For many years now, the internet has swept the world through a digital transformation of sharing knowledge and information; no longer is the “snail mail” of the post used so much and in education, printed textbooks and learning material are changing with the technologies as well, especially in schools. The digitization of communications such as email, interactive messaging programs, and real-time virtual collaboration has changed the landscape enormously; there are virtual servers and cloud-based systems that stores information and documentation and documents can be worked on “live” online. But what does this mean for education? 

Searching for Information

The Internet of Things (IoT) has altered the landscape of commercial ventures but it also has transformed education. No longer does a student need to scramble to look up content in an Encyclopedia for information or scroll through the pages of a textbook. Now with a simple search, students can access a vast array of information… but with internet information, there are drawbacks. Imagine school administrators tracking multiple school busses on a device, Yes this is a benefits everyone but we must take into account bandwidth and hacking. Checking the validity and reliability of information sources is highly-important in research online therefore in classrooms, teachers provide certain virtual spaces and tools for accessing information from sources deemed credible.

Further than simply acting as a resource, the internet can serve teachers and students with useful interactive activities and assessments. Interactivity is now considered extremely useful as a pedagogical approach to teaching students and enhancing the learning experience; it provides mental stimulation, engagement with material and can provide real-time feedback. This is all enabled by the IoT and the use of digital devices connected to virtual servers.

The Three Drawback of the IoT

• Three of the main concerns that accompany the Internet of Things are the breach of privacy, over-reliance on technology, and the loss of jobs. ...

• The privacy issues also leads to the question of who will control the Internet of Things? ...

• Another argument against IoT is the over-reliance on technology.

Monitoring Progress and Outcomes

In harnessing the Internet of Things (IoT), education looks a whole lot different than it did generations before since the internet began to change the world from the 1990s. With technological devices such as smartphones, watches, tablets and laptops or computers, access to the internet is only fingertips away. Every manual system can be developed, tracked, and supplies can be ordered through smart data systems. The creation of virtual tools for learning such as interactive information and textbook resources as well as activities that provide live feedback enhances student learning and drives efficacy by teachers.

Further to this though, the virtual world offers a whole lot more for educational purposes. Teachers and students can log in to specific applications or internet-based tools to view progress and performance, assessment results and this not only aids students to see their progress in learning but it helps teachers and parents to monitor and track records. It creates a feedback loop where students enter data and teachers can respond with feedback without paper trails and place comments throughout assessments and learning activities. Students and teachers can both access the virtual learning space tools through different devices which makes it easier to access information and drives efficacy and productivity.

Homework and Parent Activity

Teachers and parents can additionally track homework completed and even how long it took by checking the login time and interactivity and this can also aid teachers in knowing how to customize learning experiences for individual students. After all, teaching should be student-centric and focused on the optimum gains for each student to achieve their best potential outcomes.

References:

HASSANIEN, A. E., BHATNAGAR, R., KHALIFA, N. E. M., & TAHA, M. H. N. (2020). Toward social Internet of things (SIoT): enabling technologies, architectures and applications : emerging technologies for connected and smart social objects.

https://www.kdnuggets.com/2018/04/role-iot-education.html

https://sites.google.com/a/cortland.edu/the-internet-of-things/disadvantages