Affordance of Internet of Things for educational resources management for E-learning domain

Abstract

The Internet of Things (IoT) offers dual dimensions of affordance for educational resources management (ERM), particularly in a Comprehensive open distance e-learning institution in South Africa. The affordance of IoT for educational resources management is not well articulated in a CODEL institution. The study aimed to establish the role of IoT in the administration and management of educational resources. Technology affordance theory is used to establish the role, perceptions, and causality of IoT affordance in ERM. The research opted for the qualitative approach to establish the role and causality of the IoT affordance of ERM. The study found that the CODEL institution is IoT-driven when handling ERM. The main contribution relates to two propositions such as South African higher education institutions, including the CODEL institution, require the articulation and realignment of an IoT-driven business enterprise system for the implementation of OER in tuition; and in an IoT-driven context such as CODEL, where OER are implemented, there is a motive for academics and institutions to develop an Artificial Intelligence or interactive robot for creating and locating OER. It suggests that CODEL should realign its business enterprise system with IoT-driven infrastructure and adopt artificial intelligence practices for OER advancement. Future research should investigate the availability of IoT in all South African higher education institutions.