Student perceptions on the Internet of Things - a case study from Alliance University, India

Abstract

It is estimated that in 2035 there will be more than 32 billion devices connected to the Internet that either collect and send raw data or that act upon instructions received from a cloud server or user interface. Many institutions now include the Internet of Things (IoT) in their curriculum as they seek to empower their students to become skilled in this field of expertise. The purpose of this article is to present third-year student perceptions on the IoT to determine their current understanding and willingness to adopt such a system. An exploratory case study is used that focuses on qualitative and quantitative data from one group of students (n = 47) from 2024. The results show that many students have a good understanding of what the terms IoT, open source, protocols and applications mean. Many students were convinced that it would be difficult to design and implement such a system, but that it should be done to benefit their communities, and especially in terms of improving waste management and relieving traffic congestion. Students were divided on the personal adoption of such a system, with many expressing concerns regarding privacy, security and trust. However, many students agreed that the main benefit was convenience. It is recommended to use these perceptions to improve current curricula to focus more on engendering confidence among students in the adoption of such systems.