SMART Response™ VE designed for Internet-enabled mobile devices

Beta version of new browser-based assessment tool available summer 2010

CALGARY, Alberta --- March 16, 2010 --- SMART Technologies announces SMART Response VE interactive response system, a browser-based assessment tool in the growing SMART Response product line. SMART Response VE enables students to log in from any Internet-enabled device, such as smartphones – including the iPhone and BlackBerry® – the iPod Touch, a home computer or a laptop. Students can then access teacher-created assessments, respond to questions and receive immediate feedback. As with all models in the SMART Response product line, SMART Response VE integrates seamlessly with SMART Notebook™ collaborative learning software, consolidating lesson creation and delivery, and assessment within one application. A beta version of SMART Response VE will be available in summer 2010. Current SMART Response customers can sign up to participate in the beta and provide feedback on their experience using the browser-based assessment tool. For more information on participating in the SMART Response VE beta, educators can complete a SMART Response VE contact form.

SMART Response VE supports four question types – true or false, yes or no, multiple choice and multiple answer – to keep students engaged in lesson material, whether they are in the classroom or elsewhere. Through the SMART Exchange™ online community, teachers also have access to thousands of questions correlated to national standards. The SMART Response product line now provides a range of models to support every learning environment, from early education to secondary classrooms and distance learning environments. All SMART Response interactive response systems enable teachers to create quizzes and tests for formative and summative assessment or to ask spontaneous questions to gain ongoing insight into student comprehension. More information on SMART Response VE and the SMART Response product line can be found at smarttech.com/response.

“As student-owned mobile devices become increasingly common in the classroom, both teachers and administrators can leverage this technology to help engage learners in lessons,” says Nancy Knowlton, SMART’s CEO. “SMART Response VE enables students to access assessments and respond to question sets from their own Internet-enabled device, ensuring learning is portable and accessible, regardless of which device students use.”

Features

Support for Internet-enabled devices – SMART Response VE is platform agnostic and designed to work with any Internet-enabled device, such as smartphones – including the iPhone and BlackBerry– the iPod Touch, a home computer or a laptop
Support for multiple question types –SMART Response VE supports four question types, including true or false, yes or no, multiple choice and multiple answer questions

SMART Notebook software integration – Teachers can deliver questions without leaving a lesson or opening another software application   

Multiple assessment options –Teachers can prepare quizzes and tests in advance or, at any point during a lesson,ask spontaneous questions to gauge student understanding

Instant results –Teachers can create a graph of assessment results to provide an immediate visual representation of student responses

Teacher Tools – Teachers can access, view and manage all assessment data in one location and organize it by student and class. A built-in gradebook tracks performance and records test results, which are automatically collected and saved into one easily accessed file. The gradebook also enables teachers to generate PDF reports or export results to Microsoft® Excel®


The SMART Response interactive response system product line

• The SMART Response LE interactive response system is designed for learners in early education and students with special needs. SMART Response LE features simple and colorful remotes that enable students to respond to a variety of question types using easy-to-understand symbols.
• The SMART Response PE interactive response system is designed for most K–12 classrooms and includes remotes with multitap text entry, allowing students to submit text answers up to 20 characters
• The SMART Response XE interactive response system is designed to meet the specific needs of secondary students and features full QWERTY keyboard remotes that support advanced math and science functions
• SMART Response CE interactive response system is designed for computer-enabled learning environments and enables students to respond directly from their own computers
• SMART Response VE interactive response system is a browser-based assessment tool designed for use on Internet-enabled devices, such as smartphones – including the iPhone and BlackBerry – the iPod Touch, a home computer or laptop

About SMART

SMART Technologies, the global leader in interactive whiteboards, develops easy-to-use integrated products and services that improve the way the world works and learns. For more than 20 years, innovation and commitment to excellence have been at the core of our business. We help educators achieve better results with technology products that support student-centered learning. We help businesses become more productive with easy-to-use collaboration solutions that enable better results. Our success is driven by our deep commitment to and engagement with both the education and business communities.