Track: IoT

Abstract

The Internet of Things (IoT) is a technological trend or development that is changing the world in several amazing ways. It is a technological trend or development that developing countries such as Zimbabwe can adopt to jumpstart their economies so as to improve the welfare of their populations. This technological trend has expeditiously captivated the global attention with business organisations, academia and governments assigning high priority to them. Reviewed literature shows that most developed economies have embraced and implemented IoT technologies in tertiary education institutions resulting in the improvement of the learning experience and management of resources, an opposite characteristic of developing economies such as Zimbabwe which still lag behind with regards to technological stature of institutions of higher learning. The focus of this paper is to explore the potential that IoT holds for the tertiary education sector in Zimbabwe. The study develops a framework to harness the power of IoT in Zimbabwe’s education sector that institutions of higher learning can adopt in their quest to drive the nation’s socio economic development. This is achieved through the exploration of a case study (University of Zimbabwe) on the feasibility, possible adoption options and how this enhances the return on the ICT investments already made on the existing ICT infrastructure. The case study analysis process undertaken sheds more light on both positive and negative factors that require consideration when IoT is set to be implemented in the education sector. A framework for the adoption was developed and recommendations rendered.