Illiteracy and new technologies (INT)

1. Illiteracy and new technologies (INT) Literacy in Adult Learning (2006–2009) Afra Sturm«uil», Hamburg, 18.–19.2.2008

2. Context Project overview Part one: development Part two: research INT • Illiteracy and new technologies

3. Context of the project INT • The «Adult Literacy and Life Skills Survey» (2003) has shown that in Switzerland 16% of all adults don’t meet the minimal standards of reading competence. • The standards of reading, writing and media literacy are increasing. • There are different «literacies»: each area of life has his own conditions of inclusion (Gintzel/Schneider 2005: 17). INT • Illiteracy and new technologies

4. What is known: • – Reading literacy and media literacy are linked together. • – Adolescents and adults with high reading competence and • high media competence are in a better position to learn • autonomously. They join more often in further training. • – An education policy which includes reading, writing and media • literacy is in Switzerland a desideratum. INT • Illiteracy and new technologies

5. What would we like to know: 1 Do the course participants show better reading and writing achievements after the course and are they more familiar with the computer? 2 a) Can computer assisted training promote stable reading and writing abilities?b) Are there special groups among the course participants who benefit from this training? 3 a) Are there individual attributes and attitudes of the participants that influence their motivation and interests?b) Is their interest in reading, writing and media literacy changing during the course? INT • Illiteracy and new technologies

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7. The repository as a central pool CourseA Repository CourseB INT • Illiteracy and new technologies

8. What course participants will see Week 1: fluency Week 2: comprehension Week 3: free writing Week 4: … INT • Illiteracy and new technologies

9. Week 2: Information comprehension INT • Illiteracy and new technologies

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11. Attendance and online courses INT • Illettrismus und neue Technologien

12. The study design • qualitative research • interview with writing task • study of writing process • quantitative research • questionnaire • reading tests 3 measure points • Are there different and shared attributes or attitudes among the course participants, between on-the-job and off-the-job trainings? • If the course participants show for example better reading achievements, are these advancements stable? INT • Illiteracy and new technologies

13. 2 reading tests: «stumblewords test» (Stolperwörtertest Metze 2003) information comprehension test (in-house development) t0 Courses Aprentas/ Novartis on-the-job training Courses VHS (adult education center) off-the-job training t1 t2 Advancement of the course participants (Phase 1) INT • Illiteracy and new technologies

14. Stumblewords (Metze 2003) A Ich kann gut Name lesen. B Mein Freund ist acht jung Jahre alt. ➡ The test pays attention to rather lower order mechanical skills. ➡ «Stumblewords» measures the reading rate. ➡ Adults with low reading competencies: 3 minutes ➡ Time required for the whole test: 10–15 minutes INT • Illiteracy and new technologies

15. Information comprehension test Alltagstexte: Beipackzettel Dolodan – Lutschtabletten Information für Patientinnen und Patienten Was ist Dolodan und wann wird es angewandt?Dolodan ist eine zuckerfreie Lutschtablette und wird gegen Entzündungen des Mund- und Rachenraumes, vorab bei Halsweh, als unterstützende Massnahme bei Angina, bei Heiserkeit und Aphten angewendet. Ausserdem wirkt Dolodan schmerzlindernd. […] INT • Illiteracy and new technologies

16. Information comprehension test 2) Wann wird Dolodan eingenommen? bei Schmerzen und Entzündungen aller Art bei Erkältung und Grippe bei Entzündungen des Mund‑ und Rachenraumes bei Heiserkeit und Halsweh als unterstützende Massnahme INT • Illiteracy and new technologies

17. Advancements: Stumblewords test ( t0 and t1) INT • Illiteracy and new technologies

18. Advancements: Comprehension test ( t0 und t1) INT • Illiteracy and new technologies

19. Advancements: test for significance (t0 and t1) • The differencies in the reading achievements are tested for significance (with Wilcoxon-Test non-parametrical). • The test is statistically significant: • Stumblewords test (p=0,041) • Comprehension test (p=0,002) Reservations: • Absence of reading achievement of the control group • The comprehension test is not yet established. INT • Illiteracy and new technologies

20. Advancements: Stumblewords test ( t0, t1 and t2) INT • Illiteracy and new technologies

21. Advancements: Comprehension test ( t0 und t2) INT • Illiteracy and new technologies

22. Questionnaire: belief in self-efficacy Self-efficacy:writing in German – Abele et al. (2000): scale for the survey of the occupational self-efficacy – An analysis for re- liability shows: the items can be inter- preted as factors (Cronbach alpha = 0,877). INT • Illiteracy and new technologies

23. Self-concept and reading achievements t0 With respect to Stumblewords test: • Two thirds of the course participants achieve results such as students from grade 2 till grade 4. • 85% (22 course participants) believe that their reading competence is high or even very high. No one thinks that their reading competence is very low. Referenzwerte Stolperwörtertest nach Brügelmann (2006) INT • Illiteracy and new technologies

24. «Bialetti» – a writing task • a workaday writing task • common genre • given context • orientation on the audience INT • Illiteracy and new technologies

25. «Bialetti» – a writing task Approach: • cooperative writing • half-experimental setting INT • Illiteracy and new technologies

26. «Bialetti» – an example • Bedienung Mokka Kaffee • Zuerst Wasser in Mokkabehälter bis oberhalb der Düse • Den Filter rein machen, dann mit Kaffeepulver füllen. Den Filter bis Bündung füllen. • Das obere Teil drauf machen und schliessen. • Die Heizplatte einschalten und Mokka drauf machen, warten, bis der Kaffee von der Düse herauskommt, bis der obere Behälter voll ist, dann aus der Heizplatte wegnehmen. • Achtung, der Kaffee ist sehr heiss. INT • Illiteracy and new technologies

27. Interview with course participants I: Mhm - - - schriibe, was heisst schriibe für Sie? Was bedüüted schriibe? Für Sie … A: Für mich? I: Mhm. A: Horror! […] A: Ich versueche hüfiger z schriibe, ja. Aber besser …? Sicher es paar Fehler weniger. […] A: Wenigschtens probieri … jetz sagemer dehei schriib i immer vor, denn dueni de Frau ge, zum Korrigiere und so …, vorene han i gar nid gmacht. Grad zu de Frau gseit, chum schriib da gschnäll … INT • Illiteracy and new technologies

28. Illiteracy policy • To this day, there is no concerted policy all over Switzerland. Next steps: • Start for a framework legislation • National coordination with respect to continuing education INT • Illiteracy and new technologies

29. Thank you for your attention! For further information see: www.illett.ch Afra Sturm Fachhochschule Nordwestschweiz Pädagogische Hochschule Zentrum LESEN Kasernenstrasse 20 5000 Aarau afra.sturm@fhnw.ch INT • Illiteracy and new technologies