Increasing illiteracy in European Union ? New technologies for social inclusion

771 million adults worldwide are illiterates. This counts up to 18 percent of the worlds population. 64 percent of all illiterates are women due to lack of access to basic education. In order to lower the number of illiterates, the United Nations declared the years between 2003 and 2012 a ?Global Decade of Literacy?. 

In one of Europe?s largest countries, Germany, experts assume a number of four millions illiterates. Most of them are called ?secondary illiterates?. These are individual facing problems with reading and writing despite their successful completion of primary and often secondary school. In addition, there are ?functional illiterates? who do not fulfill minimum requirement in literacy and who thus are socially excluded. The Alpha-Beta Minerva project offers new innovative learning technologies such as PDAs and mobile phones to help people facing illiteracy to better cope with life. All software packages for mobile phones are ready for download!

Mobile phones as learning tools

The Alpha-Beta project offers software packages for adult learners with problems in reading and writing for use on mobile phones. Mobile phones or cellular phone help adults facing illiteracy to learn new subjects or to improve their skills and competences. One module assists individual to better deal with cooking instructions. Another module tries to ease the process of learning numbers and phone numbers through the method of frequent repetition. 

All modules are free of charge and can be downloaded on a SIM card of a mobile phone. The software adapts to the specific features of a mobile phone. Learners may enjoy these small learning tools at any time at their individual convenience. 

Better adult learning provision for seniors

The number of European 55 years of age and older is increasing. Europeans are enjoying longer life in good health and socioeconomic stability. Seniors in Europe have a wealth of lifetime experience, skills and competence and are eager to share this with the younger generation. Polls and interviews undertaken within the framework of the European Alpha-to-Omega GRUNDTVIG project on adult learning clearly show a need for adult learning provision towards seniors in Europe. Adult education service providers in Austria, Belgium, Germany, Greece, Ireland and Romania piloted new innovative learning materials. Younger learners were included to support inter-generational learning and dialogue between younger and older learners. 

Senior learners prefer traditional forms of learning

Senior learners in Europe are not fully happy with courses offered by adult learning providers. Often senior learners complaint about the speed of teaching and learning and about the use of new technologies in such courses. Seniors living in more remote and rural areas lack access to transportation to reach adult learning centres. 

Most seniors being asked during a recent survey with the framework of the Alpha-to-Omega project on adult learning in Europe prefer traditional classroom-style learning environments in small groups with a teacher in front of the class. Most senior learners are interested in language courses and in courses on health and lifestyle. 

Alpha-to-Omega offers learning materials suitable for seniors? special needs. 

Mobilfunkanbieter zeigen Interesse an Alpha-Beta

80 percent and more of all Europeans possess a mobile phone. In additional to making phone calls or sending SMS, many use their mobile phone to manage their contact data, their agenda and schedule. Furthermore, many phones can be used as MP3 player, radio receiver and digital camera. 

Today mobile phones are multi-functional gadgets and technological progress offers a range of new services. Alpha-Beta tested small software package for mobile phones for illiterate learners. Despite some technical challenges learners have been enjoying the software packages. European mobile phone providers wish to include  the software packages on their online platforms.