Project description
Classifying texts according to complexity to promote literacy
Literacy has enormous benefits in the workplace. For instance, workers with low literacy skills have difficulty following instructions. The EU-funded iRead4Skills project aims to reduce the reading skills gaps. It will investigate how the improvement in literacy skills also improves other fundamental skills (such as numeracy or information and communications technology skills) and transversal skills (such as technical, communication, team-working, foreign language, customer-handling, problem-solving, learning, and planning and organisation skills). It will provide an intelligent reading system that evaluates text complexity, based on literacy level. The system will be designed to assist trainers and text producers in creating or adapting texts with the appropriate level of complexity with regard to their target readers.
Objective
The project iRead4Skills has as main objectives:
• to assess and reduce reading skills gaps in low literacy adults for the development of fundamental and transversal skills by i) establishing and monitoring the relation between improvement in literacy skills and improvement in other fundamental skills (such as numeracy or ICT) and transversal skills (such as technical skills, communication skills, team-working skills, foreign language skills, customer handling skills, problem solving skills, learning skills and planning and organization skills) as well as motivation, citizenship and well-being; ii) providing an intelligent reading system that evaluates texts complexity and suggests appropriate readings according to the user literacy level. The system would also be used to assist trainers and text producers to create or adapt texts with the appropriate level of complexity with regard to their target readers.
• to support the adoption and diffusion of innovation in the way low literacy adults acquire and sustain transversal and durable skills, matching the always evolving needs of the job market, by developing and putting to work an open access system, available for both trainers and trainees, that allows for advanced digitally-enabled training and skills development.
Reading skills are fundamental to acquire technical and scientific knowledge, either in formal education and training contexts, as Adult Learning (AL), either in practical and empirical working contexts, as when companies provide written specific information and/or instructions to their workers. People with low literacy skills are less able to acquire and sustain transversal and durable skills needed to stay apace with the changing job market and to lead meaningful and complete lives.
Fields of science
Programme(s)
Funding Scheme
HORIZON-RIA - HORIZON Research and Innovation ActionsCoordinator
1099 085 Lisboa
Portugal