UNESCO and Information Literacy Abdul Waheed Khan Assistant Director-General for Communication and Information Durban ::: 20 August 2007 E-Learning: Universities

UNESCO and Information Literacy

Abdul Waheed KhanAssistant Director-General for Communication and Information

Durban ::: 20 August 2007

E-Learning: Universities in 21st Century

Bonn :: November 2006

New Delhi ::: 6 August 2007


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New Delhi ::: 6 August 2007UNESCO and Information Literacy


Millenium Development Goals


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Social Transformation

Agricultural Society

Industrial Society

Knowledge Societies

Machines to multiply

muscle power

Knowledge to multiply

brain power


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Technology Transformation


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UNESCO’s concept of Knowledge Societies

Freedom Inclusiveness Diversity Empowerment


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UNESCO and Information Literacy

In advancing the vision of knowledge societies where the power of information and communication technologies help people access the knowledge they need to improve their daily lives and achieve their full potential, UNESCO has been the leading international intergovernmental institution promoting the concept of Information Literacy.


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What is Information Literacy? (I)

“Information literacy empowers people in all walks of life to seek, evaluate, use and create information effectively to achieve their personal, social, occupational and educational goals. It is a basic human right in a digital world and promotes social inclusion in all nations.”

Alexandria Proclamation “Beacons of the Information Society” High Level Colloquium on Information Literacy and Lifelong Learning

Bibliotheca Alexandria, Egypt, November 2005


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What is Information Literacy?

”Information literacy enables people to interpret and make informed judgments as users of information sources, as well as to become producers of information in their own right. Information literate people are able to access information about their health, their environment, their education and work, empowering them to make critical decisions about their lives, e.g. in taking more responsibility for their own health and education.”

UNESCO’s Information for All Programme


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Information Literacy in Knowledge societies

Enables access to information and

knowledge

Develops ability to apply information and

knowledge

Information Literacy

Social participation

Cultural expression

Learning

Building

knowledge societies

Development FreedomProsperity

Determine patterns of

Provide opportunity

for


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Information Literacy in WSIS Plan of Action

“Each person should have the opportunity to acquire the necessary skills and knowledge in order to understand, participate actively in, and benefit fully from, the Information Society”

Activities in Action Plan:

Promote e-literacy skills for all Take advantage of existing facilities such as libraries, multipurpose

community centres, public access points and establish local ICT training centres

Ensure that young people are equipped with knowledge and skills to use ICTs, including the capacity to analyse and treat information

Empower local communities in ICT use and promote the production of usefull and socially meaningful content for the benefit of all

Design specific training programmes in the use of ICTs in order to meet the educational needs of information professionals

Action Line C4 - Capacity-buiding


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Information literacy in Information for All Programme

Intergovernmental programme exclusively dedicated to promoting universal access to information and knowledge for development

Information Literacy : One of IFAP’s three priority areas Funding and implementation of 12 projects on Information Literacy Raising awareness of the importance of Information Literacy

through Thematic Debate, publications and study


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IFAP Information literacy projects

Development of Information Literacy through School Libraries in Southeast Asian Countries

International Clearinghouse on Information Literacy and Lifelong Learning (CoIL-LL)

Building Human Resource Capacity of Ghana’s Aspnet ICT Centre

Information Literacy Capacity Building for Vietnamese Academic Librarians

Training of Young Women’s Leaders on Information Literacy in Uganda

Terminology Training for ICT and Language Trainers in Language Communities of Africa


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IFAP Information literacy projects

Research on National Information Literacy Education in China and Indonesia

Secondary Schools’ Participation in Information Literacy Programmes

Information Literacy Training Programme for Public Librarians across the Commonwealth

Recruiting and Training Library Cadets (RTLC) Programme for a sustainable Bahamas

Establishing Information Literacy Competence Levels of Library Workers in South Africa

Promotion of Information Literacy in the South Caucasus


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IFAP Information Literacy project – Example: Ghana

Secondary Schools’ Participation in Information Literacy Programmes


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IFAP Information Literacy project – Example:Vietnam

Information Literacy Capacity Building for Vietnamese Academic Librarians


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IFAP Information Literacy project – Example: Uganda

Training of Young Women Leaders on Information Literacy in Uganda


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IFAP publications on Information Literacy

“Understanding Information Literacy: A Primer”An easy-to-read, non-technical overview explaining what information literacy means, designed for busy public policy-makers, business executives, civil society administrators and practicing professionals(soon available)

“Towards Information Literacy Indicators”A study providing an international framework for measuring information literacy, and proposing common sets of information literacy competency standards and an overall minimum level of information literacy competency for people living in knowledge societies(Soon available)


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Creating an international alliance for Information Literacy

Organization of international expert meetings Support to Information Literacy training

programmes (Example: training programme for Afghan women)

Collaboration with the International Federation of Library Associations (IFLA) Information Literacy Logo contest International Information Literacy Resources Directory Information Literacy State of the Art Report

Documents

UNESCO and Information Literacy Abdul Waheed Khan Assistant Director-General for Communication and Information Durban ::: 20 August 2007 E-Learning: Universities