AT&T Inc. has launched mobile student interactive response technology on its wireless smartphones to reach the higher-education market.

Interactive student response systems are a rapidly growing technology in the higher education secor. These systems allow educators to go beyond traditional classroom lectures and teaching methods.

"AT&T and Turning Technologies have partnered together to deliver a unique student response solution to meet the interactive learning needs of our higher education customers," said Michele Brittingham, senior market manager for higher education industry solutions at AT&T, Dallas, TX.

"This application helps educators engages students in the classroom by bringing the technology that students use to connect to the world -- the mobile phone -- into the classroom as a learning device," she said.

"It also provides instructors with immediate feedback and assessment so they can see if students are understanding key concepts."

In general, student response systems are designed to heighten the classroom experience and enhance learning at colleges and universities.

The Web-based polling service can be enabled using an AT&T-powered wireless device, such as an iPhone, BlackBerry or Windows-enabled smartphone.

AT&T's systems enable real-time student polling and offer analysis of responses, including tracking demographic information, ranking against criteria for decision making and analyzing comparative results that facilitate pre- and post-assessment.

"Another benefit of the mobile student response application is that it improves attendance and increases student comprehension of the material covered in class," Ms. Brittingham said.

The mobile student interactive response service from Turning Technologies, a developer of interactive response systems, actively enhances the classroom experience for both students and educators. The solution can work within a traditional classroom environment or remotely for distance learning.

Additionally, since the mobile application can be used on Web-enabled AT&T smartphones, it eliminates the need for clickers or other peripheral classroom equipment.

Subscription to the service costs $19.49 annually. Contact Turning Technologies for information about institutional volume pricing.

AT&T claims that the interactive student response systems also offer the ability to create an interactive classroom experiences, increasing student attentiveness and comprehension.

Other features include the cumulative tracking of class and individual student results and the reinforcement of content via instant polling.

AT&T claims that the service lets everyone, even the shyest of students, to become equally involved in honest, no-risk answering.

Poll results can then be stored for future analysis or aggregated and displayed in chart or graph form so instructors can assess student comprehension and/or gather valuable real-time feedback.

The mobile student response application, powered by ResponseWare Web software, has been certified for use on AT&T's 3G and Edge wireless data networks.

AT&T's 3G network is available in more than 310 major U.S. metropolitan areas, and by year-end, AT&T expects to offer the service in nearly 350 major metro areas.

The AT&T Edge network is available in more than 13,000 cities and towns and along some 40,000 miles of major highways across the U.S.

The solution is available online or at campus bookstores through a subscription-based service that students or institutions can activate on their mobile device.

Turning Technologies produces student response systems for interactive learning, providing engagement, feedback and assessment in the classroom.

More than 1,700 colleges and universities use TurningPoint student response systems, including large-scale implementations at some 200 campuses.

Future AT&T Higher Education print advertising campaigns will include a screen shot of the solution on a hand-held device.

"AT&T and Turning Technologies will promote the solution at the local campus level through various mediums, including sales flyers, brochures and messaging at the department or campus enterprise level," Ms. Brittingham said.