Internet of Things in education: A tool for science learning

Abstract

In many educational systems, such as the Portuguese, the textbook tends to remain as the main resource used in Basic Education classes in Sciences. By opposition, there is little prevalence of experimental work and, an abstract and, encyclopedic teaching continues to subsist, which often resorts to outdated and unrelated data of the student's reality. One possibility for the enrichment of the learning environments in Sciences is the Internet of Things that can enhance “hypersituation” environments of learning with data obtained in real time and contextualized in the reality of the student. This article presents an overview on the use of the Internet of Things in Education, highlighting potentialities and challenges, and listing some of the programmatic contents of Physical and Natural Sciences (grades 7th to 9th) that can be approached using the Internet of Things. Finally presents a device based on Internet technology of Things designed to be used in classes of Natural Sciences and Physics of the 3rd cycle of Basic Education Portuguese (levels 7th to 9th).