Lee Griffiths

1
Campus-wide implementation of SMS text services
within a Blackboard VLE

• Lee Griffiths
• School of Computing, Science and Engineering
• University of Salford
• Mike James
• Learning Technologies Centre
• University of Salford
• 3T Productions Ltd, UK.
• Simon Whittle
• School of Computing, Science and
  Engineering
• University of Salford

2
Introduction and Background 1

• On going project which started from a pilot study
  (Griffiths, Hmer 2004) to prove the technology of
  sending text messages to large cohorts.
• Investigations found that
• students regularly read email
• But they read their text messages more often
• thought the idea of text messages from the
  university was a good idea.

Lectures cancelled!!
3
Introduction and Background 2

• Our aims since last year have been to
• (1) To determine, through requirements analysis,
  the functionality required from such a system
  across all disciplines and support services(2)
  To develop and integrate a technological solution
  for delivering the requirements established in
  (1) via the university's chosen VLE
  (Blackboard) (3) To monitor, by field trial,
  the effectiveness of an SMS service against
  traditional forms of communication via the VLE
  and to elicit opinions from student and staff
  users(4) To report findings from (1) and (3)
  to the Senior Management Team.

4
Other work - to name a few

• Harley (2004)
• Create a dialog with students, especially new
  students years
• Try to encourage face to face and personal
  communications.
• Not just random texts but practical reminders,
  micro learning and niceties
• Staff perception / culture shock need to get into
  the gift-giving culture
• Stone (2004)
• Students less impressed by technology of VLE,
  want time sensitive information
• Reminders, assessment, times, locations changes
• Griffiths, Hmer (2004)
• Students keen to be involved (opt in) and
  recognised usefulness of real time messages
• Experimental confirmed the effectiveness of
  timely information
• Not keen to pay for a service
• Expensive service to use.

5
The Technology
Source Blackboard Developer Guide
6

• http//bianca.salford.ac.uk

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SMS Manager step 1 of 5

• Instructor accesses a course control panel

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SMS Manager step 2 of 5

• Instructor follows the SMS Manager link

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SMS Manager step 3 of 5

• Identical procedure to the Send Email
  functionality

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SMS Manager step 4 of 5

• Instructor selects recipients, writes message,
  and clicks submit

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SMS Manager step 5 of 5

• Receive a receipt from the SMS Gateway

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Next step

• With the prototype complete, identify persons who
  would be willing to advocate SMS within
  Blackboard, and to trial the SMS Manager.
• Key Faculties/Disciplines on board for trial
• The types of message sent are likely to be based
  upon those seen within previous works, but it is
  expected that students and staff will be
  canvassed for their opinion. Currently
• Reminders (assessments, lectures)
• Emergencies (rooms change, illness, exam times)
• Enrolment information / Support (for new
  students)
• Micro learning activities (quizzes, multiple
  choice, links to other resources)
• Two way dialog
• keeping in touch with students, social
  interaction
• staff to student and student to staff
• accessibility (e.g. student who do not have email
  access outside campus)
• Are any of these justifiable though given the
  running costs ?
• We will be building billing into our system to
  perhaps devolve costs.

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Conclusions 1

• There seems to be a fairly consistent set of uses
  emerging amongst researchers although the set
  may expand.
• You need staff/student support.
• it will be normal for students but
• quite alien to staff.

Wheres that Text Send button
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Conclusions 2

• Try and get institutional support if you are
  going with your VLE.
• Development is not simple and proprietary
  solutions can be expensive (but come with
  support).
• Running costs are high (3p message is cheap) but
  the right technological solution could spread the
  cost.
• This is a stop gap technological solution as Wifi
  and always on mobile email access will take over.
  However the underlying pedagogic (and practical)
  uses should become common practice.

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Questions ?
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References

• Griffiths Hmer, 2004 Griffiths, L. Hmer,
  A., 2004. U R L8 4 ur exam ) online. Available
  at ltURLhttp//www.alt.ac.uk/altc2004/timetable/f
  iles/133/alt-c-2004-v1-LGAH20.pptgt Accessed
  25/07/2005
• Harley, 2005 Harley, D., 2005. Integrating
  Mobile Communications Into the Workings of a
  University to Aid Student Retention online.
  Available at ltURLhttp//wwwstaff.brighton.ac.uk/
  dah2/downloads/StudentMessenger.pdfgt Accessed
  05/07/2005.
• Stone, 2004 Stone A., 2004. Mobile Scaffolding
  An Experiment in Using SMS Text Messaging to
  Support First Year University Students.
  Proceedings of the IEEE International Conference
  on Advanced Learning Technologies (ICALT04)
  0-7695-2181-9/04.
• Traxler Riordan, 2003 Traxler, J. Riordan,
  B. 2003. Evaluating the Effectivness of Retention
  Strategies using SMS, WAP and WWW Student Support
  online. Available at ltURLhttp//www.ics.ltsn.a
  c.uk/pub/conf2003/John20Traxler.pdfgt Accessed
  14/07/2005