Lee Griffiths, Sharon Youngson, Mo Djebber

1
SMS, Blackboard and Retention

• Lee Griffiths, Sharon Youngson, Mo Djebber
• 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
Contents of this workshop

• Presentation of background to our BlackboardSMS
  project (LG)
• What we have achieved (LG)
• Technically (MD)
• Logistically (LG)
• Interactive demonstration (LG/MD)
• Two user trials (LG/SY)
• Conclusions (LG)
• Open discussion

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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, but not sureof uses

Lectures cancelled!!
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Introduction and Background 2

• Dissemination of the initial study attracted
  attention from the institutions Learning
  Technology Centre (LTC).
• We teamed up and devised a plan to
• (1) determine, through requirements analysis,
  the functionality required from such a system
  across all disciplines and support services(2)
  develop and integrate a technological solution
  for delivering the requirements established in
  (1) via the university's chosen VLE
  (Blackboard) (3) 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

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Project team

• The project team has comprised three full time
  research students.
• Technical and project support from LTC and ISD
• Managerial support from the LTC.
• Academic support for the research students from
  their supervisory school.

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What we have achieved technically / logistically

• We have created a building block (Blackboard
  terminology) which adds SMS sending functionality
  to our Blackboard installation.
• The building block uses information about
  registered users (e.g. students) to send messages
  to them.
• We have developed a management system within
  Blackboard which provides an accounting interface
  to allow message credit to be given to certain
  Blackboard users .

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The Technology
Source Blackboard Developer Guide
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Blackboard User
Backboard Interface
Authentication Authorisation (creates user
session)
SMS Building Block
Java Servlet
Access Filters
Java Server Pages
Access User Session
SMS View
SMS Controller
Blackboard API
.Jar library
Java Beans
Blackboard Tag Libs Other Tag Libs
SMS Model
Config File web.xml
Helper Java Classes
SMS Gateway
Custom SMS database
BB Database
Http Communication
Java Derby DB
Oracle
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Management of BBSMS txt credit balance
BBSMS Balance (implied)
Customer account SMS Balance
End-User SMS Balance
Department Gatekeeper e.g. School Finance Officer
BBSMS Admin (e.g. LTC Staff)
Basic User e.g. Lecturer
Access/control of balance
Balance transfer
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User Types and Roles

1. Administrator (BBSMS-Admin) Allocated by LTC
   (Learning Technologies Centre). Responsible for
   adding accounts, assigning managers, and buying
   credits from SMS gateway company and transferring
   credits to accounts.E.g. LTC Staff Member.
2. Account Manager (BBSMS-Gatekeeper)Allocated by
   the Admin, responsible for adding users within
   their department, and allocating text credits to
   them. E.g. Finance Officer, Budget Holder.
3. Basic User (BBSMS-BU) Allocated by the account
   manager, has access to a number of credits
   allocated by the account manager. E.g. A
   lecturer.

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Users and Balances
School 1 6000
Text Bal 1000
BBSMS Balance 10000
School 2 4000
Text Bal 2500
BBSMS Admin (e.g. LTC Staff)
Text Bal 500
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• Interactive demonstration

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Interactive demonstration editing your mobile
phone details

• Login to the PC using your temporary ISD user
  account details
• Change your mobile details
• Open an Internet browser (e.g. IE) and navigate
  to http//puck.salford.ac.uk
• Log-in to Blackboard with the username and
  password we have given you.
• In the tools box click on the Personal
  Information link, then click Edit Personal
  Information, Scroll down to the Mobile Phone
  field and enter your mobile phone number. Finally
  click submit.
• Once you finished you can remove your mobile
  number by following the same procedure.

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1, 2. http//puck.salford.ac.uk
Login here with the studentx account details
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3. Click on the Personal Information
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3. Click on Edit Personal Information
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3. Scroll down and add your mobile phone number
then submit
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Make sure your mobile is switched on ?
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Sending you a message to demonstrate
Sending a message as a tutor.
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• Field trials of BBSMS

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Two Field trials 1

• Two trials have been carried out with the BBSMS
  system, mainly to offer support and reminders.
• One trial in the School of Nursing was to get the
  administrative staff to send SMS alerts to the
  March 06 cohort of Nursing students.
• M06.KF Just a reminder about Hep B injections
  next week. Appts already distributed by Occ
  Hlth
• M06.KF Back in Uni next week - don't forget
  clinical skills workshops - TT on Blackboard -
  sessions start at 1000 prompt in correct
  uniform. Kathryn Foden
• Most recipients (gt90) reported (via a follow-up
  questionnaire) that they had received the messages

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Mostly positive, but some negative comments

• Carry on sending text messages with reminders
  please
• I haven't received any messages.
• Only ever received a message about clinical
  skills
• If I received the messages it would be helpful.
  Maybe collect student numbers again!
• Text a few days before hand and be able to reply
  to clarify
• Messages could be more group specific possibly
  with actual dates
• More regular reminders about events around the
  university and support services etc
• More text messages, they are useful in reminding
  me as the programme is busy
• Would use to receive text messages for reminders
  for Hep b's etc
• To receive a text message would be useful
• I only received the first two Hep B reminder
  texts - nothing else
• I thought the service was really good and seemed
  to work well
• I found this service to be helpful and easy to
  use
• More frequent reminders
• Continue to send text messages!
• Please send the messages on both email and mobile
• Send messages more regular and include dates
  times.
• I dont no how to give you a new number. They
  were good but didn't receive all of the texts
• Explain keywords so we can reply.

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Two Field trials 2

• A survey was completed by a large number of 1st
  year students within the faculty of Science,
  Engineering and Environment.
• Most students are happy to be contacted in this
  way.
• All students surveyed currently use SMS, most on
  a regular basis.

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Methods of Contact

• In terms of retention, weak or absent students
  are contacted by the school and this now includes
  SMS txt
• Phone call
• Email
• Letter
• SMS

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Responses to contact for attendance

• Most students happy to have been contacted.
• Quick contact with the students is important when
  problems are apparent
• The types of message sent are likely to be based
  upon those seen within previous works
• 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
• Assessment feedback
• keeping in touch with students, social
  interaction Hi, welcome back.
• following up attendance perhaps Anonymously ?
• staff to student and student to staff
• accessibility (e.g. students who do not have
  email access off campus)

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Conclusions

• There seems to be a fairly consistent set of uses
  emerging amongst researchers although the set
  may expand.
• You need staff support students clearly see the
  benefits.
• it will be normal for students but
• quite alien to staff.
• Running costs are high (3p message is cheap) but
  the right technological solution could lower 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.

Wheres that Text Send button
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• Questions and open discussion

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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.

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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

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