Using mobile phones 2 teach literacy
ProLiteracy's partners are constantly looking at innovative ways to help adult learners. Our partner in Nigeria is teaching illiterate students how to grasp basic numeracy and arithmetic skills using mobile phones. As society continues to advance, learners become aware of how important it is to be able to read, write, and use technology.
University Village Association (UNIVA) is using mobile phones to teach new learners a variety of everyday skills. "We provide integrated flexible curriculum for our learners. The common contents include numeracy followed by writing. After learning to use the cell phone in sending text messages, students then apply the same principle of associating numbers with alphabets to master using their pin code to withdraw amounts of cash. The ATM lesson is very simple as we teach learners how to associate letters with numbers."
Mobile technology is emerging in micro finance as a way for customers to pay back their loans directly using a SIM card and electronic pin. This allows customers to save valuable time by not having to make long treks into the big cities and risk being robbed when carrying cash or trying to find someplace safe in your home to hide your profits. There is an interesting article by NextBillion that goes into more detail on how mobile technology is changing the way entrepreneurs run their businesses and the impact it could have on international development.
The U.N. has also started to use mobile phones in their relief efforts. A recent article in Foreign Policy states that the U.N. planned to deliver food aid to Iraq by text message. Food vouchers were sent to 1000 Iraqi refugee families by SMS to each family, who was also provided a special SIM card. Beneficiary's can exchange their electronic vouchers for rice, wheat flour, lentils, chickpeas, oil, canned fish, cheese, and eggs at some shops.
ProLiteracy conducted a technology learning lab in Nepal in June 2009 and plans to develop a 'technology tool kit' to continue finding innovative ways to help our partners in their grassroots literacy and technology work.
University Village Association (UNIVA) is using mobile phones to teach new learners a variety of everyday skills. "We provide integrated flexible curriculum for our learners. The common contents include numeracy followed by writing. After learning to use the cell phone in sending text messages, students then apply the same principle of associating numbers with alphabets to master using their pin code to withdraw amounts of cash. The ATM lesson is very simple as we teach learners how to associate letters with numbers."
Mobile technology is emerging in micro finance as a way for customers to pay back their loans directly using a SIM card and electronic pin. This allows customers to save valuable time by not having to make long treks into the big cities and risk being robbed when carrying cash or trying to find someplace safe in your home to hide your profits. There is an interesting article by NextBillion that goes into more detail on how mobile technology is changing the way entrepreneurs run their businesses and the impact it could have on international development.
The U.N. has also started to use mobile phones in their relief efforts. A recent article in Foreign Policy states that the U.N. planned to deliver food aid to Iraq by text message. Food vouchers were sent to 1000 Iraqi refugee families by SMS to each family, who was also provided a special SIM card. Beneficiary's can exchange their electronic vouchers for rice, wheat flour, lentils, chickpeas, oil, canned fish, cheese, and eggs at some shops.
ProLiteracy conducted a technology learning lab in Nepal in June 2009 and plans to develop a 'technology tool kit' to continue finding innovative ways to help our partners in their grassroots literacy and technology work.
Great idea to use mobile phones to teach literacy skills to adult learners...
ReplyDeleteThe use of mobile technology brings people and countries closer towards communication and learning. One advantage of using mobile technology is that it allows for users to learn (through accessing the internet) at their very fingertips. I forsee the use of mobile technology transforming and replacing desktop computers.
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