The convergence of the digital and the physical
realms induced by the Internet of Education (IoEd) in the educational world is the new big trend in education.
Under the scheme of IoEd, a connected series of
devices assist learning and teaching. A
smart phone with a student, when interconnected on the internet, performs
beyond its original, primary function of
receipt and transmission of calls. This connectivity although a secondary
function, assumes import in the Age of IoT. The smart phone is equipped with
technology that helps the students to source from several channels of
information and knowledge which have networked knowledge sharing function such
as (access to video- films (You Tube,
Khan Academy, Ted Talks), social networks, (forum of Edunext, MOOCS) e-library (EBSCO); teaching/ learning education
delivery platforms (Blackboard, Moodle) and general news (from Reuters to Bloomberg alerts).
This
forward and backward linkages machine 2 machine (M2M) and Machines to Men (M2m)
are transforming the education field in gargantuan proportions. Online learning
is acquiring space and reducing the distance to education. In emerging economies,
IoEd is more equitable and avoids elitism. The Internet of Education induced advanced
digital learning transforms student lives by linking machines and systems to
teaching and learning processes. As these machines and systems are
interconnected, there are huge resultant learning economies and economies of
scale at a macro-level for huge sized emerging countries like China and India. Inaccessibility
ceases to be an issue, given the pervasiveness of digital devices like smart phones. The technological transformation
in the education landscape will result
in a 'big skill push' to the economy (compare the Make in India campaign of
India Government) with emphasis on 'across the board' skill development.
The
thinning of lines between online learning - click and mouse- and teaching services
in brick and mortar schools will open up hitherto untapped dimensions in
studies. Digital and physical learning would work in tandem. The inter-connectivity
will help reduce the time to learning for the students. The less performing
student will have a technical aid round the clock. Doubts are cleared in real
time and the learning cycle is shortened. Human interventions (which are rather
boring in actuality) are minimized thus augmenting productivity and value
creation in education. Teacher talk time is reduced. In MacAulay's language
'the agony is abated' for the student!
Machine
induced responsiveness leads to higher student satisfaction. The need for emerging
economies is to blend educational expertise with technological expertise. A plethora of digital-educational companies must spring up (Let a thousand
flowers bloom as Mao said) so that so that emerging economies run the race to
be ahead of the learning and experience curve.
Innovation,
design and learning need to be closely intertwined to learn from each other and
adapt to each other, Software development must be guided by the futuristic
needs of education. They must juxtapose with the objectives and horizons of the
educational hardware. Emerging economies may have to invest in software centres exclusively for
education. Software ought to be compatible with hardware availability as also
be adaptable to a diverse and huge country (say as in China or India). Connectivity is the contemporaneous confluence
of communication (machine 2 machine; machine to human), collaboration (between
hardware and software; between various education providers) and compatibility
(of systems and with jurisdictions).
Platforms
are essential to enable new learning. A powerful platform would have the following
features:
·
receipt of data
·
analytical
abilities;
·
predictive
abilities;
·
culling out
insights from information;
·
interpreting data
patterns on an ongoing basis;
·
simulative capabilities
·
optimal solution
suggestions
·
it must be cyber
- secure.
How will the platform help
the teacher?
·
It will equip
him/ her with analytics, simulation, and optimization solutions.
·
It will help by
sending across real time feedback;
·
It will assist in
optimizing and real timing decisions.
·
It will help him
strategize his approach;
·
It will help
exception management such as top performer expectations and least performing
student anxieties.
What should be the
deliverables the education sector should
be looking for?
·
Prediction
revealing education solutions
·
collecting real time
education data
·
providing education
intelligence
·
providing actionable
insights to teachers,
administrators and regulators
·
Smart software
tools
·
analytics'
abilities
·
algorithms to
help achieve higher levels of efficiency
·
A secure and
reliable cloud-based platform
·
monitoring and
control management systems with real-time visibility
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References for this Article:-
Annunziata, Marco ' The
Value of Interconnectedness: Toward a new kind of industrial
company ' General Electric
G´omeza Jorge, Hueteb Juan
F., Hoyosa Oscar, Perezc Luis, Grigorid , Daniela 'Interaction System Based on Internet of Things as Support for Education'
Procedia Computer Science 21 ( 2013 ) 132 – 139
Hannon, Valerie , Patton,
Alec and Temperley, Julie : 'Developing
an Innovation Ecosystem for Education' Cisco
Selinger , Michelle,
Sepulveda, Ana and Buchan, Jim 'Education
and the Internet of Everything How Ubiquitous Connectedness Can Help Transform Pedagogy' Cisco
***********
Note : These strands of
thought are a part of the research work being undertaken by the author on the
Internet of Education. Copyright of this material vests with the author, Jayaram
Nayar. He can be contacted at jaynayar@gmail.com
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