INFORMATION LITERACY INDICATORS: A Must for Countries IFLA Satellite Conference Library Statistics for the 21st. Century World UIS-IFLA-ISO Montreal, Canada, August 18-19, 2008 Jesus Lau, PhD / Ralph Catts Director, USBI VER Library, and Coordinator, UV Virtual Library Universidad Veracruzana / Boca del Río, Veracruz, MÉXICO

Topics / Goals Vital importance of information competencies Urgent need of International IL indicators Great opportunity to adapt/use international survey instruments –Use secondary indicators –Adapt current international surveys

Defining Information Literacy Users: Recognise their information needs Locate and evaluate the quality of information Store and retrieve information Make effective and ethical use of information, and Apply information to create and communicate knowledge

IL Contexts 1 SOCIETY 1 SOCIETY 2 WORK 2 WORK 3 WELL-BEING 3 WELL-BEING 4 EDUCATION 4 EDUCATION

Information / Knowledge Chain 1. Generation 2. Packing 3. Distribution 4. Use/Demand Editors Databases / electronic media companies Information aggregators News / Broadcasting Authors Inventors Researcher Reporters Researchers Academics Students Companies Citizens Bookstores Libraries Information services

Information Literacy Standards

Information Literacy Continuum (IFLA 2006) Level 0 - Kinder Garden EDUCATION Level 1 - Elementary Level 2 - Junior High Level 3 - High School Level 4 - Post-secondary Level 5 - Undergraduate Level 6 - Research Definition and articulation of information need SKILLS Location and access of information Assessment of information Organization of information Use of information Communication and ethical use of information LEVELS Basic Medium High Advanced

Communication Skills Constellation INFORMATION LITERACY Definition and articulation of information need Location and access of information Assessment of information Organization of information Use of information Communication and ethical use of information Other information Skills ICT SKILLS - MEDIA LITERACY Digital technology Use Use of Communication Tools Use of Networks Sift media messages Analyze media messages Other ICT/ Media Skills LITERACY ReadingWritingNumeracy Other Basic Skills ORAL COMMUNICATION SpeakingListening REASONING Thinking Skills

Information Literacy and Equality Language role impact Cultural constraints Political constraints Economic constraints IL developments are uneven around the world

Sources of Information Literacy Indicators Relevance of LAMP (UNESCO) Potential of PISA items (OECD) Potential of DHS survey (WHO) Other…

Some Principles of Indicator Development Pertinent Timely Accurate Frequency Cost Valid Reliable Consistency ‘Economy’ ‘Independence’ Transparency Comparability

Information Literacy and Adult Competencies

Information Literacy Indicators located within the LAMP Household Survey a)Recognise information needs b)Locate and evaluate the quality of information Comparator SourceComparator Element LAMP B28Informal learning activities (most pertinent elements to be determined) LAMP C20Requirement to read at work (possibly C 22 provides evidence of level of IL skills) LAMP E11Finding out how to see a doctor or health worker LAMP E16Reading about health issues LAMP G 5.7 to 5.11Searching for information using the internet Comparator SourceComparator Element LAMP E17Understanding health issues LAMP E18&19Understanding instructions on the use of products

Information Literacy Indicators Located within the LAMP Household Survey c) Store and Retrieve information d) Make effective and ethical use of information Comparator SourceComparator Element D 2.3Fill in Forms G 3.5Keeping a schedule or calendar (using ICT) G 3.6Reading information from CD ROM or DVD (using ICT) G 5.6Obtaining or saving music (ICT) Comparator SourceComparator Element LAMP C 26Calculations with numbers at work (C28 provides indicators of levels of IL) LAMP D 18 elements may provide indicators of levels of IL LAMP D2.5Produce bills, invoices or budget tables LAMP G 3.1 to 3.4Items may imply levels of IL

Information Literacy Indicators Located within the LAMP Household Survey e) Apply Information to Create and Communicate Knowledge Comparator SourceComparator Element LAMP C 23Writing messages at work (C25 offers levels of IL) LAMP D2.1Write personal letters, messages or s. LAMP D2.2Write official letters to an authority or organisation LAMP D2.4Write reports or articles LAMP D2.6Produce charts, diagrams or maps

InfoLit Indicators Potential International Surveys

IL Indicators Examples PISA School Assessment and Demographic and Health (DHS Household Survey IL ElementSourceItem Recognise information needs DHS 2007 women’s survey Unmet needs for family planning Locate and evaluate the quality of information PISA Scientific Competencies OECD (2006, 29) Retrieving specifi ed Information from texts PISA Reading Literacy OECD (2006, 50) Retrieving specified Information from texts Store and retrieve information DHS (2007) women’s survey Knowledge of a source of Contraception DHS (2007) Women’s survey Knowledge about ways To avoid getting AIDS DHS (2007) Women’s survey Knowledge about high Risk sexual behaviour Make effective and ethical use of information DHS (2007) Women’s survey Use of contraceptive Methods Apply information to create and communicate knowledge PISA Scientifi c Competencies OECD (2006, 29) Interpreting scientifi c Evidence and making and Communicating decisions

International Indicators for the Supply, Access and Reception of information, and of ICT Skills The proposal is based on a three elements: 1.Supply 2.Reception 3.Information literacy skills

Potential IL Indicators EFA, MDGs, and WSIS 1/6 DimensionTopicIndicatorSource References to International Goals Supply 1.Print (newspapers) Titles per 1,000,000 inhabitants UIS Press Survey 2006 EFA 2B 2.RadioChannels per 1000 inhabitants UIS Broadcast Survey Radio sets per 100 or 1000 inhabitants EFA 2B WSIS A11 4.TelevisionChannels per 1000 inhabitants UIS Broadcast Survey Television sets per 100 or 1000 inhabitants UIS Broadcast Survey 2006 EFA 2B WSIS A12 6.JournalistsPrint Journalists per 1,000,000 inhabitants UIS Press Survey Broadcast Journalists per 1,000,000 inhabitants UIS Broadcast Survey Graduates (and Enrolment) in Journalism and Information UIS Annual Education Survey

DimensionTopicIndicatorSource References to International goals Supply 9.Broadcast content % of annual radio broadcasting time devoted to news and information, or education and science UIS Broadcast Survey 2006 Limited data, difficult to compare 10.% of annual television broadcasting time devoted to news and information, or education and science UIS Broadcast Survey 2006 Limited data, difficult to compare 11.On-line media Number of on-line newspapers per 1,000,000 inhabitants UIS Press Survey No of Internet radio stations per 1,000,000 inhabitants UIS Broadcast Survey % of localities with public internet access centres (PIAC) by the number of inhabitants ITUWSIS A10 Problems in conception, and data collection 14.PCsNumber of PCs per 100 or 1000 inhabitants ITUWSIS A3 MDG 48a EFA 2B 15LibrariesPublic libraries - volumes of books UIS libraries survey EFA 2B Only surveyed in Latin America in 2007 Potential IL Indicators EFA, MDGs, and WSIS 2/6

DimensionTopicIndicatorSource References to International Goals Supply 16.Library employees per 1,000,000 inhabitants UIS libraries survey Only surveyed in Latin America in Book production Titles per 1000 inhabitants EFA 2B No comprehensive data for developing countries 18.AvailabilityNewspapersCirculation Total, & per 1000 inhabitants EFA 2B 19.Radio% households with a radio LAMP and (inter)national household surveys EFA2B WSIS HH1 20.TV% households with a TVLAMP and (inter)national household surveys EFA2B WSIS HH2 21.On-line media % of households with Internet access WSIS HH7 EFA 2B 22.Internet subscribers per 100 or 1000 inhabitants MDG 48b WSIS A4 23.% of schools with an Internet connection WSIS Ed Potential IL Indicators EFA, MDGs, and WSIS 3/6

DimensionTopicIndicatorSource References to International Goals Supply 24.Information Reception Newspapers% of households/ persons reporting they read a newspaper LAMP and (inter)national household surveys 25.Radio% of households/ persons reporting they read a newspaper LAMP and (inter)national household surveys 26.TV% of households/ persons reporting they read a watch TV LAMP and (inter)national household surveys 27.On-line media % of households/ persons reporting they use on-line media WSIS HH10 28.% of households/ persons reporting they use the Internet LAMP and (inter)national household surveys WSIS HH Broadcast content % of persons reporting they watch different content types LAMP and (inter)national household surveys Very little data, not compiled on a comparable basis Potential IL Indicators EFA, MDGs, and WSIS 4/6

DimensionTopicIndicatorSource References to International Goals Supply 30.Use of libreraries % of households/ persons reporting they borrow newspapers, books or magazines LAMP and (inter)national household surveys Skills 31.LiteracyLiteracy rateUIS annual surveyDoes not measure competency 32.Literacy skills Level of literacyLAMP/IALSInternationally comparable measure of competency 33.ICT skills in schools % Teachers with formal training in ICT UIS Annual Education Survey WSIS Ed 34.% schools with PCs used for educational purposes UIS Annual Education Survey WSIS Ed 35.Languages% of people speaking minority languages SIL and other sources Data collection and definitions often problematic Potential IL Indicators EFA, MDGs, and WSIS 5/6

DimensionTopicIndicatorSource References to International Goals 36.Information Literacy Recognise Information needs See Catts and LauLAMP/IALSInternationally comparable measure of competency 37. Locate and Evaluate information See Catts and LauLAMP/IALS 38.Store and retrieve information See Catts and LauLAMP/IALS 39.Make effective use of information See Catts and LauLAMP/IALS 40.Apply information to create and communicate knowledge See Catts and LauLAMP/IALS Potential IL Indicators EFA, MDGs, and WSIS 6/6

UNESCO – IFLA IL Resources Directory. IFLA International Directory of InfoLit Resources, funded by UNESCO, StatisticsStatistics. “Towards Information Literacy Indicators” a document prepared for UNESCO. ReportReport. IFLA InfoLit World Report (Ongoing), funded by UNESCO Logo. InfoLit International Logo, organized by IFLA with UNESCO funding, Book. Information Literacy: International Perspectives. Munich: IFLA / K.G. Saur, 2008 Guidelines. IFLA International InfoLit Guidelines, 2006,

UNESCO – IFLA International Information Literacy Logo

Logo Black and White Version

Conclusion 1.Indicators can help to monitor achievements in the international decade of literacy (UNESCO) 2.Governments need to monitor information use to invest more on information skills development 3.IL indicators can derived from secondary analysis of existing survey elements, such as LAMP 4.It would be more cost effective and efficient to use current surveys 5.Information usage statistics is at the core IL measurement tasks, besides identification of information supply and access for all people