Using SMS quiz in teaching and learning

Abstract

Purpose -This paper discusses the development of a system using SMS (short messaging system) to facilitate learning and also as a new method in the evaluation of teaching and learning. Design/methodology/approach -The design of a system that uses SMS for the quiz is proposed as an alternative for formative assessment of teaching and learning for courses at institutions of higher learning in Malaysia. The fundamental idea of the SMS assessment system is based on the SMS function which is the basic feature of the normal mobile phone to receive and send text messages at anytime and anywhere. This will allow the formative assessment to be done in a course with a more flexible approach. Findings -It is found that the quiz through SMS has the potential to be used in the teaching and learning environment. However there are some constraints and issues in the operation of this system that needs to be addressed before the system can be utilized optimally. These constraints and issues involve the system stability, the users/students and other general issues. Originality/value -This article offers a new alternative for lecturers, teachers and students in the implementation of formative assessment quizzes via SMS. IntroductionVarious new technologies have been introduced to facilitate and improve the effectiveness of teaching and learning. Learning process which involves short messaging system (SMS) can be regarded as one of the latest innovation to support teaching and learning. Several researches have been conducted to explore the potential of teaching and learning involving the use of mobile devices (e.g. Ally, 2009;Ford and Leinonen, 2009;Gregson and Jordaan, 2009). These researches were carried out in various areas. The use of mobile technology in the education sector in developed countries is increasing and the study using mobile devices in teaching and learning have also shown an increase in Malaysia. A number of researchers have tried to use the SMS function to communicate in their courses such as sending a note and sending information or notification (e.g. Lim et al., 2011). However, there are fewer researches that focus on the method of two-way communication between lecturers and students and as well as assessment system based on SMS. Currently, most research only focuses on one-way interaction between lecturers and students, for example a lecturer send a note via SMS to their students by Rosli et al. (2010). Many researches are still at an early stage where SMS is sent only from the lecturer to students, not vice versa. Although the SMS technology is the same technology that can be obtained through the use of mobile devices, to develop evaluation systems that use SMS is quite complicated because it includes the character limit, consumer credit, special instructions and common problems in mobile system such as mobile coverage and SMS providers bulk limit (delayed response).

Analysis of Giving Quizzes on Mechanics Lectures Through E-Learning

“…Quizzes can be viewed as one of the formative evaluation methods that are usually done gradually or continuously for the assessment of a particular topic or subject. Feedback from formative assessments allows students to better understand tutor expectations, and also allows tutors to modify teaching to better address student needs [5].…”

“…In distance learning, students and teachers do not meet directly but are connected by the media as an intermediary for communication. Various technology applications allow the implementation of distance learning such as online learning platforms, e-learning, video conferencing and other applications that support distance learning [5,6]. The main target in distance learning is students who do not have full time to participate in direct learning and are still facilitated and have access to equitable and affordable education [7,8].…”

“…One of the learning modes implemented by UT is learning with online tutorials [11]. The characteristics of online tutorials, namely, the use of multimedia, are interactive, the availability of links and the variety of media used to support learning, enabling the exchange of ideas between students [5,12,13]. Online tutorials are asynchronous learning concepts [14], can have an impact on increasing literacy for students, develop knowledge through the help of technology applications [15,16] and are carried out indirectly and in one semester the lectures are carried out for 8 sessions.…”

Securely Compressed Extensive Text Messages: The Interactive Mobile Learning for Distance Education in the COVID – 19 Pandemic

“…That mechanism created an interactive mobile learning environment to obtain their assignment activities and grading process. Ziden and Rahman [16] revealed that the quiz via the SMS system could use to evaluate teaching and learning progress at any time anywhere. This system offered further the quiz-based assessment method of various courses and continuous assessments conducted by experts to students.…”

Students’ Acceptance of Online Rubric Marking Assessment in an Islāmic and Asian Civilizations Course at the Universiti Malaysia Pahang (UMP)

“…This approach demands a lot of time and effort of educators in completing the assessment, especially with a substantial number of students. Based on the review of literature conducted by the researchers, there have been some attempts to maximize the usage of ICT in teaching, learning and assessment, such as SMSes (Abu Ziden & Faizal, 2012), blogs (Wang et al, 2016), smartphones (Jin, 2014), email (Zhao & Okamoto, 2009), and others. In line with the current Industrial Revolution 4.0, educators are expected to integrate ICT into their daily teaching to complement their traditional methods with the modern tools and facilities.…”