SMS services from Blackboard Lee Griffiths, Mike James, Sharon Youngson, Mohamed Djebbar 1 Lee...

Lee Griffiths, Mike James, Sharon Youngson, Mohamed Djebbar1

SMS services from Blackboard

Lee Griffiths, Sharon Youngson, Mo DjebberSchool of Computing, Science and EngineeringUniversity of Salford

Mike JamesLearning Technologies Centre

University of Salford 3T Productions Ltd, UK. Simon Whittle School of Computing, Science and Engineering University of Salford

SMS, Blackboard and Retention



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



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

Lecture’s cancelled!!



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;



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.



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 .



The Technology

Source: Blackboard Developer Guide



Authentication & Authorisation (creates user session)

Backboard Interface

SMS Building Block

Java Servlet

SMS Controller

Access Filters

.Jar library

Blackboard API

Acc

ess

Use

r S

essi

on

SMS Model

Java Beans

Java Server Pages

SMS View

Blackboard Tag Libs + Other Tag Libs

Helper Java Classes

Http Communication

SMS Gateway

Java Derby DB

Custom SMS database

Blackboard User

Oracle

BB Database

Config File web.xml



Management of BBSMS txt credit balance

BBSMSBalance (implied)

Customer account

SMS Balance

BBSMS Admin

(e.g. LTC Staff)

End-User SMS

Balance

Department Gatekeeper

e.g. School Finance Officer

Basic User

e.g. Lecturer

Access/control of balance

Balance transfer



User Types and Roles1. 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.



Users and Balances

BBSMSBalance10000

School 16000

BBSMS Admin

(e.g. LTC Staff)

Lecturer 1

School 24000

School 2 Finance Officer

Text Bal: 1000

Text Bal: 2500

Text Bal: 500

Lecturer 2

Lecturer 3



Interactive demonstration



• Login to the PC using your temporary ISD user account details

• Change your mobile details:1. Open an Internet browser (e.g. IE) and navigate to

http://puck.salford.ac.uk

2. Log-in to Blackboard with the username and password we have given you.

3. 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.

4. Once you finished you can remove your mobile number by following the same procedure.

Interactive demonstration: editing your mobile phone details



1, 2. http://puck.salford.ac.uk

Login here with the studentx account details



3. Click on the Personal Information



3. Click on Edit Personal Information



3. Scroll down and add your mobile phone number then submit



Make sure your mobile is switched on



Sending a message as a tutor.

Sending you a message to demonstrate



Field trials of BBSMS



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 10:00 prompt in correct uniform. Kathryn Foden”

• Most recipients (>90%) reported (via a follow-up questionnaire) that they had received the messages



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 don’t 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.• Didn't receive all messages• The reason I didn't receive any of these texts is because I have changed my number.• All emails to be sent via SMS including ISD reminders when library books are due• Make it more regular and date it i.e. Hep B next Tues 17th• Provide more SMS reminders i.e. you remind us about 2nd Hep B but not the 3rd



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.



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



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)



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.

Where’s that Text

Send button



Questions and open discussion…



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.



References

• [Griffiths & Hmer, 2004] Griffiths, L. & Hmer, A., 2004. U R L8 4 ur exam :) [online]. Available at: <URL:http://www.alt.ac.uk/altc2004/timetable/files/133/alt-c-2004-v1-LGAH%20.ppt> 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: <URL:http://wwwstaff.brighton.ac.uk/~dah2/downloads/StudentMessenger.pdf> 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 (ICALT’04) 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: <URL:http://www.ics.ltsn.ac.uk/pub/conf2003/John%20Traxler.pdf> Accessed [14/07/2005]



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