Understanding socio-technological challenges of smart classrooms using a systematic review

Smart classrooms are paradigm innovations for enhanced learning behavior in digital learning environments. These environments offer benefits for inclusive and virtual learning, underscoring the need for assessments of current practices. Although research on smart classrooms propose models and systems for enhancing socio-technological integration, knowledge on sociotechnological challenges of smart classrooms remains limited. This article applies a systematic review methodology in line with the PRISMA protocol and analyzes current social and technological challenges based on 105 articles published between 2000 and 2019. The review identifies social challenges that facilitate personalization for external factors and teaching methods, stimulate learner-oriented content, instructor, peer, and technology forms of engagement, and boost interactivity depending on the willingness of learners and instructors. The review also finds technological challenges that concern designing learning environments and integrating intelligent systems, analytical tools and analysis, system models and ontology, and mobile and social media applications. The review suggests areas for future research involving smart classroom design for continuity and consistency, quality attributes of smart classrooms, efficiency and sustainability of smart classroom infrastructure, and the development of a smart classroom modelling language.