# Intelligent Educational Environments: Recent Trends, Modeling, and Applications
## 6 Discussion
### Answers to Research Questions
From an educational perspective, here are all ICT devices and tools, such as networked computers and tablets, smart boards and screens, projection systems, video and audio devices, 3D printers, etc. To consider aspects of an educational environment and students' behavior, smart devices that ensure appropriate and comfortable conditions for providing an intelligent educational process are included. Furthermore, these devices can support innovative teaching tasks by supplying environmental and behavioral data. The UML model represents these capabilities by introducing the blue-colored classes _SmartEducationalDevice_ (and its subclasses), _IoTDevice_ (and its subclasses), _IoTGateway_, _Environment_, and _Interaction_ as well as the blue-colored interfaces _Sensor_ and _Actuator_. Data and Knowledge Management_ is responsible for the proper and secure creation, storage, processing, and transfer of data throughout the environment. The UML classes associated with data and knowledge management in the model are depicted in red and gold colors: _DigitalRepository_, _ResourceLibrary_, _ExaminationLibrary_, _Resource_, _Exam_, _Content_, _AudioContent_, _VideoContent_, _TextContent_, _Analytics_, and last but not least, _IoTDeviceDataStorage_. System Management_ organizes the proper work of the whole IES and its interactions with the IoT devices through the gateway. It is responsible for the smooth operation of all functionalities of the intelligent educational environment, especially for organizing the intelligent educational process. The UML classes associated with this functionality are shown in purple color: _SystemManagement_ and _SignIn_. RQ4: What are the practical applications of the proposed conceptual model of an intelligent educational environment? Two possible application examples that concern personalized teaching and assessment based on intelligent technologies within IES are discussed in Section 4. These examples illustrate how the proposed conceptual model can be practically applied. They demonstrate some aspects of the IEE and explain the relationships among particular classes in the UML model to provide these specific functionalities. This paper represents the initial steps in the development process of an intelligent educational environment. It starts with bibliometric research and analysis limited to the Scopus database, the period of 2014-2024, and the particular queries considered relevant to the manuscript's research goal. The obtained results serve as guidelines for the formulation of user requirements and basic elements of the conceptual model of the IEE. At this point, the proposed model has not been empirically and entirely tested. Only some aspects are studied and implemented. An IEE is complex, with many interrelated elements that interact in various ways. These features make the IEE validation a difficult task, which is part of future study. Introducing modern technologies in today's schools and universities imposes challenges of different kinds--social, cultural, ethical, economic, etc. There are countries or regions in the same country that lack internet connectivity. Building a technology-intense classroom requires significant, unaffordable costs for some countries. At the same time, the pace of ICT incorporation into the educational world is increasing and seems inevitable. That disproportion is disadvantageous for the countries that invest less (or no) resources into modern education technologies. However, they could benefit from the experience of other states, which are already developing the integration of innovative technologies in education. On the other side of the spectrum is the excess of modern devices that could lead to, for example, health problems and frustration, laziness in searching and acquiring knowledge, and distancing from the real world. All these significant challenges are worth investigating but are out of the scope of the current research. The authorsstrongly support the reasonable balance between technology utilization and traditional pedagogical methods.