Abstract
Illiteracy is often associated with people in developing countries. However, an estimated 50 % of adults in a developed country such as Canada lack the literacy skills required to cope with the challenges of today's society; for them, tasks such as reading, understanding, basic arithmetic, and using everyday items are a challenge. Many community-based organizations offer resources and support for these adults, yet overall functional literacy rates are not improving. This is due to a wide range of factors, such as poor retention of adult learners in literacy programs, obstacles in transferring the acquired skills from the classroom to the real life, personal attitudes toward learning, and the stigma of functional illiteracy. In our research we examined the opportunities afforded by personal mobile devices in providing learning and functional support to low-literacy adults. We present the findings of an exploratory study aimed at investigating the reception and adoption of a technological solution for adult learners. ALEX© is a mobile application designed for use both in the classroom and in daily life in order to help low-literacy adults become increasingly literate and independent. Such a solution complements literacy programs by increasing users' motivation and interest in learning, and raising their confidence levels both in their education pursuits and in facing the challenges of their daily lives. We also reflect on the challenges we faced in designing and conducting our research with two user groups (adults enrolled in literacy classes and in an essential skills program) and contrast the educational impact and attitudes toward such technology between these. Our conclusions present the lessons learned from our evaluations and the impact of the studies' specific challenges on the outcome and uptake of such mobile assistive technologies in providing practical support to low-literacy adults in conjunction with literacy and essential skills training.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 1455-1469 |
| Number of pages | 15 |
| Journal | Personal and Ubiquitous Computing |
| Volume | 18 |
| Issue number | 6 |
| Early online date | 1 Nov 2013 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - Aug 2014 |
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Bibliographical note
The final publication is available at link.springer.comKeywords
- assistive technology
- educational interfaces
- evaluation methodology
- mobile computing
- mobile learning
Cite this
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Hidden in plain sight : low-literacy adults in a developed country overcoming social and educational challenges through mobile learning support tools. / Munteanu, Cosmin; Molyneaux, Heather; Maitland, Julie; McDonald, Daniel; Fournier, Hélène; Leung, Rock; Lumsden, Jo.
In: Personal and Ubiquitous Computing, Vol. 18, No. 6, 08.2014, p. 1455-1469.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
TY - JOUR
T1 - Hidden in plain sight
T2 - low-literacy adults in a developed country overcoming social and educational challenges through mobile learning support tools
AU - Munteanu, Cosmin
AU - Molyneaux, Heather
AU - Maitland, Julie
AU - McDonald, Daniel
AU - Fournier, Hélène
AU - Leung, Rock
AU - Lumsden, Jo
N1 - The final publication is available at link.springer.com
PY - 2014/8
Y1 - 2014/8
N2 - Illiteracy is often associated with people in developing countries. However, an estimated 50 % of adults in a developed country such as Canada lack the literacy skills required to cope with the challenges of today's society; for them, tasks such as reading, understanding, basic arithmetic, and using everyday items are a challenge. Many community-based organizations offer resources and support for these adults, yet overall functional literacy rates are not improving. This is due to a wide range of factors, such as poor retention of adult learners in literacy programs, obstacles in transferring the acquired skills from the classroom to the real life, personal attitudes toward learning, and the stigma of functional illiteracy. In our research we examined the opportunities afforded by personal mobile devices in providing learning and functional support to low-literacy adults. We present the findings of an exploratory study aimed at investigating the reception and adoption of a technological solution for adult learners. ALEX© is a mobile application designed for use both in the classroom and in daily life in order to help low-literacy adults become increasingly literate and independent. Such a solution complements literacy programs by increasing users' motivation and interest in learning, and raising their confidence levels both in their education pursuits and in facing the challenges of their daily lives. We also reflect on the challenges we faced in designing and conducting our research with two user groups (adults enrolled in literacy classes and in an essential skills program) and contrast the educational impact and attitudes toward such technology between these. Our conclusions present the lessons learned from our evaluations and the impact of the studies' specific challenges on the outcome and uptake of such mobile assistive technologies in providing practical support to low-literacy adults in conjunction with literacy and essential skills training.
AB - Illiteracy is often associated with people in developing countries. However, an estimated 50 % of adults in a developed country such as Canada lack the literacy skills required to cope with the challenges of today's society; for them, tasks such as reading, understanding, basic arithmetic, and using everyday items are a challenge. Many community-based organizations offer resources and support for these adults, yet overall functional literacy rates are not improving. This is due to a wide range of factors, such as poor retention of adult learners in literacy programs, obstacles in transferring the acquired skills from the classroom to the real life, personal attitudes toward learning, and the stigma of functional illiteracy. In our research we examined the opportunities afforded by personal mobile devices in providing learning and functional support to low-literacy adults. We present the findings of an exploratory study aimed at investigating the reception and adoption of a technological solution for adult learners. ALEX© is a mobile application designed for use both in the classroom and in daily life in order to help low-literacy adults become increasingly literate and independent. Such a solution complements literacy programs by increasing users' motivation and interest in learning, and raising their confidence levels both in their education pursuits and in facing the challenges of their daily lives. We also reflect on the challenges we faced in designing and conducting our research with two user groups (adults enrolled in literacy classes and in an essential skills program) and contrast the educational impact and attitudes toward such technology between these. Our conclusions present the lessons learned from our evaluations and the impact of the studies' specific challenges on the outcome and uptake of such mobile assistive technologies in providing practical support to low-literacy adults in conjunction with literacy and essential skills training.
KW - assistive technology
KW - educational interfaces
KW - evaluation methodology
KW - mobile computing
KW - mobile learning
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84904806433&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1007/s00779-013-0748-x
DO - 10.1007/s00779-013-0748-x
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:84904806433
VL - 18
SP - 1455
EP - 1469
JO - Personal and Ubiquitous Computing
JF - Personal and Ubiquitous Computing
SN - 1617-4909
IS - 6
ER -