access to education, giving rise to a promising workforce of skilled and educated people. IoT is inspiring innovation amongst the learners. With an experience of spearheading IoT-based applications in the LearnTech industry, Vatsa Solutions has been at the forefront of the internet revolution. To know more about how your institute can reap the benefits of IoT, write to us at contact@vsplc.com.
Study source: 1. https://www.emarketer.com/content/five-charts-understanding-gen-z-s-devices-and-digital-usage
