2  Modules & Learning Paths

How IoTClass Works · 2 of 7

Modules & Learning Paths

Two ways to find your place in the curriculum: by subject, using the nine module groups, or by who you are and what you're trying to do, using the five role-based paths.

Sammy, your guide

Sammy your guide, not a professor

“Nine module groups and five different paths sounded like more decisions than picking a starting chapter should ever take. It's really just two different lenses on the same map — pick whichever one already matches how you're thinking about this.”

I found the role-based paths first; the subject groups made more sense to me once I already had a path in mind.

The Nine Module Groups

The full curriculum is organized into nine subject groups. The Browse Modules map is the real catalog, with every module and chapter inside each group; this is the one-paragraph version.

1FoundationsCore concepts and real-world applications — the on-ramp for everything else.
2Physical WorldElectronics, sensors, and actuators — the hardware that senses and acts.
3Connectivity FoundationsNetworking basics through MQTT, CoAP, and AMQP — how devices talk.
4Wireless TechnologiesBluetooth, Zigbee, Wi-Fi, RFID, LoRaWAN, and cellular — picking a radio.
5System DesignReference architectures, edge/fog computing, and sensor networks.
6DataStoring, processing, and visualizing what a deployment produces.
7SecurityThreats, cryptography, authentication, and privacy and compliance.
8Human FactorsDesigning IoT products people can actually use.
9EngineeringDesign method, prototyping, power budgets, testing, and a capstone.

Five Role-Based Paths

If subject groups feel too broad, a role-based path sequences chapters across several groups for one kind of learner. Every path uses the same loop — deep chapter, simplified companion when needed, one interactive activity, one quick check — just at a different pace and depth.

Path Who it's for First 90 minutes
Young IoT Explorer
15h · 16 chapters
Kids ages 8–12, no prerequisites Read the overview chapter, then try one guided simulation or game.
High School Foundations
40h · 28 chapters
Ages 14–18, basic computer literacy Start Data Representation, then run one ESP32 Wokwi lab.
University Curriculum
120h · 58 chapters
CS/EE students and researchers Same opening chapter as High School, then continue straight into full protocol depth.
Professional Practitioner
60h · 40 chapters
Working engineers and architects Start from Reference Architecture Fundamentals, then jump to the module your current task needs.
Executive Strategy
20h · 15 chapters
Business leaders and managers, no technical prerequisites Read the overview chapter for the market and ROI framing.
Sammy

Sammy says: torn between two paths? Pick the shorter one first. You can always layer on the deeper path later without losing anything you already read.

Finding One Concept Fast

If you already know the term you're chasing — "what do I need before MQTT," "where does LoRaWAN ADR fit" — a full path is overkill. The Knowledge Map is the full visual graph of every concept and its prerequisites. Its companion, the Concept Navigator, is the same graph as a searchable grid, with five curated role-path chips — Smart Home Developer, Industrial IoT Engineer, IoT Security Specialist, Data & Analytics, and Low-Power Designer — for a shorter jump straight to a source chapter.

Switching Paths Later

Can I switch paths? Yes. You can follow more than one path at a time, and any chapter you've already completed counts toward every path that includes it — switching doesn't erase what you've read.