It's good news for student owners of iPhone and iPod touch devices! The Washington, D. C. based software company Blackboard Inc. on Thursday released a free Blackboard application for iPhone and iPod touch devices.

According to Blackboard, the new Blackboard application for iPhone and iPod touch will let students access course information wherever and whenever they prefer - the app is developed to facilitate students to stay in touch with their coursework assignments and their professors - and the new app is the mobile version of the company's software tools that students and teachers use at the company's Web site.

Jessica Finnefrock, senior vice president of product development at Blackboard Inc., said, "The iPhone App lets a student see what's new since they last synced. It's an efficiency tool designed to help students manage their time." Finnefrock asserted that the company is also hoping to release the Blackboard application for other mobile devices.

Michael L. Chasen, president and CEO of Blackboard, said, "Many students and learners today live in a mobile world, and now they can learn in one too. 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."

According to a Piper Jaffray study, almost a third of high school students either have an iPhone or plan to have one soon. So, these iPhone students might soon be using Blackboard applications on their iPhones or iPod touch devices.

"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. 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," said Nate Schumacher, a freshman at Grand Rapids Community College in Michigan who participated in the Beta program for the application.