Teacher's iPhone app scores tests, shares data quickly

Our colleagues at TechCrunch have an interesting story about Quick Key, an iPhone app that could be extremely helpful for teachers everywhere. Walter O. Duncan IV is a veteran teacher and the mind behind Quick Key, which is designed to score simple scantron tests (the old tests you complete by filling in circles with a pencil) with the iPhone's camera and a QR code. The video promoting the app is pretty slick, though those scantron sheets look way different than the tests I remember (with the tiny bubbles, about 300 or so to a page).

The app is currently in beta as Duncan collects feedback from teachers who are testing it out. Duncan has raised almost US$100,000 for future development, and hopes that his company, Design by Educators, will deliver Quick Key to teachers all over the world. It's inspiring to see the iPhone improve upon older technology in such a significant way. These are powerful computers we're carrying around in our pockets, and it's always cool to see them put to important use.