ORLANDO, Fla., March 6 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- SRI International and Palm, Inc. (Nasdaq: PALM) today will announce the results of a first-of-a-kind study of the integration of handheld technology in K-12 teaching and learning. A news briefing to discuss these findings will take place later today here at the Florida Educational Technology Conference (FETC).

The study results are based on 100 classrooms that used handhelds for teaching and learning. These classrooms were part of the Palm Education Pioneer (PEP) program, which awarded $2.3 million in technology grants to 175 classrooms in the United States. SRI International's Center for Technology in Learning (CTL) in Menlo Park, Calif., is administering and evaluating the program to study the learning uses, experiences and effectiveness of handhelds for teaching and learning.

"The responses strongly indicate that teachers view handheld computers as a positive addition to their classrooms," said Mike Lorion, vice president of education at Palm, Inc. "As expected, the grants have given us great insight into how handheld computers affect teaching and learning. The research provides us with invaluable feedback that will help Palm and its developers create the right solutions for education. We expect these first findings to foreshadow the broader year-end results to be released later this summer."

"These findings are consistent with the belief that handheld computers enable more effective teaching and learning," said Barbara Means, Ph.D., director of the CTL. "SRI's findings are based on the work of real teachers, in actual classroom activities, not in the lab. SRI researchers collected data from teachers around the country who innovated in all kinds of classrooms, with all kinds of students."

The evaluative report draws upon 86 PEP projects that provided data as of January 2002. The respondents included PEP winners representing projects in a variety of grade levels and academic programs, as well as the researchers who worked with them.

Teachers and researchers reported that they saw great value in students using handheld computers as personal learning tools. In this role, handheld computers promoted student autonomy and responsibility. Teachers also found that handheld computers helped transform "inquiry" learning activities into a more sophisticated experience by better supporting students in data collection and data interpretation.

Overall, the PEP teachers reported that using handheld computers in the classroom made new teaching and learning activities possible, and helped facilitate existing activities. Teachers found that handheld computers benefited their classrooms in numerous areas, including facilitating outdoor inquiry learning activities, classroom management, promoting student collaboration and interaction, and improving students' organizational skills.

The evaluation of the PEP program found that the most significant student benefits of using handheld computers included their role as an instructional tool and organizational/personal tool, and the positive motivational effect handheld computers had on students. However, some respondents expressed concern over the potential for handheld computers to negatively impact student behavior, including issues with sometimes-complex usability, difficulty mastering handwriting recognition software, and the potential loss or theft of the handheld computers. To determine the validity of these concerns, they will be further studied as evaluations continue.

SRI and Palm will announce the results of the PEP evaluations at a news briefing for the media at FETC at 10 a.m. today in Room 224C, North D2 at the Orange County Convention Center.

More information about the report and a list of grant recipients is available at http://www.palmgrants.sri.com .

About Palm, Inc.

Palm, Inc. is a pioneer in the field of mobile and wireless Internet solutions and a leading provider of handheld computers, according to IDC (December 2000). Based on the Palm OS(R) platform, Palm's handheld solutions allow people to carry and access their most critical information wherever they go. Palm(TM) handhelds address the needs of individuals, enterprises and educational institutions by offering the foundation for thousands of application solutions. Palm stock is traded on the Nasdaq national market under the symbol PALM. More information is available at http://www.palm.com .

About SRI International

SRI International ( http://www.sri.com/ ) is one of the world's leading independent research and technology development organizations. Founded as Stanford Research Institute in 1946, SRI has been meeting the strategic needs of clients for more than 55 years. The nonprofit research institute performs contract research and development for government agencies, commercial businesses and nonprofit foundations. SRI is well known for its innovations in information technology, telecommunications, engineering, pharmaceuticals, chemistry, physics, and the public policy areas of education, health, and economic development. In addition to conducting contract R&D, SRI licenses its technologies, forms strategic partnerships and creates spin-off companies.

NOTE: Palm OS is a registered trademark and Palm is a trademark of Palm, Inc. or its subsidiaries. Other brands may be trademarks of their respective owners.

SOURCE Palm, Inc.
Web site: http: //www.palm.com
CONTACT: Kristin Ely of Phase Two Strategies, +1-415-772-8453, or kely@p2pr.com, for SRI International; or Kathleen Dixon of Dixon Communications, +1-408-871-7765, or kathleen@kdixon.com, for Palm, Inc.