Internet of Things (IoT)-based Learning Framework to Facilitate STEM Undergraduate Education

Internet of Things (IoT) is rapidly emerging as the next generation of communication infrastructure, where myriad of multi-scale sensors and devices are seamlessly blended for ubiquitous computing and communication. The rapid growth of IoT applications has increased the demand for experienced professionals in the area. Since few, if any, dedicated IoT courses are currently offered, most Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) students will have limited or no exposure to IoT development until after graduation, and inadequately prepared in IoT development to enter into the workforce. Therefore, we have implemented an IoT-based learning framework to facilitate STEM undergraduate education. The design challenges of the novel learning framework are discussed in the paper. Subsequently, we established effective learning approaches to address the challenges. Specifically, we have introduced a lab development kit composed of Raspberry™ Pi/Arduino™ boards and sets of sensors with Zigbee™ supporting to provide wireless communication.