Will The Internet of Everything Change the Way Students Learn?

Think back to your favorite class in school. How would that class be different if it took place today? My favorite was a 7th grade art class. While it’s hard to imagine Mrs. Vincent in a modern classroom with a tablet or smartphone, I know she would be on the cutting edge of art education.

The dynamics of what a traditional classroom looks like have evolved from the old chalkboard and teacher-centered classrooms into connected technology hubs, with online lesson plans, virtual fieldtrips, flipped classrooms and MOOCs. As technology advances, it is changing the way students learn and access education.

In his recent blog post, Dave Evans examines what the future of education looks like through the lens of of the Internet of Everything (IoE). Students will experience a rich virtual classroom—attending lectures, asking questions, participating in real-time discussions with instructors anywhere in the world. Dave points out that in the future, due to the availability of information, it’s possible that formal education will become less about attaining knowledge, and more about how to analyze, evaluate, and use the unlimited information readily available.

I’m sure Mrs. Vincent would be thrilled at the possibilities technology brings to learning today. While the in-person, face-to-face aspect of learning will always be crucial, using technology to make it happen opens up a whole new world of teaching and learning.