getting started with iBeaconguide for education

You’re already using iPads in the classroom so you know how they can transform learning.

You’re also using iPads with some amazing apps to create your own digital content, so you know what excites students and makes them really think about learning in a different way.

But now it’s possible to take things much further…

With iBeacon you can make your iPads aware of their surroundings - where they are and what’s nearby. iBeacon gives your iPad eyes allowing it to automatically share your favourite digital content that is relevant to a specific time and place.

Now it’s time for you to explore iBeacon, so lets get started…

introducing iBeacon

the locly app

You can use the Locly app to login and setup your iBeacon projects. It’s where all your content will be displayed and it’s what your students will use to interact with your beacons. Learn more about the features of the app in our guide on SlideShare: slideshare.net/locly

where you can connect the content on your iPad to places in the physical world

find how to guides and resources on SlideShare

you can also login to locly online

For those of you who find it easier to work on a laptop, you can access your account online. From here you can setup your projects, create your content and manage your beacons - it’s a bit like WordPress. Also, depending on your account type you can also:

• manage users and groups • setup and configure beacons • control which projects go in your custom apps

providing a little more room to work as well as a few additional features

these are your projects and you can create as many projects as you like!

a few Locly-isms you’ll need to know

projects Like a filing cabinet, ‘projects’ let you organise your content. You can create as many projects as you like and switch their visibility on and off in the app or online.

we have created a simple content structure that lets you make the most of your beacons

places Like folders in the filing cabinet ‘places’ keep all your related content together. You can pin places to a beacon and include them in treasure hunts. Users scroll up and down in the app to view places that are nearby.

cards Like pages in your folders, ‘cards’ are your actual content. You can create as many cards as you like in each place and users scroll left and right to view the cards in each place.

it’s time to add some of your content

Photos, diagrams, audio files, videos, keynote presentations, 3D models, HTML 5 widgets…we know you’ve got it all. That’s why we’ve made it super easy for you to include all your favourite content in your iBeacon projects.

Either online or in the app, start by creating a new project in your account and then a place. Now you’re ready to make some stunning looking cards….

Locly lets you bring all your digital content together in one app view, ready to be shared with others nearby using iBeacon.

places are shown vertically with the nearest at the top - scroll up and down to see the different places nearby

cards for each place are shown horizontally - scroll left and right to see the cards for each place

tap on any card to see it in more detail in the main view and tap on images to make them full screen

External URL Use the external URL option to open a course in iTunesU.

widget Upload a widget zip file to be displayed in the main screen. Most widget types are supported including Bookry widgets.

no coding: it’s as easy as copy & paste or uploading a file

click on ‘create card’ and then select the card type for your content….there are currently 8 to choose from and we’re adding more all the time.

File Upload a PDF, Keynote, or Pages document to open within locly or another app on the iPad.

3D model Upload a 3D model file and explore it within the main screen.

Embedded URL Paste in a link that will open within locly, such as a Google Drive form.

Image Use this option for large images, infographics and posters.

publish your content in the app

Any changes you make to the projects will automatically appear in the app since it’s updated every 20 seconds.

You can learn more about creating visually amazing content in our ‘How To’ guide on SlideShare: slideshare.net/locly

when you’re ready to test your projects, places and cards in the app simply ‘publish’ the cards and project.

you can make changes to any card and add a new card by long-pressing on it to bring up the card options pop-upwatch a video tutorial on creating

and publishing cards

but if you’re in a hurry…..

This is a super-quick way of creating a card and it works with most apps that have a share option. After tapping on the ‘Open in Locly’ icon you just select the project and place where you want your new card and it will be created automatically.

you might just want to create some content on the fly. You can do this on your iPad using ‘Open-In’ from another app.

create cards automatically from your favourite iPad apps watch a video about creating a

card from notability

it’s time to start using iBeaconlong-press on any card or use the context menus to bring up the ‘Card Options’. From here there are two choices for beacon setup:

transmit beacon Tapping this option turns your device into a beacon, so that any locly users nearby will instantly see the content you’re sharing.

assign to beacon Tapping this option lets you scan for nearby devices, which you can then select and ‘pin’ your content to. You can use this option to create:

• beacon self-discovery learning zones • beacon information points • beacon treasure hunts or trails

transmit beaconWith just a couple of taps you can share your content with other iPads that are nearby. It could be a student sat right next to you, a group of students in a room, a classroom of students, or even an entire school in the assembly hall.

You can easily set the range of the transmission in the app and it will persist until the transmission is stopped.

turn a teacher’s iPad into a beacon to make your content appear instantly on student’s iPads; no emails or codes required.

watch a video tutorial on making your device a beacon

assign to a beacon

in a classroom, in a corridor, in the playground or even at a local museum - pin your content to as many beacons as you like!

The Locly app will automatically detect any beacons that are nearby so once your beacon is in place, simply long-press on a card and select ‘Assign to Beacon’. You can pin any place to a beacon and you can pin multiple places to the same beacon.

watch a video tutorial on how to assign content to a beacon

just a few simple ideas for you to try with your box of Locly beacons…

self-discovery displays Enrich physical displays in classrooms, corridors and communal areas with your digital content.

classroom learning zones Split your class into groups that are within range of different beacons linked to different places.

learning & heritage trails Place beacons in the community to create learning points in local spaces and places.

information zones & points Deliver snippets of content at locations in your school that have with high footfall e.g. book of the day in the library.

you can also easily setup treasure hunts

Choose any places in a project to include in your treasure hunt. Go to the editing screen of each place and select the treasure hunt check box. You will need to add the places one by one to create the trail. Then assign each place to a beacon - it’s as simple as that!

it takes just a few taps to create a fun treasure hunt around your classroom or school.

watch a video tutorial on how to create a beacon treasure hunt

straightforward beacon device setup, right from the appno need to worry about major/minor numbers or UUIDs

The app automatically detects any beacon devices that are nearby, these are displayed in the project side bar at the top. Long-press on the ‘Beacons Nearby’ message to view the list of beacons. Tap on any of the beacons to bring up more details. From here you can find out the beacon’s settings and also rename it if you wish.

watch a video tutorial on how to assign content to a beacon

a few more features you can try out…

You can create content easily in multiple languages under ‘manage languages’. The student can switch between languages from a dropdown in the app.

languages

follow along

advanced visibility settings

This option automatically shows content for a card in the main area of app without the need for a student to tap on the card.

content cache

Locly lets you get quite specific about the visibility of your places/cards:

Tap on the projects context menu in the projects side bar and you will be given the option to cache the project. Perfect for when you’re going out and about.

default: shown when nearby shown: always shown hidden: cannot be seen anywhere advanced: brings up options for strictly nearby, recurring time and more.

find how to guides and resources on SlideShare

next, use multi-user logins to be more specific about who sees what and when

create groups in ‘Locly Organisations’ to make place A only visible by year 9 in classroom B. You can also use the organisations admin screens to set permissions for staff and students.

Tap on the ‘Organisation’ tab and create your groups. Then, create a new project and set its permission to your Google Year 8 group.

Create another project but this time set it for Year 9. Both projects can be assigned to the same beacon but with Year 9 content visible to Year 9, and Year 8 content to Year 8 students.

you can also login with Google to import your existing groups & access your files

simply tap on the ‘Organisation’ tab and link Locly with your Google Apps for Education domain.

multi-user login + simple UI = student engagement

Locly is so straightforward to use that even your youngest students can begin creating their own beacon experiences within minutes.

And what can be more rewarding for students than getting involved with their school’s latest technology? Using their own accounts, students can can create content, see it instantly in the app and share it with others nearby using their iPad as a beacon or by assigning it to a nearby iBeacon device.

there’s always important stuff to share too…

You will find areas to enter notifications for both projects and places. Notifications will ‘wake up’ the app even when the app is closed and packed away in a school bag. If you swipe the app alert on the iPad, it will take you directly to the right content in the Locly app. There are many ways this could be used in your school….

luckily there’s a handy way of sending notifications to teacher, student and parent devices using the Locly app.

beacon notifications will automatically ‘wake up’ the app

main entrances & exits Send welcome notifications and daily notices for students and parents. Place these beacons inside and outside and up as high as you can!

assembly halls & public spaces Send information to everyone when they’re together in one place. Perfect for parents evenings, open days and other group gatherings.

corridors & notice boards Great for pinning your digital content to notice boards e.g. sports/after school clubs and also at classroom doorways for even more specific message delivery.

keep everyone informed where & when you need to

use the Locly app to send instant notifications to parents, wherever they are. Use ‘Organisations’ to easily create & manage mailing lists.

✓ simple, easy to use notification system ✓ keep parents informed ✓ personalise notifications by individual or group

you can also send notifications to parent’s devices (no beacons required)

and don’t forget you can pin multiple places to the same beacon

so, you know that beacon in the corridor between the sports hall and the main entrance…..

…you can use it for sports news, welcome notifications and include it as part of your Year 9 science treasure hunt. This lets you to make the most out of the beacons you have. When in a ‘place’ just select the beacon you want from the dropdown list - simple!

and if you loved that, then you’re going to love this…

for the slightly more adventurous there’s an option to play with the Locly SDK and Raspberry Pi to experiment with beacons and physical things.

Install the Locly Raspberry Pi SDK, add a bluetooth dongle and you’re ready to link the PI’s switches, sensors and interfaces to a wider Internet of Things, all controlled via beacons. Start by creating a project that turns on different coloured LED lights according to who’s closest to the Pi.

some resources to help you get started…

slideshare

For how-to guides, tips and advice, case studies and other useful documents.

youtube

For how-to videos and tutorials, plus case studies and the latest locly news.

pinterest

Follow our iBeacon in Education board on Pinterest for the latest locly product and service news, plus case studies and other bits and pieces.

@locly

Follow us on Twitter for the latest news, app releases, tips and case studies. #BeaconEd

locly blog

Your first port of call for anything locly and iBeacons, like industry trends, product updates and company info.

uk.pinterest.com/loclyslideshare.net/locly youtube.com/user/theloclylocly.com/blog twitter.com/locly

making nearby work in education #makingnearbywork #BeaconEd