Students opinions towards receiving timely information via SMS

1
Students opinions towards receiving timely
information via SMS

• Lee Griffiths Ali Hmer
• School of Computing, Science and Engineering
• University of Salford

2
background

• Imagine this.
• You are a lecturer stuck in traffic
• Lecture at 9am
• The office arent in yet
• Do students read notice boards anyway?
• Do students listen to verbal notices?
• How regularly do students read email?
• How regularly do students read text messages?

3
gr8 init?

• Oftel says 85 of households own a mobile phone.
• 100 of my students (and staff) own a mobile.
• The average user sends 250 text messages a month.
• Demographics says 18-25yr olds are the
  predominant text users
• Why are we not using this technology ?
• Changes in our working environment and ethos mean
  we are not always sat in our office waiting for
  students.
• The outside world has moved on. Can universities?

www.goinspire.co.uk
4
the problem

• Compare SMS text messaging to current forms of
  communication (email, notice boards) when
  delivering important timely information to
  students and cohorts,
• Effectiveness
• Does it do the job better than email?
• Efficiency
• At what cost?
• Satisfaction?
• Would users subscribe to it?

5
the method current behaviour

• Our pre-test survey showed
• 79 of students use SMS to chat with friends
• 76 read up to 6 SMS messages a day
• 62 of students read their email at least once a
  day
• 77 thought receiving urgent messages from the
  university was a good/very good idea
• but 83 wouldnt pay for receiving messages

6
the method

• Group of students (n47) encouraged to register
  their mobile phone details on an internally
  maintained university web based system.
• Lecturer issued an Ill be late message 15
  minutes before lecture was due to start
• via email
• SMS text message.
• Students were given a follow up questionnaire to
  elicit opinions

7
results

• Effectiveness - Does it do the job better than
  email?
• 27 received SMS message (in lt 1 minute)
• 23 were told by a friend (presumably the SMS
  friend)
• 43 were not aware of the alert
• 7 received it via email

8
results

• Efficiency - At what cost?
• more immediate but much more expensive than
  email. Or is it?
• 7p/message x 100 students 7
• 7 x 1 message/week x 20 modules 140/week
• 10 messages x 100 students x 20 modules
  1400/week (gulp!)
• But how much does an institution spend on its
  network and Internet infrastructure?

9
results

• Satisfaction - Would users subscribe to it?
• Students were positive, some very, but on average
  not as enthusiastic as expected.
• Following test, positive attitude increased
• Still, most (78) would not pay a service despite
  agreeing on its potential.
• But didnt appreciate that they indirectly pay
  for email

10
conclusion

• We can broadcast instantly to students, from
  anywhere in the world.
• Whilst SMS is still passive, it is more
  effective because of its mobile nature and
  popularity.
• Overuse could lead to Spam-style deletion.
• Should be used but reserved for important
  information, e.g. exam reminders, cancelled
  lectures, deadlines, fire alarms!?
• However, most institutions ban mobiles ?