Open AccessThe SymbIOTics System: Designing an Internet of Things Platform for Elementary School Students
Author(s) -
Sara Willner-Giwerc,
Chris Rogers,
Kristen Wendell
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
international journal of designs for learning
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
ISSN - 2159-449X
DOI - 10.14434/ijdl.v11i2.26719
Subject(s) - internet of things , the internet , computer science , multimedia , interface (matter) , human–computer interaction , world wide web , bubble , maximum bubble pressure method , parallel computing
We describe a LEGO-compatible Internet of Things Technology (IoT) designed to enable elementary school students to learn about IoT by building their own smart, connected products. The Internet of Things is any network of physical devices that can share information over the internet. Using small, Wi-Fi enabled microprocessors, Grove sensors, digital fabrication tools, LEGO bricks, and the LabVIEW programming interface; an IoT system was designed specifically for use in elementary school classrooms. This design case details the barriers to entry that exist for using the Internet of Things with young students, the design decisions made to lower those barriers to entry, and the results of a pilot study conducted using the developed technology with second-grade students.