The portability and relative affordability of handheld technology makes it a potentially rich tool for teachers seeking to develop a deeper understanding and a more rigorous approach to student learning and assessment. The U.S. Department of Education's Office of Educational Technology is sponsoring this research effort.

SRI International Inc. in Menlo Park, Calif., has built a 50-year reputation of innovation, from the early invention of the chemical formulation for Tide detergent to the testing of the first robots and the computer mouse, to today's efforts to incubate new spin-off businesses in communications technology. SRI researchers develop new pharmaceuticals and new understandings of engineering materials, new uses of artificial intelligence and radar technology.

CTL is housed in SRI's Policy Division, which provides government agencies, nonprofit organizations and businesses with research-based solutions for meeting challenges in education, training, health, economic development and human services. CTL was founded in the early 1990s to study how technology played a role in the education of children, youth, and adults.