This initiative draws on the use of entertaining information and communication technology (ICT) in an effort to help Jamaicans meet the 6 goals of the EFA (Education For All). The ultimate objective is to offer this tool worldwide to the EFA. The computer software features a young animated man who speaks to students in simple words, integrating positive reinforcements and fun without using jargon. The student interface looks and feels like a game interface and features sound effects and Jamaican popular music. The interactive Literacy Book included in the software features hundreds of photos of Jamaica and songs from Bob Marley and other reggae and dancehall icons. According to the developer, "[c]hildren in Jamaica know dozens of songs before they are 5 years old. It's fascinating to see the constant presence of music in Jamaican life. Today's technology has no problem dealing with music. I knew from the start that Jamaicans would have no difficulties learning anything as long as it's jamming!...This is a programme specially designed for Jamaicans. It's full of sound effects and music. It talks to you, even uses patois (Patois is the Jamaican Creole) at times."

Organisers stress that Learning Now is designed to enable teachers to adapt the interactive lessons and training sessions to each particular classroom/environment - as well as to customise lessons to fit other regions, cultures, and languages using music, video clips, sound effects, digital pictures, animations, and games. The Editor tool comes with an integrated "help" feature that talks to the user whenever it is called. The hope is that this multiplatform tool could help in the preservation of endangered languages; connected to a library or archive preserving current resources, it could integrate them into interactive languages and cultural courses.

Various features are included that are designed to make the software as accessible and customisable as possible. Built on a modular structure using Adobe Flash and Actionscript v.3, the software is designed so that new features can be easily added. The included Literacy Book serves as a model to build other courses; it may be expanded to include government forms such as: driver's license and passport applications and tax forms; cultural sections about Jamaica and the West Indies; and computer training rooms that teach basic computer functions such as networking, internet, email, and web surfing, as well as installation of memory chips and video cards. Students may also be taught to use mobile phones and to send and receive text messages. Furthermore, the initial version comes on a regular multiplatform CD that can run on any computer (Windows, Mac OS, and Linux) with sound capability and a colour monitor. The programme also works on intranet and internet networks. A demo may be viewed on the author's website by clicking here.

Education, Literacy, Technology, Youth, Endangered Languages.

Organisers estimate that there are over 1 billion people, all mostly illiterate, who have never benefited from new technology tools that could make a difference for them. By adjusting the way people of all ages access education, and by integrating modern multimedia resources and new paedogogy into the learning process, "Learning Now v1" is an effort to open new doors to the education sector. The open source software is currently offered freely in support to organisations or associations with an education project whose goal is to reduce the current rate of illiteracy in their area and/or to develop literacy or language courses for people of all ages within the next 3 to 5 years. Special interest is given to areas with endangered languages. Visit the author's website by clicking here for more information. The author is currently looking for new sponsors to conclude the research and keep distributing this open source software for free. Adobe Flash and Actionscript developers, as well as educators, are invited to participate in this project to help improve the interface and add new features.