Synergy of Internet of things and education: cyber-physical systems contributing towards remote laboratories, improved learning, and school management

Abstract

The modern Industrial Revolution has ushered in a wave of technological advancements, including the proliferation of over 20 billion digital identities associated with the Internet of Things (IoT) devices worldwide. Amid this complexity, IoT has emerged as a beacon of hope, offering multitudinous solutions from the perspectives of school management, instructors, and learners. The prime objective of this article is to review the current state-of-the-art in IoT and education specifically in areas like remote laboratories, improved learning, and school management. The implemented method is systematic literature review of IoT technology's practical applications and case studies to meet these key educational stakeholders' unique needs. The studies focus on remote labs, learning experiences, and campus administration. This comprehensive analysis gathered data from sources like Scopus and WoS and summarized insights from 122 articles. These cases encompass the foundational principles of IoT, its diverse applications in higher education, its challenges, and future avenues for research. Our findings indicate that (a) the implementation of IoT-based remote laboratories has transformed engineering education by enhancing the safety and operational efficiency of labs, improving students' comprehension of complex concepts, and facilitating a more interactive and engaging educational experience, (b) the integration of IoT systems within educational settings has profoundly enhanced both teaching and learning experiences by creating interactive, immersive environments and significantly improving student engagement and understanding through personalized and hands-on learning approaches, and (c) the integration of IoT technology within educational administration has significantly advanced the digitalization of traditional school management systems, enhancing administrative efficiency in areas such as schedule management, student records, and financial operations through automation, thereby streamlining processes and enhancing responsiveness in educational institutions. However, it must be noted that the current infrastructure, particularly in public universities, often falls short of fully harnessing IoT technologies to optimize the learning experience. Investments in infrastructure, teacher training, and curriculum design are imperative to fully leverage IoT's benefits for education.