Challenges and Opportunities of Using Iot in Engineering Education: The African Perspective

Abstract

Engineering Education has been transforming rapidly in recent years with the advancement of innovative technology. COVID-19 adversely affected engineering programs in terms of the delivery of those courses that have laboratory and experimental components. The world is looking forward to the best solutions to emerge out of the effects of COVID-19 for such programs. The Internet of things (IoT) is creating enormous opportunities for education in general, and engineering education in particular needs to swiftly use the opportunities that are associated with IoT. Virtual interaction between the students and instructors improves learning remotely through E-learning. Academics can develop animated lessons; tutorials based on online delivery and can share the study 230materials through virtual classrooms. Also, lectures and case studies using videos and visuals accessed through the IoT make learning joyful and efficient since students can access and watch them at their own time. Engineering educators are trying to develop IoT infrastructures to support Higher Education in Science, Technology, and Engineering. They are continuously developing IoT infrastructure, which allows rapid building of multiple diverse IoT applications with minimum technical skills. Can the African environment, known for poor infrastructure, constant power outages, unstable, and expensive internet connection, support E-learning through application of IoT technologies?