Concealed data in two way text messaging: A framework for interactive mobile learning environment

A major limitation in two-way texting is sending back a part of received data with the reply message. This limitation results in users of a mobile learning environment being unable to reply back to the correct destination as the mobile communication gateway handles sending out information of several users through a single phone number. In this paper, we propose an open-source and secure messaging system that can be easily integrated to a learning management system (LMS) to provide an interactive learning experience to the user community. Initially, a database is integrated into the LMS that holds message information such as recipient´s phone number, message body, user data header (UDH), etc. A specific port associated with short messaging service (SMS) is used to send data relevant to a particular course unit concealed in the SMS body itself. Subsequently, software installed in the user´s mobile device captures this SMS and sends back the reply message to the appropriate course unit allowing both teachers and students to view messages sent and replied pertaining to a particular course unit. Results indicate the relevance and interoperability of the proposed technique.