Vigorous scouring of the internet for recent innovation in technology and education led me to the Internet of Things (IoT), a new term I hadn’t yet come across, but which caught my eye, and further led to diving into Ubiquitous Learning Environments (ULEs) and ultimately into Ubiquitous learning (U-learning) which marries ULEs and IoTs and some see as possibly a replacement to the traditional classroom and learning experience.  While I have entirely too many acronyms in my life as it is, IoT, ULE and U-Learning made the cut once I came to appreciate and foresee their future potential within education.

Internet of Things (IoT) is generally defined as an interconnected network of devices and “internet-enabled objects” (Haggar et al, 2021, p. 1) that allow for collaboration and interactive environments via data and knowledge transfer over the internet. These objects are not computers themselves, but everyday objects that instead have computing abilities, typically utilising sensors and quickly and efficiently transmit with minimal human involvement (Rose et al, 2015).

Ubiquitous Learning Environments (ULEs) happen when the learner can completely immerse themselves into the learning environment, so much so that the learning is happening almost organically versus intentionally; there is no action needed on the part of the learner aside from being present.  Jones and Jo define each word in ULE as follows:

“Ubiquitous = pervasive, omnipresent, ever present, everywhere
Learning = educational, instructive, didactic, pedagogical
Environment = surroundings, setting, situation, atmosphere” (2004, np).

Note that neither IoT nor ULEs are particularly new or novel ideas in 2023. I was able to find resources for both spanning back prior to the 2000s. Where the innovation is really seen, in my opinion, is when IoT and ULE are combined and move toward U-learning.

Ubiquitous Learning (U-learning) attempts toprovide an anywhere, anytime, anyplace delivery of the learning experience by utilizing IoT such as mobile devices and other internet-compatible objects along with a ULE setting (Cardenas-Robledo & Pena-Ayala, 2018). This anywhere, anytime, anyplace delivery encompasses physical (indoor/outdoor) as well as diverse deliveries (virtual reality, digital, etc.) and functionalities (games, reviews, etc.) Because of the multiple options just listed and the fact that U-Learning is a fairly new field, there isn’t a clear-cut method yet on how best to utilise and “most of u-learning applications are ad-hoc made to satisfy specific needs” (Cardenas-Robledo & Pena-Ayala, 2018, np), tailored to meet the specific situation and learner’s needs.

               I believe that U-learning is attractive to today’s learners; this newer generation of learners who will grow up with smart phones available as far back as they can remember will likely thrive in an environment where IoT technology is fundamental to the learning experience and built into the ULE. This paper by Tu et al (2016) focuses specifically on how to incorporate “mobile social presence” into U-learning for example. And there is appeal in the promise to make learning available in such diverse ways to meet the needs of the individual learner, with an emersion in both the academic and practical applications of the teaching.

With the positives of U-Learning also comes risk: IoT opens the door to “significant risks to security and privacy, including unauthorized access, DoS attacks, and interference with wireless signals” (El-Haggar et al, 2023, np). And since there is no concrete standard as of yet to U-learning framework and design, it could be challenging to adapt with those who are leery of new technology and ideas in the field of education. Another aspect to consider is the preconceived notion that this technology is only appropriate to young learners due to familiarity with IoT, therefore focus on adults’ life-long learning and suitable interfaces for those not as comfortable with IoT will be required (Cardenas-Robledo & Pena-Ayala, 2018).

With my busy schedule of full-time work, full-time parenting, and full-time studies, U-learning sounds like the way of the future as a personalized anywhere, anyplace, anytime option to fit my schedule. That said, I will stay optimistically curious about the technology until I see how the safety and personal data risks are handled and how the technology is further defined as it matures.

Cárdenas-Robledo, L. A., & Peña-Ayala, A. (2018). Ubiquitous learning: A systematic review. Telematics and Informatics, 35(5), 1097-1132.

El-Haggar, N., Amouri, L., Alsumayt, A., Alghamedy, F. H., & Aljameel, S. S. (2023). The Effectiveness and Privacy Preservation of IoT on Ubiquitous Learning: Modern Learning Paradigm to Enhance Higher Education. Applied Sciences, 13(15), 9003.

Jones, V., & Jo, J. H. (2004, December). Ubiquitous learning environment: An adaptive teaching system using ubiquitous technology. In Beyond the comfort zone: Proceedings of the 21st ASCILITE Conference (Vol. 468, p. 474).

Rose, K., Eldridge, S., & Chapin, L. (2015). The internet of things: An overview. The internet society (ISOC), 80, 1-50.