How can we use IoT technology in school?

IoT-hubb Skola is a Triple Helix project that is part-financed by Vinnova within the framework of their Strategic Innovation Program for the Internet of Things. The Internet of Things (IoT) market is likely to explode when 5G spreads. It will probably lead to significant changes in more and more areas of society, and eventually also in schools.

So far, there is almost no research at all on what IoT means for the school’s educational activities. Therefore, it is crucial to explore the possibilities. What obstacles and opportunities arise when connected sensors, microphones, cameras and other digital technology solutions are used in teaching?

In IoT-hubb Skola the Cities of Kungsbacka, Lidingö, Eskilstuna, Västerviks, Falköpings and Skellefteå and the independent school organisers NTI Gymnasiet, Rytmus and Stadsmissionens Skolstiftelse work with RISE, Stockholm University and Atea. The City of Kungsbacka is the project owner, while RISE handles the project management.

The preparatory work, which has been going on for about a year, was completed on 9 May. On this day, they published three reports. One presents the results of the needs inventory that RISE carried out among its school partners, another presents current international research and the third highlights important issues concerning integrity, security and ethics.

Now the foundation is laid, and it is time to start the practical work out, says Lars Lingman, project manager for IoT.hubb Skola at RISE.

- I am pleased that all of our school partners have joined the project. Together, we will run several test cases with many users, which gives us a sound basis for scientific analysis. Of course, it’s also nice that everyone wants to be part of this journey and find out what they can do with IoT in school.

It will inspire us to see what the results of this project will be, says Åsa Blide Larsson, unit manager at the Pre-school and primary school administration in the City of Kungsbacka.

- Before we started the project at Furulidsskolan in Kungsbacka, children in a preschool class, together with pupils in second and fifth grade, gave us their thoughts about the opportunities of this technology. How can teaching become better and more fun when we connect everything to the Internet? Some of them realised it is possible to use a connected robot for students who cannot be physically present in the classroom, This is a solution that we will test when the new school year starts.

We will do several tests together with our partners to explore the possibilities, says Lars Lingman.

- Our first test case is about measuring the air quality in the classroom by using air sensors. British research demonstrates low carbon content in the classroom makes it easier for pupils to keep their concentration.

The air sensors can also be useful in teaching, from preschool to secondary school. In Kungsbacka, preschool teachers at Björkris förskola will use them in educational conversations about sustainability with three-year-old children, adds Åsa Blide Larsson.

- The preschool already has an outdoor sensor, and the teachers now want an indoor sensor. The teachers will use the collected data when they talk with children about what happens to the air and what it means for the environment. At the moment, they are brainstorming possible solutions.

Another test case will use a prototype of Robbit, a cheap remote-controlled robot, based on open hardware and software, developed by RISE. With the help of Robbit, sick students and school refusers can be present in the classroom at a distance. There are already several commercial robots that can handle this, but they cost around SEK 35,000, and the companies also charge a quite large subscription fee every month.

The user can usually put together Robbit on its own, and the parts are not expensive. A mobile phone functions as a computer and the built-in camera and microphone are also being used. A chassis, printed on a 3D printer, keep the components together. A server solution based on open-source code handles all communication between the pupil and the classroom.

This is a cheap and flexible solution that we strongly believe in, says Lars Lingman.

- All of our school partners will test Robbit, and some of them are already using it. In Falkenberg and Kungsbacka, for example, teachers in the schools have put together a Robbit by themselves. To speed up distribution, Jacob Michelsen and Martin Johansson at RISE are currently putting together some robots that will send to the schools. I am eager to see how well Robbit is doing in comparison with commercial solutions.

Researchers at the Department of Computer and Systems Science at Stockholm University t will start another test case in the autumn. Sensors will map teachers’ physical movements in the classroom. This makes it possible to analyse how their movements affect students’ learning, says Lars Lingman.

- People usually talk about a golden triangle in the classroom. It means that to get the maximum benefit from the teaching, a student must sit at the front or in the middle. One way for the teacher to handle this can be to move more in the classroom and among the students. Our technology partners will develop a way to measure the movements down to the centimetre level. The visualisation will show how the teacher interacts with the pupils.

The purpose is not to monitor teachers, but to create better support for the development of teaching methodologies. They should be able to use the visualisations as an aid when they reflect on their teaching and how it might be improved.

p>The challenge with IoT is to find an appropriate balance between needs, benefits, integrity and security, says Lars Lingman.

- There are many possibilities, but the development should always start with the teachers’ and pupils’ needs. One challenge is that there are only a few pedagogical solutions in this area. But this also needs that there is a lot to explore! After the summer, we will take a fresh look at our partners’ needs. Then we will find out how we can meet them.

IoT is a technology that is mostly invisible and also very powerful. We must keep this in mind in the project, concludes Åsa Blide Larsson.

- If students realise the possibilities and understand how the technology works, they can become more aware and critical citizens. It is something we need to highlight during the rest of the project. A critical understanding of how this technology can be used and misused has great importance for tomorrow’s society and everyday life.