I have been reading through the findings of a great report published earlier this year by UNESCO: Reading in the Mobile Era. I am working on a longer post on mobile learning more generally, which I will publish in the next day or two, but I want to promote this report and offer its own summary of findings.
- Mobile reading opens up new pathways to literacy for marginalized groups, particularly women and girls, and others who may not have access to paper books.
- People use mobile devices to read to children, thereby supporting literacy acquisition and other forms of learning.
- People seem to enjoy reading more and read more often when they use mobile devices to access text.
- People read on mobile devices for identifiable reasons that can be promoted to encourage mobile reading.
- Most mobile readers are young, yet people of various ages are capable of using mobile technology to access long-form reading material. More can be done to encourage older people to use technology as a portal to text.
- Current mobile readers tend to have completed more schooling than is typical.
- There appears to be a demand for mobile reading platforms with text in local languages, level-appropriate text and text written by local authors.
Definitely worth a read if you have an interest in the subject. That last finding is so important!