Power of SMS
All mobiles phones, and some UMPCs, have the capability of sending SMS (text messages) from the device to another device or to a landline. This functionalilty can help manage and support learners but SMS can also be a very effective way to deliver learning.
So why use SMS with learners?
For many reasons - such as:
- send regular prompt revision questions before a test or assessment
- for pastoral support - term dates, assignment due dates, change of rooms...
- interactive SMS quizzes with SMS feedback
- reflective blog entry sending SMS to web-based blog
- produce SMS summary of a discussion
- share thoughts or opinions with peer group
- promotional tool for new students
- provide regular induction advice for new students
Sending one text message to many learners can be cumbersome, so a specific service can provide help with bulk deliveries. Bulk SMS or Txttools are just two of many services to provide a bulk service. XLearn can provide bulk and two-way messaging so SMS sent from a PC can receive replies from the learners' mobiles.
Tim Ellis has developed UltraSMS, which can receive a group's messages via SMS or Bluetooth and displays them as a 'Wall of Stickies'.
Read about the technology and application in Jonathon's Blog.
According to BBC Research the respondents in the 16-24 year old group consider mobiles phones as a necessity not a luxury. Concerns across the European Union are that 'at risk' learners are not attending College on a sufficiently regular basis to maintain their education. By using SMS to maintain regular and quick contact with them has seen great results. Judy Nix's article 'SMS Academic Administration Kit' builds on research and explains how projects across Europe have used SMS with positive results.
"It is critical that the mobile phone owner’s permission is obtained before any SMS messages are sent to their phone. This can either be in writing where the user signs an authorization when they register at the college or by the user sending a registration text message to the application."
SMS Academic Administration Kit, Judy Nix,John Russell and Desmond Keegan.
JANET txt is available to all JANET connected organizations and will allow them to send and receive text messages, to and from, relevant groups & individuals.
The University of Wolverhampton is currently the British university with the highest proportion of under-represented groups amongst its students. The University was one of the first Higher Education Institutions to experiment with SMS.The MeLaS presentation produced as part of the project entitled "Large Scale Implementation Mobiles Enhancing Learning and Support" (MELaS) provides interesting facts and experiences.
Cellphedia is a Mobile Social Software that promotes the sharing of knowledge. It allows users to send and receive encyclopedia-type inquiries between specific, pre-defined groups of users, through SMS. Learners can create new knowledge and, as the site is organic, can see new shared learning as it unfolds. How does this differ to Wapedia - the mobile version of Wikpedia?
If you're a Skype user then why not use the service to send cheap SMS messages to individuals or groups.
Tribal CTAD, provide an SMS Quiz Authoring Tool - a web-based application - which allows you to set up an automated response system for multiple-choice quizzes on the learner’s mobile phone. Participants answer questions by text and receive instant feedback.
Not sure what an SMS quiz looks like? Why not visit Tribal CTAD's website ,download the flier and try the quiz yourself, or view the CTAD slideshow.
The Mobile Learning in Practice publication talks about how tutors have used the SMS Quizzes to engage learners. Read too of the learners' reponses and their experiences.
A text message can be as little as 10p but some learners might not have a mobile phone in order to engage in an activity. Twitter, the microblogging service, provides an alternative texting experience for learning groups where short messages of a single SMS length can be entered and sent from the website. Learners can choose to receive and send messages from a phone or create and receive messages purely on the website. Use Twitter to encourage peer support, for a specific activity to improve communication skills, to discuss a topic before or after a class discussion or to gather quick evaluation at the end of a session.