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.