Beacon technology has been adopted by some campus
stores because of its potential for proximity marketing. Institutions are
starting to find ways to make the technology work in the classroom as well.
Beacons emit short-range Bluetooth signals to mobile
apps that allow retailers to deliver location-based content, such as sales and
directions to certain merchandise. Colleges and universities have found the
technology useful in helping students navigate the campus, tracking
attendance, granting access to buildings, and identifying where students are during
an emergency.
They are also being used to restrict Wi-Fi access to
students’ mobile devices when the professor enters the room.
“Coupled
with the growth in use of mobile devices by students and academics, beacons
have significant potential to dramatically transform learning by offering new
ways to students to interact with their peers and tutors,” researchers from
Sheffield Hallam University in England wrote in a Research in LearningTechnology abstract.
“The potential benefits of beacons suggest that they are powerful, yet simple,
unobtrusive and flexible technology that can be applied to a wide variety of
situations within higher education.”
