Holley2012

ICT (space) your answer to 07950 080672

Working together: using SMS text messages to support students on

placement

Debbie Holley

Department of Education

Anglia Ruskin University


A task

The question:- Would you consider asking your students in

the library to ‘turn their phones on?’ Your answer:

- Compose in less than 156 characters- Add “ict ” to the beginning of your response

- Text your answer to 07950 080672

bradleyc

If we keep the demo we'll need to change the question


Why mobiles?

• 98% ownership of mobiles• 6.1 trillion texts sent in 2010 (only 96.8 billion

texts sent in 2009)• For every second that goes by, another 200,000

text messages will have changed hands • 95% of text messages are read• 75% of text messages are read straight away

Statistics from James Lasbrey, O2, May 2011 & International Telecommunication Union, October 2010


Context

• Anglia Ruskin University recruits trainees who live all over the East Anglian region

• Secondary PGCE trainees in ICT, Maths, English, MFL, Science, Art

• 11 PGCE ICT trainees We are rolling out to trainee social workers

and nurses!


The problem

• Trainees are unused to academic writing

• Trainees are full-time on placement

• Trainees feel isolated from the university

• Trainees struggle to find time for reading

• Trainees do not reflect on their reading


Our ICT trainees and their mobiles

• All have a mobile phone

• All use text messaging

• Some have internet access via phone

• Most have phone contract; some on pay as you go

• Some use Facebook

• Some use Twitter


The suggested solution

• Use mobile technology to help support trainees

• Why mobiles? It is

the ‘device of choice’ Students are ‘expecting academic staff to take a lead’

in supporting them with ‘learning on the move’

Bradley & Holley 2010


Our investigationPurpose:- To find out if mobile technology (eg

TxtTools software) could be used to support our trainees on placement.

Approach taken:- Four key interventions 24 hours long, four

weeks apart- Each based around a reading for their

assignment (Curriculum & Pedagogy)


Reflection


ICT Tutor’s experience

Educational benefits- Encouraged trainees to read- Encouraged trainees to reflect on the reading rather

than just skim read- Encouraged concise writing and discouraged descriptive

comments- Trainees commented on each other’s comments- Compensated for lack of university sessions with

trainees to a small degree- Set the focus on their assignment- Evaluation showed that May assignments had more

critical reference to literature than January assignments


Trainees’ experiences

• Focus group in June– Large amount of feedback data collected– Considerable difference of opinion between

trainees on specific issues relating to timing and format of the interventions


What the trainees said…

• Positive points – academic benefits– Offered academic support– Did read readings that they would not have

done otherwise– Did use readings and comments in their

assignments– Did start assignment earlier (three trainees)



• Positive points – use of technoloy– Using mobiles more convenient than PC-

based system– Liked to view others’ responses– Some liked needing to be concise



• Negative points – mostly about use of this technology– Conciseness was difficult – 160 character limit– Didn’t like the messages being anonymous– Some concerns about invasion of privacy– Wanted to see complete thread of responses– “We already have too many other things to do”


Conclusion

• Some academic benefits gained from intervention

• Insight into how mobiles could be used – list of requirements generated

• Scope to develop a more sophisticated tool that would address these requirements


Further Information:

Project website:

http://www.textingtraineeteachers.net

Full report from

www.ESCalate.ac.uk/8140

Bradley & Holley (2010) Project website:

www.londonmet.ac.uk/learningonthemove

I would like to acknowledge my project collaborators, Sue Sentance (ICT tutor) and Claire Bradley (Project evaluator)

[email protected]

http://www.textingtraineeteachers.net/

http://www.escalate.ac.uk/8140

http://www.londonmet.ac.uk/learningonthemove

Health & Medicine

Holley2012