Dive Brief:
- Based on discussions between researchers, entrepreneurs, and adult learning experts, MIT Media Lab is developing programs for adults to learn through interacting with their children, seniors, and mobile devices.
- The focus of the programs is to improve literacy and earning power for adults learning English and English speakers with reading and writing difficulties, EdSurge reports.
- The most well-developed program is called Read Out Loud, an interactive application that will scan any book and display the text in any other language, side-by-side with the English, for a learning “cheat sheet.”
Dive Insight:
The Read Out Loud app works well with adults reading to their children — who are typically taught in English — because of the simple sentences and vocabulary of children’s books.
Another program under development, Express Me, will create bite-sized modules for mobile devices so the user can study professional development material during his or her commute. Express Me also enables users to connect with others nearby who are working on the same courses, and it uses visual explanations to avoid text that may be a roadblock for adults whose English or reading skills are lacking.
MIT Media Lab’s third program under development, Citizen Tutoring, connects senior citizen tutors to adult learners online.
