Messaging

The Projects• MELaS

– ‘large-scale implementation’ funded by JISC» Undergraduates across 6 Schools of the University

• SEMA– support for SEP in-service programme

» Primary school teachers in Kenya

• plus SCIT consultancy

• UP– distance education programmes

» ACE in Special Needs Education and ACE in Education Management and a B Ed Honours in Education Law and Policy

SMS Basics• Bulk discount• Broadcast from PC• VAS services

PageOne from UKERNA

The Technologies• mobile terminating (MT)

– targeted, bulk broadcast

• mobile originating (MO)– interactive

• Issues: how you procure, manage and pay for

them• Plus MMS

projectBluetooth• Content Delivery System

• Hardware• USB dongle and a

computer that can use it

• Software• Bespoke designed,

developed and implemented open source software

projectBluetooth• Fully automated

• User provides objects and order in which they should be sent and the system does the rest

• Create messages as part of the system

projectBluetooth• Device detection• Discovery

profile supplies supported services

• From which we can infer suitable file formats for each device

projectBluetooth

• Group creation

• Group management

• Once set up• Any device

that comes within range will be detected

c.dennett@wlv.ac.uk

VoiceXML

aka IVR

Student Reactions & Statistics

• Kingston University– Acceptance of personalised, timely non-spam– Preference for “push” over “pull”

• i.e. SMS, email over web and notices

• Learning and Skills Development Agency– Surveys of 18-24

• Universal acceptance of SMS• Preference for ‘mobiles and games over PDAs

Which messages are most useful: 46 returns Most

Useful Fairly Useful

Use-less

Didn’t answer

urgent admin like room changes

29 13 1 3

General reminders, eg coursework deadlines

25 19 0 2

Teaching material such as revision tips

39 7 0 0

Individual feedback on coursework

33 12 0 1

Individual admin eg appointments with tutors

18 24 0 4

Do you prefer communication by: 46 returns I

prefer I don’t mind

I don’t like

Didn’t answer

Consulting university web-sites

9 24 10 2

Receiving email to your university account

24 17 3 1

consulting university notice boards

8 14 20 3

receiving SMS 33 11 0 2

46 returns Yes, definitely

May-be

No way

Didn’t answer

Are you pleased you took part in the pilot?

43 2 0 1

Did the pilot help in your studies?

40 5 0 1

Would you recommend the pilot to students?

38 7 0 1

Which would be useful: Y N

room changes 51 8

help with studying 38 21

appointment reminders 49 8

library recalls 39 18

revision tips 42 15

assessment reminders 52 6

assessment marks 52 7

timetable changesassessment feedback

53 6

Ignores 1 - 3 unknowns per row

41 17

How long0 - 6 months

7 - 12 months 2 - 5 years

since obtained current 15 20 15

 0 - 6 months

7 - 12 months 2 - 5 years

anticipate changing 14 11 9

The Opportunities

large-scale messaging opens up a range of pedagogic opportunities:

– content

– discussion

– support

– administration

– assessment

Greek on the Mobile

• The Olympic Games 2004 in Athens present a situation where in the confrontation of multi languages and cultures plus the overall presence of the less spoken Greek language motivate language acquisition.

• Multi-media messages (SMS and MMS

messages) will be sent to the visitors' mobile phones and PDAs upon their arrival presenting simple samples of Greek dialogues.

“Text messaging soap to aid revision”

• SMS has been used to help GCSE exam revision

• As part of its KnowitAll scheme, Knowsley Council has run an SMS-based soap opera

WAN2LRN• To relieve revision stress,

teenagers can keep up with the adventures of three people their own age - Kym, Jez and Abi.

• The three characters are in a love triangle and each day one of them sends a message which goes to all the subscribers

– http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/1296942.stm

– April 2001

Previously on WAN2LRN ... 20 - Sat 21st April

9.45pmat k-i-a gig. rob still ugly but they rock! xcelent - rlly big NRG comin out of the band! l8r jez

21 – Sun 22nd April 10.30amk-i-a gig ws M A zin! rob is sooo sxy¿ dn't kno if i'd choose j or rob if i had the chnce! xkym

22 - Mon 23rd April 6.00pmdid u gve in rvsion tmtble? got k-i-a cd for handin in. not bad! xabi

Quick text quizzes

Discursive Learning:

• SMS-moderating• “E-moderating presence online

» Many online participants expect a great deal from their e-moderators. E-moderators try to encourage online participants to be self sufficient. You might find some strategies to create e-moderators ‘presence’ online ( without having to be there 24 hours a day) helpful!

» Send out a personal e mail letter to all participants before the course starts, indicating how often they can expect you to visit (usually once a day).

» Greet each participant by a welcome e mail on their first arrival, as well as in the conference

» Ask for a personal e mail to the e-moderator as well as a message in the conference, early in the course “ …………………….And so on ……………….. (Salmon, 2004)

• Now see if it works for SMS !!!

• Collaborative/group-work/peer-to-peer

Admin •Campus closure

•Room or timetable changes

•Appointments

•Induction week

•Library recalls (the “carrot”)

Institutional SMS• Needs

– up-to-date data• web-based enrolling, with student update

– address books• by course, module, School, campus, year,

– budget• cf. lost fee income

– training, staff development• admin, lecturers, IT

– student support• and buy-in

– research• ethnography, pedagogy

Other Institutional Issues• Accessibility

– and SENDA

• Usability• Quality Assurance

– Monitoring, Evaluation, Validation issues

• Equity– What about non-owners?

• Ethics– SMS-etiquette, spam, consent, acceptance

• Legal– Data Protection, privacy, harassment, harm, advertising

Implementation

• buy or build; bespoke or off-the-shelf

• open-source or proprietary

• piloting and testing

• getting learners on the system

• training the staff – teachers– administrators

Implementation• preventing abuse

• messaging in blended learning

• working with student attitudes and expectations

• working with other institutional systems

• performance, throughput

• usability

Evaluation

• building it in, not bolting it on

• the medium and the message

• listening to the opted-in and the opted-out

Business Models

• business cases and budgets: – Retention– Progression– Recruitment– Competition– Savings – Effectiveness

Policy Support• IT

• QA

• HR

• Learning & Teaching – how to engage with policy makers and

managers