EMPOWERING STEM EDUCATION WITH IOT: BENEFITS, CHALLENGES, AND OPPORTUNITIES

STEM education aims to prepare students for careers in scientific and technological fields. One of such fields is IoT – Internet of things. The Internet of Things describes the network of physical objects – “things” – that are embedded with sensors, software, and other technologies for the purpose of connecting and exchanging data with other devices and systems over the Internet. These devices range from ordinary household objects to sophisticated industrial tools. With more than 7 billion connected IoT devices today, experts are expecting this number to grow to 22 billion by 2025 [3]. The exponentially growing IoT market presents compelling opportunities for innovators to develop and create meaningful applications affecting everyday life. This puts new demands on educational institutions to prepare students for IoT-relevant skills [1]. Integration of IoT in STEM education has the potential to transform the way we teach and learn STEM subjects.