The document discusses using SMS text messages to support university students on teaching placements. It describes a study where text messaging was used to facilitate discussion of required readings among 11 PGCE ICT trainees. Trainees received 4 interventions over 4 weeks to discuss assigned readings and reflections. Feedback was mixed, with trainees noting academic benefits from increased reading and references in assignments, but also frustrations with the 160 character limit and anonymity of responses. While some benefits were seen, developing a more sophisticated mobile tool was suggested to better address trainees' requirements and feedback.

1. 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

2. ICT (space) your answer to 07950 080672
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

3. ICT (space) your answer to 07950 080672
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

4. ICT (space) your answer to 07950 080672
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!

5. ICT (space) your answer to 07950 080672
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

6. ICT (space) your answer to 07950 080672
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

7. ICT (space) your answer to 07950 080672
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

8. ICT (space) your answer to 07950 080672
Our investigation
Purpose:
- 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)

9. ICT (space) your answer to 07950 080672
Reflection

10. ICT (space) your answer to 07950 080672
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

11. ICT (space) your answer to 07950 080672
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

12. ICT (space) your answer to 07950 080672
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)

13. ICT (space) your answer to 07950 080672
What the trainees said…
• Positive points – use of technoloy
– Using mobiles more convenient than PC-
based system
– Liked to view others’ responses
– Some liked needing to be concise

14. ICT (space) your answer to 07950 080672
What the trainees said…
• 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”

15. ICT (space) your answer to 07950 080672
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

16. ICT (space) your answer to 07950 080672
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)
debbie.holley@anglia.ac.uk