Recent classes •lectures have seen a new format called "online classes", conducted on the web instead of in-person due to the impact of COVID-19, beginning to spread throughout society. Now that the state of emergency has been lifted and lectures are being held both online •offline, there is a need to create an environment where students and professors can learn comfortably and safely both at home and on campus.
In this article, we will explain and introduce examples of cutting-edge "smart campuses" that utilize ICT technology.
What is a Smart Campus
A smart campus refers to a campus where all facilities and equipment on campus are connected to the internet, enabling automatic control of facilities and equipment.
Using internet connections, campuses in rural areas can be linked with campuses in urban centers, and through collaboration with regional facilities and companies, the scope of learning can be expanded, enabling research in various fields.
What Can Be Done with Smart Campuses
Paperless Operations Become Possible
Paperless operations are realized by introducing systems that can complete the distribution of handouts, submission of reports, tests, and attendance online, and by uploading books and materials stored in campus libraries to the web.
The emergence of digital libraries has the advantage of allowing books and materials that previously required a visit to the library to be read at home, and also eliminates the problem of desired materials being "checked out" and unavailable. Additionally, it serves as an infection control measure by eliminating contact with books used by an unspecified number of people.
Easy Securing of Study Rooms
When wanting to use a study room during breaks between classes or after school, previously one had to actually go to the study room and could only use it if it was vacant, but by introducing a system that tracks vacant rooms, students can check which study rooms are available on smartphones or PCs, and a reservation system allows booking according to desired usage times.
Optimize Indoor Brightness with Automatic Blinds
When giving presentations during lectures, by storing that information in the system in advance, the light entering the room at that time can be adjusted to create the optimal brightness for viewing projectors and LCD monitors.
Easy Attendance Confirmation
By distributing IC cards to each student, it is possible to track which students attended or were absent from class. Additionally, by introducing a system that can take attendance online, attendance rates can be immediately converted to data.
In addition, by utilizing the extensive campus grounds, security during off-peak vacation periods and coordination between buildings can also be managed.
Case Study
We will introduce examples of schools that have actually made their campuses smart and created smart campuses.
Taisho University
Taisho University accelerated its digital transformation (DX) initiatives in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. In October 2020, the university signed a cooperation agreement with SoftBank to introduce IoT systems in university education, research activities, and campus operations, aiming to realize a smart university.
By incorporating cutting-edge technology utilizing big data into education and implementing various initiatives that connect not only within the school but also with the local community, smartification is creating possibilities for "learning" that extend beyond the campus.
(Reference:https://www.softbank.jp/biz/blog/business/articles/202101/dx-case-study/)
Kindai University
Based on a comprehensive partnership agreement with the NTT Group, Kindai University has established a 5G environment on campus and is working on creating a smart university •smart campus and developing educational •research applications through 5G demonstration experiments.
Through involvement in active demonstration experiments, faculty and students receive significant stimulation, expanding new possibilities for the university.
(Reference:https://www.kindai.ac.jp/campus-life/nttdocomocooperate/smartcampus/)
Curtin University, Singapore
The university has introduced Hitachi's IoT solutions to promote smart campus development. By installing various sensors throughout the campus and collecting and analyzing data at a high level, it has become possible to collect diverse data such as student movements, learning patterns, and faculty •staff work conditions.
This data becomes important for all kinds of school improvements. Based on the data, areas for improvement in lecture content and learning materials have become clear.
(Reference:
https://www.activio.asia/post/%E3%82%B9%E3%83%9E%E3%83%BC%E3%83%88%E3%82%AD%E3%83%A3%E3%83%B3%E3%83%91%E3%82%B9%E3%81%B8%E3%81%AE%E5%8F%96%E3%82%8A%E7%B5%84%E3%81%BF)
By conducting corporate smart technology experiments on campus, students can experience IoT systems firsthand, which will be a valuable experience.
Summary
By collecting all kinds of information on campus from sensors and internet connections, it is possible to visualize vacant room status and areas for improvement in lecture content.
While the smartification introduced so far has mainly been for improving facility convenience and optimizing living environments, smartification of campuses not only optimizes facilities but also expands the scope of learning that was previously restricted through remote experiments •classes using 5G connections, utilizing methods suited to educational institutions.
Even when we say "smartification", there are various uses depending on the facilities and environments being made smart.
Won't the smartification of campuses that expands the scope of learning continue to spread increasingly in the future?