Worldreader is pleased to be at the Comparative and International Education Society (CIES) annual conference in Washington, D.C. from March 8 – 13, 2015. With the theme of “Ubuntu: Imagining A Humanist Education Globally,” preeminent academics and professionals will convene to deepen our understanding of educational issues, trends and policies through comparative, cross-cultural and international perspectives.

Here’s where you will be able to find us at CIES 2015:

• ICTs in primary education: Using technology to drive literacy outcomes among poor readers: a Worldreader case study from rural Ghana
  Thu, March 12, 4:45 to 6:15pm EST, Lobby Level Floor, Northwest

The Matthew Effect states that wealth endures and poverty repeats itself. In literacy, those who read more become better readers, whereas low-performing readers face greater hurdles in their quest for an education. We expect to see a strong Matthew Effect especially when technology is brought into the equation. However, in Worldreader’s work reaching Primary students in grades 1-3 in Ghana using e-readers, Sarah Jaffe relates a different effect that we observed – one where there was positive impact among lowest-performing students. Read more about this research here.

• Teaching and learning using mobile technologies: Using ICT for scaling education programs in crisis situations
  Thu, March 12, 9:45 to 11:15am EST, Terrace Level Floor, Embassy

Today escalating and protracted crises have displaced a record 51.2 million people. The average length of displacement is also presently 17 years – meaning children are being raised in displacement contexts. Although at times education is misunderstood as a luxury in the midst of conflict and especially during protracted displacement, it is a vital means for ensuring protection and restoring hope and dignity for displaced communities. Zev Lowe from Worldreader and Ann Scowcroft from UNHCR relate lessons learned from their collaboration tackling the challenge of educational resources in Mpanda Tanzania, and discuss the potential of these.

• Think local. Act global: Challenges and successes in taking local language reading materials global: One platform for many stories: digital curation of reading materials
  Wed, March 11, 9:45 to 11:15am EST, Terrace Level Floor, Fairchild East

Working in 50 countries and in 44 languages with a focus on sub-Saharan Africa, Worldreader’s digital library contains over 15,500 books accessible by e-readers, low-end feature phones, and other technology. Nearly 70% of this library comes from local publishers. The digital model allows for cost-effective distribution of local language materials, particularly for smaller linguistic groups where large physical print runs are impractical. For this panel, Sarah Jaffe draws on Worldreader’s experience working with local publishers to digitize and distribute local language materials, and discuss their implications for sustainability.

We look forward to seeing you at #CIES2015!