Each year that passes, new technologies are developed and introduced that disrupt how industries are driven and how individuals and businesses carry out their day-to-day activities. IoT (Internet of Things) solutions are no exception to this.
Today, IoT has permeated all areas of our lives, from the convenience we have in our homes using virtual assistants to the automation and efficiency it creates when completing various business processes.
However, as more use cases for IoT technology continue to be discovered, universities around the country are starting to see its benefits when looking to introduce effective campus management strategies.
IoT Applications in Campus Infrastructure Management
IoT is helping to redefine how universities and other educational organizations manage their supporting infrastructure, helping to optimize energy consumption in buildings while also creating more proactive maintenance scheduling.
Smart Building Management
What makes IoT solutions so effective is their reliance on sensors and devices to create one unified network of data exchange. When applied in campus buildings, monitoring everything from temperatures and humidity to occupancy levels becomes much easier.
Having a way to seamlessly collect all of this information gives IoT the flexibility to implement more intelligent systems into facilities. This can include anything from automatically adjusting lighting and AC systems to monitoring the performance of important equipment and providing the real-time status information necessary to schedule important maintenance routines.
Considering the additional costs associated with unexpected major repairs to heating and cooling systems, having an immediately available view of how a facility runs helps avoid major breakdowns and allows for more predictable spending needs.
Resource Allocation and Space Optimization
Most educational facilities operate on limited budgets, which means they must optimize their resource allocation and make the most of the physical space they have to work with. IoT networks collect the data necessary to make better decisions in both of these areas.
Multiple occupancy sensors located in communal areas like classrooms and libraries help provide insights and trends into how each educational space is being utilized. This can unlock new opportunities for introducing optimal changes to class schedules or adjusting curriculums to make the best use of teachers and when choosing the right classroom sizes.
Managing parking at educational facilities is another area that needs constant attention. By using a collection of IoT devices in parking garages, universities can provide real-time parking statistics to students and teachers while also better-recognizing peak times and seasons, which can assist with dynamic parking price strategies.
Improved Campus Security and Safety
Ensuring the safety and security of all in attendance at the university is critical. IoT has a number of helpful solutions to assist educational facilities in this regard.
Access Control and Surveillance
Unfortunately, there is more need to improve safety initiatives in universities across the U.S. While there are a variety of ways to approach this issue, improving physical access control systems and protocols is one the most impactful at the moment.
A significant stride in this area can be attributed to inclusion of IoT based security measures. Now, organizations are beginning to use smart cards and biometric authentication procedures using mobile phones to help restrict access to buildings and classrooms.
Having these physical access requirements in place helps universities ensure that only authorized personnel or students are entering the areas they’re assigned to. Digitizing these physical access levels is also highly beneficial in the event of a security investigation, allowing local authorities to monitor campus activity in real-time.
Emergency Management Systems
Another important area of campus security has to do with being able to respond quickly in the event of an emergency and having the right systems and protocols in place to support faculty and students.
In the event of an emergency, IoT sensors help to detect dangerous levels of smoke or gas and can automatically trigger fire safety alarms to alert anyone in the building. At the same time, these intelligent systems can notify emergency services without human intervention, sending either text messages or push notifications to the proper authorities.
Enhancing the Student Experience and Engagement Levels
The benefits of IoT integrations aren’t just limited to infrastructure and security – is can also actively contribute to improving the learning environment for students on campus.
Personalized Learning Environments
The large amounts of data collected by IoT devices around campus can provide a lot of information about students’ preferences and learning patterns. This allows universities to create more customized education experiences for classes.
For example, when using digital learning platforms, the data gathered from IoT devices can help shape the content length and format based on how well students perform in certain areas.
While a curriculum wouldn’t be constructed based on every individual’s personal preferences or engagement levels, it can help to provide a more holistic view of how information is being distributed and absorbed to give educators important insights that can be useful long-term.
Connected Campus Services
An IoT-enabled campus provides more flexibility in incorporating intelligent digital services for students and faculty. This includes the ability to offer real-time information on library resources or class schedules as well as a number of other useful services like booking transportation or offering dining menus for cafeterias.
In large campuses, universities can develop IoT-powered wayfinding systems that help students navigate throughout the facility and let them know how far away their next class is.
Challenges and Considerations in IoT Implementation
While the potential benefits of IoT in university campus management are undeniable, there are certain challenges and considerations that institutions need to address before adopting these solutions:
- Data Privacy and Security – Because IoT devices collect a lot of personal data, it’s important to recognize the potential security issues that implementing them can introduce.
- Cost and Scalability – When adopting IoT, limited budgets can be a considerable hurdle for educational facilities. Creating a comprehensive solution can require significant resources, and understanding the costs associated with infrastructure developments is critical before beginning an IoT project.
- Standardization and Integration – Developing an IoT solution from the ground up can be time-intensive and require major investments in outsourcing to see it through. This is primarily due to the complexity associated with creating interoperability between disparate systems and devices.
Creating More Innovative University Campuses
IoT presents many unique opportunities for universities to considerably improve their efficiency and capabilities when managing security and educational performance. While fully adopting IoT into campus does require a certain level of due diligence, there is no doubt that as technology continues to improve, universities will be able to create safer and more engaging experiences for faculty and students.
