Assisting Information Systems students to Engage with the Internet of Things (IoT)

The Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) will dramatically change our work and personal lives. New developments in the fields of artificial intelligence, big data and the internet of things (IoT) hold big promise but also present challenges to our entire society. However, only a very small fraction of the population is sufficiently versed in the new technologies to be able to make informed decisions on matters that will affect all our future lives. In addition, many people feel threatened and fear that they will lose their jobs. Even students in the fields of Information Systems (IS) and IT management do not feel familiar with and confident about their ability to navigate the world of 4IR. This study reports on a series of projects that have been undertaken in South Africa to encourage IS/IT students and professionals to embrace IoT technologies and to upskill themselves in this field. The projects have been undertaken from 2016 to 2019 at a South African university, by making use of a makerspace as well as a maker philosophy. Results indicate that the students and professionals were able to increase their skills as well as their confidence and attitude to engage with IoT technology. The contribution of this study is to suggest good practices for the use of IoT and a maker philosophy to prepare students and professionals for the world of 4IR.