Using Internet of Things in a Learning Management System for Campus Access Control

Abstract

The Internet of Things (IoT) paradigm is an innovative technology that connects any physical object smartly to the Internet in order to exchange, store and process real-time data with its surrounding environment and people. IoT plays a vital role in the education area where the need to have a “smart” environment instead of a conventional one has arisen. Many “smart” services are implemented in university campuses such as smart lighting, tracking and parking by using environment, security or safety sensors to detect motion, smoke, fire or water; automate the opening/closing of doors or lighting and monitoring university equipment [1]. However, these functionalities can be extended to the university Learning Management System (LMS) that is a centralized educational platform used by most universities to host, create, and deliver online courses to students. In this paper, we discuss the integration process between LMS and IoT, its importance in the education sector and its main applications. We emphasize on a “security” enhancement feature to be added to an existing university LMS, to meet the urgent need of secure access to campus events and reduce the risk of emergencies and public safety threats. The paper presents the design and implementation of the “security” feature that uses an Arduino IoT device to allow secure access to university events from MOODLE LMS.