MyCommunity and SMS Michael Webb Head of IT and Media Services [email_address] http://mycommunity.newport.ac.uk/blogs/michael

Michael Webb

Head of IT and Media Services

[email_address]

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

(sending messages to students)

MyCommunity

(blogging, forums, photo galleries)

SMS … … because email is dead… (discuss!!)

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

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 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)

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 Staff Directory Information (groups etc) Student phone numbers Departmental Billing impor t impor t 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 impor t interact log Directory Integration

We chose approach 2 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. Disadvantages Need to undertake a little development work

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.

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

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 Launched Sept 2006 Provides all students and staff with a blog, photo gallery and forum Fully integrated in myLearning Essentials (our student portal/VLE/MLE) We weren’t expecting everyone to start blogging! 1% rule – in any online community only 1% of members create original content

Launched Sept 2006

Provides all students and staff with a blog, photo gallery and forum

Fully integrated in myLearning Essentials (our student portal/VLE/MLE)

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 requirements Good blog functionality (get bloggers to test!) Forum functionality at least as good as forums students come across on the net Authentication integrates with active directory Automatic creation of blogs/forum accounts ‘ Skinable’ so it could integrate with MyLearning Essentials Source code available for (again to help with integration with MyLearning Essentials)

MyCommunity requirements

Good blog functionality (get bloggers to test!)

Forum functionality at least as good as forums students come across on the net

Authentication integrates with active directory

Automatic creation of blogs/forum accounts

‘ Skinable’ so it could integrate with MyLearning Essentials

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 (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

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

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…. Modify the authentication process to allow both anonymous and authenticated access 2) Minor modifications to sources code (changing the way photo galleries work) Skinning to fit in with myLearning Essentials . Launching… (Sept 06)

Modify the authentication process to allow both anonymous and authenticated access

2) Minor modifications to sources code (changing the way photo galleries work)

Skinning to fit in with myLearning Essentials .

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

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!