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Improving Literacy in Africa: Experiments with an Automated Reading Tutor

At a glance

  • Promising Evidence
  • Program: Amira Learning
  • Subjects: Assessment, Early Learning
  • Report Type: Efficacy Study, Study Conducted by Third Party
  • Grade Level: Elementary
  • Population: English Learners
  • District Urbanicity: Urban, Rural
  • Study Conducted by: Korsah, G. A., Mostow, J., Dias, M. B., Sweet, T., Belousov, S. M., Dias, M. F., & Gong, H.
  • Publication Date: 2010

Abstract

This paper describes Project Kané, a research endeavor aimed at exploring the role that technology can play in improving child literacy in developing communities. An initial pilot study and a subsequent four-month-long controlled field study in Ghana investigated the viability and effectiveness of an automated reading tutor in helping urban children enhance their reading skills in English. In addition to quantitative data suggesting that automated tutoring can be useful for some children in this setting, these studies and an additional preliminary pilot study in Zambia yielded useful qualitative observations regarding the feasibility of applying technology solutions to the challenge of enhancing child literacy in developing communities. This paper presents the findings, observations, and lessons learned from the field studies.

Citation

Korsah, G. A., Mostow, J., Dias, M. B., Sweet, T., Belousov, S. M., Dias, M. F., & Gong, H. (2010). Improving literacy in Africa: Experiments with an automated reading tutor.Information Technologies & International Development, 6(2). 1-19. https://www.cs.cmu.edu/~listen/pdfs/Mills-Tettey_ICTD09_paper_FINAL_corrected.pdf