The field of information and technology has been working on getting things done with a single touch for as long as we can remember. This current decade marks the peak of evolution in the sector of IT with its miraculous developments. The concept of “Internet of Things – IoT”  is no stranger to this.

The Very Beginning

The title “Internet of Things” started life in 1999, in a presentation made by a British Technology pioneer Kevin Ashton for Procter & Gamble (P&G). According to him, even after twenty years, the title is often misunderstood. Let us try to understand the gist of IoT in his own words. “Today computers – and, therefore, the internet – are almost wholly dependent upon human beings for information. The problem is, people have limited time, attention and accuracy – all of which means that they are not very good at capturing data about things in the real world. We need to empower computers with their own means of gathering information, so they can see, hear and smell the world for themselves, in all its random glory.”

This might sound scary, but believe it or not, it’s just as useful. A lot of devices apart from the obvious gadgets have been digitized today. From dishwashers to lights and fans, everything works with a remote. (One touch, remember?). The education sector, too, has jumped on the bandwagon. The traditional way of learning was surely effective in its era, but now is the time we inculcate modern technology in our education system so as to make it more efficient and less time-consuming. In this article, we will take a look at how the Internet of Things (IoT) has helped revolutionize the education sector.

Global Communication

Education doesn’t have to be limited to a particular geographical area anymore. With IoT, students from any corner of the world can interact with different cultures that lie beyond the physical boundaries of their countries. This helps broaden the horizons of children’s minds. Having open minds can help build a better and more harmonized community for tomorrow.

With the Internet of Things, we can also help students who live in rural areas connect with schools and take classes using video lessons, live chats, and conferences. Learning is a constant process that should not be limited to classrooms or particular timings. IoT sets a smooth sail for the curious minds.

Interactive learning

Also known as “enhancement of textbooks”, this quality helps students understand the theoretical aspects with increased clarity. QR Codes are not a new concept in today’s world. They’re used everywhere – so much so that even textbooks have QR codes on them which lead to websites or educational applications that help teach the subjects using audios, videos, and graphic illustrations. With the help of e-books, students can enjoy additional features that physical books fail to provide – i.e. read aloud, add notes, draw, search and share. It becomes easy for the educators as well to communicate with the students, check their homework and keep tabs on their progress.

Digitizes the Repetitive Tasks

India’s population consists of more than 50% of youth. According to Census 2011, India’s student population is a gigantic 315 million. Handling so many heads can surely be a difficult task. Internet of Things swoops in to help here as well. With the help of IoT, you can digitize the daily routine tasks i.e. taking attendance, logging in the test results. IoT can collect this data automatically and minimize the need for manual labor, hence increasing the efficiency and decreasing the time wasted on minimal tasks. Since the digitization eliminates the need for manual labor, physical boundaries that faced the education system before are ineffective. Distance, time, location can no longer poke nose in the way of learning.

Tools and How to Use Them

evive IoT Kit: To help you understand IoT – STEMpedia provide you with a DIY IoT Kit. By using this kit, you can develop various projects based on home automation, temperature monitoring systems, weather station, motion-activated system, and more.

In a Nutshell

Internet of Things (IoT) refers to inculcating technology in our daily routine things so as to increase the efficiency of the work. IoT has affected every aspect of our living and education sector is no exception. With the help of IoT, education does not face any physical boundaries i.e. time, distance, location. Learning is, as it should be,