Role of Drones in Future Education
Drones—land, underwater, and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs)—offer many benefits to teachers and students. Drones, and UAVs in particular, are great complementary tools for STEM education. Students benefit from exposure to technology, show signs of increased knowledge retention, and experience learning at the individual or group level. Teachers benefit from quality resources such as coding software with professionally designed lessons. As a form of technology, drones are both simple and complex. Studies have shown that using technology helps with data retention. When students use technology, they often participate in groups or at least actively participate in the learning process. From interactive whiteboards to laptops and Chrome books that kids use for schoolwork, technology is ever-present in the classroom. However, it is used more as a tool than a learning opportunity. Kids may be digital natives, but it's only about using technology, not creating or working with it.
Bridging the Gap Between Technology Use and Creation
They have no innate knowledge of coding, programming, or engineering. These skills must be taught, then the use of drones appears in the teaching. The education sector quickly realized that drones are changing the face of many industries, and their students need to understand and familiarize themselves with the future if they want to succeed after graduation. Any school, college, or university that offers hands-on drone training and integrates UAVs into their courses and classes has a clear competitive advantage in securing top students. In particular, drones are advancing in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) subjects. Few modern tools in this category are better than drones. When students are exposed to UAVs in the classroom, they can learn complex concepts like aviation in an easy-to-digest format.
Simplifying Complex Concepts Through Practical Learning
Understanding the physics that makes an airplane fly can be difficult to teach some classes using traditional methods. If instead of looking at the math behind lift and drag, the student learns by flying the drone the concept is often much clearer. Plus, drones are great tools for teaching design fundamentals. For a drone to dive, drive, or fly, it must operate within certain parameters. The design of an unmanned aerial vehicle must work in such a way that principles such as lift and drag are respected. Using a 3D printer, students learn why individual components, such as propellers, are designed a certain way and can independently test design deviations and how they affect performance.
Integrating Programming into Classroom Activities
Drones bring programming into the classroom. Several high-quality apps and programs help teach coding through UAS. Some programs allow teachers and students to perform multiple tasks with their drones using coding instructions. Others allow the drone to "learn" to fly itself. Ideally, students can design their drone and program as part of project-based learning. Young children can even understand programming using drag-and-drop code blocks that combine to make the drone perform tasks right before their eyes.
Exploring Artistic Perspectives with Drones
From an artistic perspective, drones can expose students to photography and video. Much of our learning involves changing perspectives and challenging what we know about the world around us. Drones can be the first time a student sees the world from a different perspective. Some teachers have successfully used aerial photography to teach map-making, as a tool for learning new languages, to draw mathematical concepts, and in other ways.
Fostering Individual and Group Learning
Drones work well as tools for both individuals and groups. The student learns the responsibility of flying independently and at the same time gains self-confidence. Teamwork in a group can demonstrate how students who barely know anything about drones can start from scratch as a unit and design, build, program, and fly their team's creation. Trainers are tireless professionals who are constantly looking for new ways to enhance training. With the right guidance, drones can be easily integrated into the classroom. The benefits of UAV technology, especially as part of STEM curricula are well worth the investment.
Diverse Applications of Drones in Education
Drones are used for various purposes such as:
• Geography - Using multispectral mapping cameras for flow analysis.
• Geology - Using HD cameras to observe rock formations in hard-to-reach places, recording coastal erosion, and even using LIDAR.
• Agricultural research - precision farming techniques, crop spraying techniques, husbandry, and observation.
• Surveying/Mapping - teaching new surveying and surveying techniques. Pix4D allows students to learn to create large and highly detailed 3D models and maps based on data
collected during a drone flight.
• Environmental studies - use of air emission sensors to analyze pollution levels and photographic/video evidence of land/water pollution.
• Marine research – marine mammal monitoring, ocean or flora/fauna sampling, ocean environmental data recording.
• Engineering - Provides a unique perspective on challenging engineering projects, production lines, and the actual design and construction of drones.
• Media - Media students can easily make great movies with cameras mounted on drones.
Also, read this blog post: Drones - A Revolutionary Technology for Agriculture
Preparing Students for Future Careers
College courses using drones also offer students another clear and immediate advantage: the massive UAV industry is poised to explode in the next few years. Any institution that offers drone flying as part of its curriculum immediately gives its students a strong advantage for future graduation and new careers. A company that already uses drones wants new graduates who already know the technology. Drones not only provide learning tools for students and teachers but also help break the monotony of the school day. By giving students and faculty a break from the arduous task of focusing on the same topics over and over again, drones help bring the fun back into learning.
Ankita Singh
Assistant Professor
SAGE SCHOOL OF MANAGEMENT