New Blackboard Learn for iPhone

Building on its efforts to engage students and learners in a more personalized learning experience, Blackboard has announced the release of a free application that lets users of the Apple iPhone and iPod touch take learning on the go by accessing course information wherever and whenever they prefer.

With the application, millions of students and learners accustomed to logging in to their institution's Blackboard platform every day can now tap in to mobile learning opportunities by receiving updates and alerts on grades, assignments, tests and other information from courses as well as groups and organizations of which they are part on their iPhone or iPod touch.

"Many of today's students and learners live in a mobile world, and now they can learn in one too," said Michael L. Chasen, president and CEO of Blackboard. "This application is part of our focus to help students more deeply engage in the educational experience by creating learning opportunities that are not bound by time or place."


Mobile learning has drawn the attention of administrators and educators as handheld devices, PDAs and smart phones have become increasingly popular in educational settings and among young people. The Blackboard Learn(TM) for Apple iPhone application is available as a download from the Apple iTunes(R) App Store and makes mobile learning a reality by linking course information to devices that are quickly becoming commonplace in high school hallways, on college campuses and in the workplace.

The application follows the earlier release of Blackboard's popular integration for the Facebook platform, which enables users to access academic information within the Facebook interface and opens the door to social learning and networking opportunities.

Like the integration for the Facebook platform, Blackboard Learn for the iPhone and iPod touch is open to users at any of the thousands of K-12, higher education, and professional, corporate and government organizations that work with Blackboard worldwide, and is central to the Company's effort to help those institutions better meet the needs of learners and promote higher achievement through greater engagement.

"The application is great for quickly checking Blackboard on the go, and it helps me be more engaged and organized even if I'm away from campus," said Nate Schumacher, a freshman at Grand Rapids Community College in Michigan who participated in the Beta program for the application. "With Blackboard on my iPod touch, I'm checking more often for new grades and updates the same way I check my email. Because it's so accessible, I can see my progress instantly and get feedback from professors on how I'm doing, so it helps make me a better student. This application has great potential. I would definitely recommend it to other students."


Students and learners can freely download applications for the iPhone and iPod touch and the Facebook platform, while institutions and organizations have the ability to provide greater support for the applications, limit access to certain kinds of information, or block the applications entirely. In order to protect sensitive information, each student and learner receives information from only the courses in which he or she is registered.


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