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A brief presentation on how the University of Wales, Newport implemented SMS message and MyCommunity Blogs/Forums/Photo Sharing. The presentation is aimed at a technical audience, although doesn't go into huge amount of detail.
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MyCommunity and SMS
Michael Webb
Head of IT and Media Services
michael.webb@newport.ac.uk
http://mycommunity.newport.ac.uk/blogs/michael
Overview…
SMS (sending messages to students)
MyCommunity (blogging, forums, photo galleries)
Brief ‘How we did it’ rather than ‘Why we did it’
SMS …
…because email is dead… (discuss!!)
SMS Aims
Aim 1) To allow lecturers to send SMS to students as easily as email.
Aim 2) To have a flexible setup so we can integrate SMS into other applications (timetabling, library etc)
Aim 3) To allow 2 way messaging in the near future (eg access to services)
Aim 4) To have a mechanism to bill departments
Two possible approaches
1) Buy a complete SMS package
(eg Edutxt etc)
2) Buy a ‘bare bones’ SMS gateway package’ +APIs and integrate with existing application/portal etc.
(*API = Application programming Interface)
Approach 1 – buying an SMS Package
SMS Package(address book, sending/ receiving interface etc)
Students
StaffDirectory Information (groups etc)
Student phone numbers
Departmental Billing
import
import
message
export
interact
Approach 2 – using API to integrate
MyLearning Essentials (or any other portal)
Student Phone numbers
SMS Gateway
Students
Staff
Logging for billing
message
import
interact
logDirectory
Inte
gra
tion
We chose approach 2
1. Advantages– Can change SMS message provider without changing the
user experience – keep costs as low as possible.
– Not creating an additional directory just for SMS.
– No new package for staff to learn.2. Disadvantages
– Need to undertake a little development work
Sending messages isn’t hard…code example
Dim ToList As New System.Collections.Specialized.StringCollection\
…. Add students to list….
Dim sms As New IntelliSoftware.IntelliSMS
sms.PrimaryGateway = "https://www.intellisoftware.co.uk" sms.BackupGateway = "https://www.intellisoftware2.co.uk"
sms.Username = “******" sms.Password = "*****"
Try sms.SendMsgToMultipleRecipients(ToList, strMessage, "NewportUni") Catch ex As Exception response.write(Err.Description) End Try
How it works…
Costs
http://www.pageone.co.uk/janettxt/
Current Provider (Intellisoftware) JANET TXT service
4.2p per message
MyCommunity
MyCommunity – Quick Overview
1) Launched Sept 2006
2) Provides all students and staff with a blog, photo gallery and forum
3) Fully integrated in myLearning Essentials (our student portal/VLE/MLE)
4) We weren’t expecting everyone to start blogging!
– 1% rule – in any online community only 1% of members create original content
MyCommunity
Software Evaluation
MyCommunity requirements1) Good blog functionality (get bloggers to test!)2) Forum functionality at least as good as forums students come
across on the net3) Authentication integrates with active directory4) Automatic creation of blogs/forum accounts5) ‘Skinable’ so it could integrate with MyLearning Essentials6) Source code available for (again to help with integration with
MyLearning Essentials)
Software we evaluated
• Community Server (produce we chose)• B2Evolution • DasBlog• WordPress MU (Not mature enough at the time…now
serious contender)• (Elgg is now well worth investigating as well – wasn’t
really ready at the time)
Community Server
• Offers both blogs and forums
• Basic software free• Source code available• We bought enterprise
version (about £1000) – main extra feature is Windows authentication
Technical Requirements…
• Web Application Server(s)– Recommended: Microsoft Windows Server 2003 – Microsoft Internet Information Services (IIS) – Microsoft .NET 2.0
• Database Server(s)– Recommended: Microsoft SQL Server 2005 – Microsoft SQL Server 2000
Key Development Tasks….
1) Modify the authentication process to allow both anonymous and authenticated access
2) Minor modifications to sources code (changing the way photo galleries work)
3) Skinning to fit in with myLearning Essentials.
4) Launching… (Sept 06)
Skinning process – starting point
Skinning process – end point
How has it been used?• Forums
– Selling things and finding accommodation– Requests for help– Discussions about the University– Conversations about anything!
• Blogs– Interaction with staff, students and peers– Information posting– Reflective Learning
• Photos– Sharing– Informing
Time for demo?
The End!
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