An Exploratory view of Application of Digital Twin Technology in Education

Abstract

Digital twins have gained significant attention and become a buzzword in recent years. The advancement of technologies such as the Internet of Things (IoT), artificial intelligence (AI), data analytics, and cloud computing has made it easier and more cost-effective to collect, analyze, and process vast amounts of data. This has enabled the creation and implementation of digital twins on a larger scale. Digital twins provide valuable insights and data- driven information to support decision-making. They enable organizations to simulate scenarios, test different strategies, and assess the impact of changes or interventions before implementing them in the physical world and thus help minimize risks and uncertainties associated with decision- making processes. Applications of Digital twins are not limited to specific industries or sectors. They have versatile applications across domains such as manufacturing, healthcare, transportation, smart cities, energy management etc. This broad applicability has contributed to the widespread interest and buzz around digital twins. The academic world has also not remained untouched with the advancement in this technology and efforts are on in the direction of designing Digital Twins for various aspects of education including supporting teaching, research, and administrative processes. As the technology continues to evolve, new and innovative applications are likely to emerge, transforming various aspects of teaching, learning, research, and administration in the academic sphere. In this study an effort is made to bring together the work carried out in the field of application of digital twins technology for teaching. Existing studies have been deliberated upon to analyze the progress and discover the prospects of bringing the digital teachers closer to human teachers. It can be inferred that as the technology continues to evolve, new and innovative applications are likely to emerge, transforming various aspects of teaching and learning in the academic sphere. It is also important to note that while digital twins of teachers hold potential benefits, their implementation and adoption in real-world educational settings are still developing. Ethical considerations such as data privacy, algorithmic bias, and the need for human involvement in teaching roles needs to be carefully addressed to ensure their effective and equitable use in education