Early Promotion of Academic Education Through Practical Courses in the Context of Smart IoT Systems

In this paper, we present an approach for integrating Internet of Things (IoT) technologies into academic curricula, focusing on practical implementation and early exposure to multidisciplinary IoT concepts. The course structure is designed to provide hands-on experience with IoT applications in the first two semesters of an engineering degree, aiming to bridge the gap between theoretical knowledge and practical skills at an early stage. Through a series of nine units, students engage in experiments and mini-projects that cover essential IoT topics such as sensor and actuator integration, WiFi communication, low-energy concepts, bus systems, and audio signal processing with a minimum of theoretical introduction. The use of readily available microcontroller boards, like the ESP32-DevKitC, along with intuitive programming environments and community-developed libraries, facilitates the demystification of complex IoT technologies. The proposed approach not only enhances students' technical competencies but also fosters a sense of achievement and prepares them for advanced studies.