What is internet of things?
Quick answer
The Internet of Things is a network of everyday devices fitted with sensors and connectivity, so they can report data and be controlled remotely.
Classes build a connected environmental monitor, then analyse a term of their own school's data.
In context
For students it is the most tangible route into data: build the device, collect real readings, then analyse what you gathered.
It also introduces security early, because a connected device is a device someone else can reach.
In a NASCA classroom
Classes build a connected environmental monitor, then analyse a term of their own school's data.
Related terms
Sensors and actuators
Sensors convert something physical, such as light or distance, into data a computer can read. Actuators do the reverse, turning a computer's decision into movement or output.
Cyber security
Cyber security is the practice of protecting systems, devices and data from unauthorised access, covering both technical controls and the human habits that defeat them.
Data science
Data science is the practice of turning raw data into decisions, through cleaning, analysis, visualisation and a clear account of what the numbers do and do not support.