SMS Integration with Online Learning
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eLearning in Maldives is in its infancy and has not received wider acceptance throughout the country due to a number of barriers. However, with the unique geography of Maldives eLearning can be used widely and extensively used. Learning Management Systems have been implemented in a number of educational institutions in the country. However, these systems were not able to reach wider audience in the rural islands of the country. It is of utmost importance that any educational system in Maldives should reach all the different island communities. One of the major reasons for limited access is the lack of accessible Internet services in the rural communities. However, mobile network has reached all the inhabited islands in Maldives. Recent statistics shows that amongst the two mobile providers the number of mobile phone registration is twice the population. Hence, the use of mobile network to reach the island communities can be an effective mode of communication for Online learning. This paper looks at a project designed to integrate mobile SMS into Online learning. The project has two major components. One component allows the lecturers to send their posts to students as SMS messages. The second component allows the students to SMS their replies to a dedicated mobile number.