THE INTERNET-OF-THINGS AND ICAMPUS AS A
FRAMEWORK FOR EDUCATION REFORM
From the above sections it can be seen that the iCampus
and the IoT share pervasive networking as their key enabling
technology. The iCampus harnesses network services to
improve campus management and act as a vehicle for more
efficient delivery of learning content whereas the IoT can
provide both the essential gadgets for an iCampus (sensors,
effectors, mobiles phones etc) and a multidisciplinary topic for
learning. Thus, in this paper we argue that the iCampus and
IoT are natural bedfellows to be combined to produce a novel
and cutting edge campus which, when used for teaching or
research, becomes a Living Lab. This approach fits with
current trends such as the increasing interest in using mobile
devices as the medium for teaching and learning [3]. This trend
is further compounded by the rise of interesting new embedded
Internet technologies such as mbed and Raspberry Pi [31] both
of which are supported by the BuzzBoards2 Internet-of-Things
kit (Figure 2) which provides a versatile and cost-effective
platform for learning computer science [15]. More
significantly, there is a growing view by governments around
the world that computer science is an important skill for
modern knowledge based economies. For example, in the UK
there is a government driven curriculum shift from an
application centred studies of ICT to more science oriented
studies of computing starting in pre-University education such
as the new AQA-GCSE Specifications for Computer Science
that will be implemented in UK schools from 2014 onwards
[2]. It is not just governments that are pushing such reforms but
so too are companies who depend on these skills to compete in
the global economy. For example Google strongly advocates
these policies [5]
Figure 2 BuzzBoards IoT Kit (some examples)
Likewise the software giant, Microsoft, has gone further
and urged primary schools to consider teaching Computer
Science, a view that has also found favour in the UK
Department of Education [4]. Studies [26] [27] suggested that a
customisable curriculum, which provides the flexibility to cater
the needs of individual students, is the way to go forward in
education. Some have argued that in order to employ the
concept effectively a ‘paradigm shift’ is required to restructure
society’s thinking, practices, and policies’ [25]. These studies
fit very well with the IoT which provides a rich and flexible
platform for students and faculty alike to explore and flourish.
Thus, given that the IoT mirrors these ideas and provides a
cheap versatile and highly motivating framework, we argue
2 www.fortito.com
that it is ideally placed to support these educational reforms.
Moreover, because it’s based on pervasive networking, we also
argue it fits well with the iCampus vision.