SMART Receives 2016 EDDIE Award for Best Multi-Subject Collaborative Learning Software

EDDIE Award and More Than 15 million Paid Users Reinforce the Value of Collaborative Game-based Learning for Teaching and Learning

CALGARY, Nov. 21, 2016 /PRNewswire/ - SMART Technologies Inc., a leading provider of collaboration solutions, today announced that SMART Learning Suite™ (SLS) has been awarded with the Multi-Subject Collaborative Learning System category by the Education Software Review Awards (EDDIEs). The SMART Learning Suite software has also reached 15 million paid users as of early September 2016. In addition, more than 346,000 different game-based activities have been created and implemented by teachers and students this year.

SMART has developed two short videos and an infographic that offer greater insight into the implementation of gamification in the classroom. The videos are accessible via SMART's education channel on YouTube.

• To gain a greater understanding of gamification's role in the classroom, visit youtube.com/watch?v=YHi6J5geA34&feature=youtu.be.
• To learn how to best foster gamification in the classroom, visit youtube.com/watch?v=Ht6HYIURUZE.
• To view the infographic, visit http://edblog.smarttech.com/2016/11/building-21st-century-skills-digital-games-infographic/

Launched in January 2016, SMART Learning Suite is an integrated educational software platform designed to enable educators to easily and quickly create dynamic, interactive, and engaging learning experiences. The suite provides educators with more opportunities to individualize and differentiate instruction, check for student understanding and to integrate content no matter the subject, grade level or instructional pedagogy. Connecting students, teachers and devices, SMART Learning Suite harnesses technology to innovate lessons, increase engagement and as a result, improve educational outcomes.

"I am thrilled to see that 15 million educators globally are using SMART Learning Suite in the classroom, and that it has been recognized by the EDDIE Awards as a leader in its category. This is especially exciting given the fast rate of adoption - less than one year," said Warren Barkley, Chief Technology Officer, SMART Technologies. "Education software has been shown to significantly improve student outcomes when combined with effective pedagogical practices, particularly in building students' skills in the '4Cs': creativity, critical thinking, collaboration and communication."*

Mr. Barkley continued, "4C skills are imperative for today's students to be successful in tomorrow's workforce. At SMART, we are proud to bring valuable tools to educators and students to achieve their goals inside and outside the classroom."

The SMART Learning Suite also includes the following software:

• Industry-leading SMART Notebook™ — A premiere lesson delivery software that facilitates engaging and interactive learning experiences while providing the flexibility to respond to the needs of learners in real-time.
• Award-winning SMART amp™ — A web-based collaborative learning platform that enables student co-creation and fosters student collaboration on devices.
• SMART response 2 — A formative assessment software for use on student devices that allows teachers to create question sets to complement lessons in under five minutes.
• SMART lab — A simple and customizable software platform that enables teachers to create game-based learning activities in less than five minutes. Recently, SMART lab added Monster Quiz, a team-based game that includes both thematic visual and auditory cues to create a game environment that elevates students out of their ordinary classroom experience.

For more information about SMART's comprehensive education software bundle – SMART Learning Suite – visit smarttech.com/sls.

About SMART Technologies Inc.
SMART Technologies Inc. is a world leader in simple and intuitive solutions that enable more natural collaboration. We are an innovator in interactive touch technologies and software that inspire collaboration in both education and businesses around the globe. To learn more, visit smarttech.com.

*Source: Global Study Titled 'Teaching, Technology and Learning: Understanding the Interconnection', https://home.smarttech.com/en/about-us/news/research/fusing-tech-and-teaching

©2016 SMART Technologies. All third-party product and company names are for identification purposes only and may be trademarks of their respective owners. To view a list of SMART trademarks please visit our Trademarks and Guidelines page. 

SOURCE SMART Technologies Inc.

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