Mining sentiments in SMS texts for teaching evaluation

0957-4174/$ see front matter 2011 Elsevier Ltd. A doi:10.1016/j.eswa.2011.08.113 ⇑ Corresponding author. Tel.: +65 6248 9247; fax: + E-mail address: [email protected] (C.K. Leon This paper explores the potential application of sentiment mining for analyzing short message service (SMS) texts in teaching evaluation. Data preparation involves the reading, parsing and categorization of the SMS texts. Three models were developed: the base model, the ‘‘corrected’’ model which adjusts for spelling errors and the ‘‘sentiment’’ model which extends the ‘‘corrected’’ model by performing sentiment mining. An ‘‘interestingness’’ criterion selects the ‘‘sentiment’’ model from which the sentiments of the students towards the lecture are discerned. Two types of incomplete SMS texts are also identified and the implications of their removal for the analysis ascertained. 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.