iRead4Skills; Adult learning; Educational technology (EdTech); EU-funded projects; Lifelong learning; Literacy*
iRead4Skills - Improving adults' reading skills through technology and culture
The iRead4Skills project aims to enhance adult literacy by using an intelligent system to assess text complexity and suggest suitable reading materials. Targeting both adults with low-literacy levels and educators, it fosters the development of critical reading skills essential for education, work, and daily life. Through interdisciplinary collaboration and partnerships with cultural institutions, the project aims to promote autonomy, skill development, and social inclusion.
iRead4Skills – "Promotion of Adult Literacies"
Reading skills are crucial for acquiring technical and scientific knowledge, not only in formal educational contexts such as Adult Learning and Vocational Educational and Training but also in practical work environments and everyday life.
However, encouraging and developing reading habits and skills among adults is challenge, largely due to the lack of tailored and/or adequate reading materials.
The iRead4Skills project addresses this challenge by promoting the development of reading skills through an open and intelligent system that assesses texts complexity and suggests reading materials suited to the user's reading proficiency level.
This system can be used by adults with low literacy levels to discover interesting and suitable readings, as well as by educators to create or adapt texts to meet the needs of their learners.
The project brings together an interdisciplinary team from diverse partners, to deliver groundbreaking research and innovation in text complexity measurement and analysis.
This includes co-developing technology directly with end-users and promoting the use of literature and culture to develop essential and transferable skills. Recent studies show that most people over the age of 15 read books for pleasure (68%), though those least likely to enjoy reading are those required to do so in academic or training settings (e.g., Pais et al. 2020, Lopes et al. 2021).
To build a foundation for skills development, self-empowerment, career readiness, and fulfilling lives, it is crucial for individuals to read extensively and intensively across a wide array of high-quality and progressively challenging literary and informational texts.
By engaging with cultural institutions such as libraries, publishers, educational agents, the project seeks to incorporate reading materials from literature, history/social studies, science, and other fields, providing adult learners with the background to become better readers in all areas.
The iRead4Skills solution specifically targets the adult population, fostering autonomy at the individual, family and community levels, contributing directly to improving literacy in this demographic.
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*Intelligent Reading Improvement System for Fundamental and Transversal Skills Development (iRead4Skills) is a research and innovation project funded by the European Commission, number: 1010094837, Topic: HORIZON-CL2-2022-TRANSFORMATIONS-01-07 – Conditions for the successful development of skills matched to needs.
