Dive Brief:
- Inspired by Internet of Things (IoT) advances, colleges are looking at new applications for the technology in fields including facilities management, parking and transportation and utilities, Ed tech Magazine reported.
- Carnegie Melon University is setting goals to conserve energy and save money by capturing data on facility use, such as lighting and data, and partnering with IBM to make adjustments as needed.
- Students are coming to campus with on average up to seven IoT devices each. Some campuses are taking advantage of the interest around the technology by creating research centers to develop new IoT technologies.
Dive Insight:
Recent figures estimate worldwide IoT spending at more than $1 trillion by 2020, fueled largely by hardware purchases. But it's not all step counters and smart watches — a large percentage of that hardware is actually modules and sensors, used to collect data on temperature, consumption, and activity — all fertile ground for campuses to leverage in order to enhance the academic experience.
The growth of the technology represents an opportunity for higher ed, both in finding novel ways to take advantage of IoT data collection and smart consumption, but also in research and preparing students for career readiness. In a world where drone- and IoT-related jobs are growing at a brisk clip, these positions will likely supplant lower-wage manual jobs with higher-level tech jobs in the process.