Using mobile phones and handheld computers to teach basic skills could help a generation of youngsters turned off by traditional education.
That is the hope of those involved in the 4.5m euro (£3m) m-learning project, an EU-backed initiative taking place in the UK, Sweden and Italy.
The aim of the project is to see how mobile devices can be used to teach basic numeracy and literacy skills to young adults that have dropped out of the education system.
"It is not to replace normal education but to re-engage those who have dropped out of learning and help them find out that learning is fun and can be a help in life rather than just something they are forced to do," said Jill Attewell, a co-ordinator of the m-learning project and manager at the UK"s Learning and Skills Development Agency.
Makers of educational materials Cambridge Training and Development have found that mobile learning has an element of privacy which can help those embarrassed by their numeracy or literacy skills.