Learn how iBeacon technology can transform education in the classroom.

1. getting started guide for educationsandbox

2. 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

3. 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

4. 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

5. 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.

6. 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

7. 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.

8. 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-up
watch a video tutorial on creating
and publishing cards

9. 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

10. it’s time to start using
iBeacon
long-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

11. transmit beacon
With 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

12. 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

13. 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.

14. 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

15. straightforward beacon
device setup, right from
the app
no 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

16. 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

17. also use with QR codes
for older iOS devices
Locly’s in-built QR code feature lets
you deliver the same content to older
iOS devices that do not support
iBeacon.
A QR code is automatically created for every project,
place and card you create. Use them instead of
beacons to deliver the same content to older iOS
devices.
First go to the project, place or card screen in Locly,
and select ‘QR code’ at the top of the page. Print out
the QR code and position it next to your display.
In the Locly app simply tap on the “QR code” option to
bring up the device’s camera. Then take a photo of
the QR code and the corresponding content will show
in the app.

18. 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.

19. 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.

20. 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.

21. 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

22. 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

23. 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)

24. 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!

25. 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.

26. …time for a little bit
more?
Students all over the UK and further
afield are having a great time learning
to program with the BBC’s micro-bit,
so we were desperate to join in the
fun!
So we’ve figured a way to let you easily turn the BBC
micro:bit into an iBeacon, and then assign content to it
as with any other beacon device. When testing we
managed to get a micro:bit transmitting as far a 500
metres!
https://youtu.be/pxsX2iCmnLs

27. 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

28. making nearby work in education
#makingnearbywork #BeaconEd