Thank you X Factor

I never thought that I would ever have any reason to be grateful to X Factor and will openly admit that I cannot watch it but it has had in my opinion, one positive impact on the  ways we use texting and mobile technologies - the 'short code'.
I have long been an advocate of the role of the text in improving the student experience and over the last few years have worked a lot on using 'short codes' and 'key' words as ways of adding value to a simple 160 character text.
A student can send a key word such as 'late' or 'debt' to a short code only 5 numbers long and get an instant response. Some institutions are sending these messages directly through to the PC of an advisor or administrator who will then contact that student to give them the information that they want or to change an appointment that they may have missed or be running late for.
I have used it to send out an automated reply which has within it a shorted URL to an mobile friendly web page that has all the key information that a student who is in 'debt' or have arrived at University 'late' would need.
Have a go yourself. 
Send a text saying 'late' to 88020.
Let me know how you get on.
The system is as flexible as you want it to be. Just think of a key word that makes sense to students and sums up the issue(s) that they feel they have, then create a web page or Facebook page and load it with all the information that you know that students with these types of issues have.  It can be as simple as straight text or as information rich with videos, photos, text and links as you want it to be.  Don't forget though to make sure that the web page is mobile friendly and to test out any links you put in to see if they work on a 'standard' mobile phone as well as a smartphone.

It gets even better, the system will automatically capture the number of the mobile texting in and remember these are students who are self declaring that they have a particular issue, so if you know that these students will tend to have other associated issues; eg late arrivals and lack of funding, then you can pro actively contact them at an appropriate time and offer them additional help or advice.

Simples

Oh, yes back to X Factor. It taught a whole generation to use their mobiles to text into short codes and to use a mobile device as an expression of opinion and as participating in a wider community. We dismiss all these new forms of behaviour at our peril. Rather learn from X Factor, go with the flow and improve the Student Experience at the same time.

(These views are my own and don't represent those of AMOSSHE or any other organisation)