The introduction of the personal computer was a big stride for technology in schools, and a Denton-based company hopes to pick up the pace with its latest product.

The Interwrite Mobi System was recently released by eInstruction Inc., a company that specializes in educational technology.

The handheld device, a little smaller than a legal notepad, sends information via a wireless signal to a computer receiver. The information is then projected onto a screen in the classroom, making it easier for the teacher to engage everyone in the classroom, said Tim Torno, chief financial officer of eInstruction.

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Tim Torno, eInstruction CFO, on Thursday shows some of the wireless electronic classroom response systems his company sells.

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“It’s interactive, and teachers can get students to write on the board and see how they respond,” he said. “It keeps shy kids involved and keeps them from sliding through school.”

Amber Tetrick, a ninth-grade English teacher from Boise, Idaho, said she appreciates the immediate feedback.

“Students are more accountable for their answers, knowing that I can see their response the moment they buzz in,” Tetrick said. “Even our pretest reviews are taken more seriously.”

Former University of North Texas professor Dr. Darrell Ward founded the company in 1981. He developed the Classroom Performance System to help avoid the pitfalls of teaching a large number of students at once.

The system uses “clickers” that resemble television remotes and allow students to send answers from their desks via infrared and radio signal transmissions.

The system helps keep the entire class on schedule, so no child is left behind, he said.

The technology didn’t really get off the ground until 2000, when the company started testing the system in a biology class at Ryan High School.

“It was pretty clear it [the technology] made sense,” Ward said. “It was a matter of getting it into the classrooms, and we were in the right place at the right time when schools equipped their classrooms with computers.”

More than 7 million response pads have been sold since, and the system is in use around the globe, he said.

Often used in elementary schools, the infrared clicker system costs less than $2,000 and includes software, a receiver and 32 clickers, each with an 8-button interface, Torno said.

The radio frequency clickers have a 17-button interface and often are purchased by university students from campus bookstores for $20 to $25 apiece, he said.

Texas Woman’s University and UNT are among 1,200 higher education institutions around the world that use the clickers.

“Teachers love it, especially K-12 teachers,” Torno said. “This method lets them check in with students several times a day.”

Ward said the system reduces the administrative workload on teachers, which results in significantly increased student feedback.

Once the lone ranger in the industry, eInstruction now has competition from about 15 companies in the United States selling similar systems, he said.

Although Ward sold the company in 2007, he said he remains interested in the ever-growing realm of educational technology and has high hopes for the company’s future.

“Computers have penetrated the classrooms,” Ward said. “It’s hard to see it [educational technology] not being prevalent in the years to come.”

CANDACE CARLISLE can be reached at 940-566-6889. Her e-mail address is ccarlisle@dentonrc.com.