Wave goodbye to your favourite Staedtler pencil and matching eraser, modern learning environments are now using the Internet of Things and other technologies.

Devices such as smart boards, wearables, eBooks and tablets, collaborative classrooms, smart lighting and video/motion trackers are fast becoming popular in the classroom.

More than 600 primary, secondary and higher education IT managers participated in a recent survey conducted by Extreme Networks.

The results revealed that 46% of participants believe smart schools will have a major impact on the education system over the next couple of years.

However, it shows only nine percent have implemented parts of a smart school plan and only three percent plan to do so in the next one to three years.

Ilan Rubin, managing director of Wavelink, says that smart schools are the future for all institutions.

"The benefits provided by these advanced technologies are endless. Some of the most important benefits include increased student engagement, the ability to take advantage of mobile learning, a more personalised education, improved efficiency, and reduced costs," says Rubin.

“Implementing a smart school does not come without risks, of course. Installing proper security measures, and providing appropriate training around this technology is crucial when introducing the smart school concept," he adds.

According to the survey 50% of the respondents indicated security and privacy risks as a major issue.

“Educational institutions will have to take some preliminary measures when implementing a smart school concept into their existing environment but, once the initial challenges are out of the way, they can reap the benefits and take learning to a new level," says Rubin.