Information Literacy (IL)

1. UNESCO Information Literacy – A Case Study Digital Divide & Bridging The GapObjectives:- To understand UNESCO Information Literacy- To understand digital divide and how to bridge the gapReferences:1. Towards Information Literacy Indicators, Conceptual Framework Paper by Ralph Catts & Jesus Lau, UNESCO Paris, 2008.2. ICT and Our Society (4th Edition) by Yeo Gee Kin & Oh Lih Bin, McGraw Hill Publication.

2. Information Literacy (IL) Why IL is important to people?

3. UNESCO Information Literacy • United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) Advocates the building of knowledge societies ... “ A Basic Human Right in the Digital World”

4. UNESCO Information Literacy • Defining Information Literacy (IL) Adopted by UNESCO (2005), IL skills include: • Recognise their information needs • Locate & evaluate the quality of information • Store and retrieve information • Make effective & ethical use of information, and • Apply information to create and communicate knowledge

5. UNESCO Information Literacy • Distinguishing IL and ICT Can people be information literate in the absence of ICT?

6. UNESCO Information Literacy • UNESCO Information Literacy Context • Implications of IL need to be considered at both national & international levels in : IL is essential for individuals to achieve personal, social, occupational and educational goals in a knowledge society. • Society • Work • Education • Well-Being

7. UNESCO Information Literacy • IL for Health & Well-Being • Health Professionals • Access to current and best practice to the delivery of quality • services. • Right of Individuals • Obtain, interpret, and understand basic health information • and services. • Use of information and services which are health-enhancing. • Distinguish between information from credible sources, such • as WHO, and information from manufacturer / medical • suppliers.

8. UNESCO Information Literacy • IL and Civic Society • A civic society in which people may participate actively in a democratic process – active participation (self-directed) creating government as enabling rather than directive. • An informed society in which people act creatively, and takes initiatives to make new meanings & new ways of governance.

9. UNESCO Information Literacy • IL and Education • Create standards to guide IL work in education sector - lifelong • learning capabilities. • Prepare people for civic life, develop and maintains people’s • employment capacities. • Able to recognise an information need & the capability to • locate, valuate, store, retrieve and apply information, and to • communicate new knowledge.

10. UNESCO Information Literacy • IL for Work and Economic Activity • Use IL to create competitive advantage for firms and for nations within the global knowledge economy. • ‘Distinguish between routine distribution of information, and the use of information to create knowledge’

11. UNESCO Information Literacy • Economics and IL - Table 1: Comparison of Industrial and Knowledge Economics

12. UNESCO Information Literacy Information / Knowledge Chain • 1. Generation • Author • Inventor • Researcher • 4.Use/Demand • Researcher • Academics • Student • Companies • Packing • Editor • Information Aggregators • Database Company • 3. Distribution • Bookstores • Libraries • Information Services

13. UNESCO Information Literacy • IL and Adult Competencies (Communication Skills Map)

14. UNESCO Information Literacy • IL and Ethics - Ethical Use of Information • Ethical practice applies to the creation and distribution of information, and to its use. • An information literate society is one whose peoples are able to evaluate information sources, and they will question all sources of information. • In disseminating information received from others, those are information literate should flag the potential bias in the original sources rather than transmitting claims without qualification.

15. Digital Divide The Digital Divide The digital divide refers to the disparity between those who have access to and use of ICT, and those who do not. “The information society that) we build must be open and pluralistic – one in which all people, in all countries, have access to information and knowledge.” Former UN Secretary-General, Kofi Annan World Telecommunication Day, May 17 2003 International Adult Literacy Survey (IALS) has identified a correlation between ICT skills and literacy. Those will ICT skills are likely to have higher literacy levels and applies to both between countries with high and low ICT access, and also within countries. OECD

16. Digital Divide 3 Significant Barriers to ICT Access • Access to ICT Infrastructure • Includes access to hardware, software • and telecommunication links. • Access to Education & Skills • Use of ICT. • Access to Information Media • Digital media content is mostly in English.

17. Digital Divide – Universal Access Universal Access World Internet Usage and Population Statistics Across Different Countries (Sept 2007)

18. Digital Divide – Universal Access Other important factors include: • Physical Access to Technology • Affordability • Technological Skills • Relevant Content

19. Digital Divide – Universal Access Other important factors include: • Social Integration • Socio-Cultural Factors • Trust in Technology • Capacity

20. Digital Divide – Universal Access Other important factors include: • Legal & Regulatory • Framework • Political Will • Local Economic Environment • Macro-Economic

21. Digital Divide – Language Issue “Last month, when I was in Central Asia, the President of Kyrgyzstan told me his eight-years old son came to him and said: ‘Father, I have to learn English.” “But why?” President Akayev asked. “Because, Father, the computer speaks English.” Al Gore, Former US Vice President “A language becomes a world language for one reason only – the power of the people who speak it.” David Crystal, Professor of Linguistics

22. Digital Divide – Language Issue Disparity between Online Languages (June 2007)

23. UNESCO - Bridging The Digital Divide “The bottom line is that there is no binary digital divide and no single overriding factor for determining – or closing – such a divide.” Mark Warschauer UC Irvine UNESCO’s action in the field of IT is based on two essential goals: reducing the digital divide and building knowledge societies. UNESCO

24. UNESCO - Bridging The Digital Divide UNESCO aims to achieve its goals thru activities in 3 areas: Ethical, Standard Setting and Legal Content and ICT Applications Methodological Tools and Access to Knowledge

25. UNESCO - Bridging The Digital Divide • UNESCO’s strategy is based on 4 elements: • Reaching Agreement on Common Principals to Regulate • the Building of Knowledge Societies • Increasing Learning Opportunities by Giving Access to • Content and to Diverse & Quality Education Service • Providers

26. UNESCO - Bridging The Digital Divide • UNESCO’s strategy is based on 4 elements: • Capacity Building in Scientific Research, Information • Sharing and Cultural Exchanges. • Promoting ICT Use with the Aim of Developing Capacity, • Empowerment, and Governance & Social Participation

27. Bridging The Digital Divide “The bottom line is that there is no binary digital divide and no single overriding factor for determining – or closing – such a divide.” Mark Warschauer UC Irvine The problem of the digital divide is not so much in providing equal access to ICT, but in how ICT is integrated to include the marginalized groups. In Singapore, to bridge the digital divide between the young and the old, iN2015 Master Plan includes a Silver Infocomm Initiative to equip senior citizens with digital lifestyle skills and knowledge …