Information Literacy: Bringing Literacy Online Tom Cytron-Hysom and Jen Vanek

Outline Brief summary of Northstar Information Literacy module Northstar in Action Use of Northstar statewide - discussion TOM

Discussion What is your knowledge of Northstar? How have you used it? JEN Promo video link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ZPC5Er6md4

Digital literacy needs of adults 77% of jobs worldwide will require some technology skills by 2024 (Devex, 2014) PIAAC Survey of Adult Skills Adults scoring below Level 1 44% - no computer experience 16% - failed screener for taking the computerized version of the assessment JEN Time to Reskills link: http://skills.oecd.org/Survey_of_Adult_Skills_US.pdf Lack of basic computer/digital literacy skills are a barrier to employment, re-employment, and higher education Searching for and applying for work requires online and computer skills Lack of digital literacy skills contributes to poverty and limited employment options

WIOA New consideration for AEFLA funding Supports use of technology: improve teaching, learning, professional development, productivity, and system efficiencies. New consideration for AEFLA funding “…effectively use technology, services, and delivery systems, including distance education in a manner sufficient to increase the amount and quality of learning and how such technology, services, and systems lead to improved performance.” Jen Link to DoE document on technology and WIOA: https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ovae/pi/AdultEd/integrating-technology.pdf

Northstar Overview Purpose Inform instruction to develop basic computer literacy Demonstrate competency Create a credential to assist in job search Target audience Adults with low literacy levels Displaced workers lacking computer skills Need skills for employment, career certificates, etc. Tom

Partnership has always been key Developed in partnership St. Paul Public Library/St. Paul Community Literacy Consortium Community participation in development process Used in partnership ABE programs throughout the U.S. (including Corrections) Community based Organizations Libraries Workforce centers Community colleges Tom Background: Need identified by Saint Paul Public Library 2010 (high demand for services due to recession – didn’t have way to assess digital literacy skills/capacity) Community process to develop benchmarks, led by St. Paul Community Literacy Consortium Development/deployment of initial modules Northstar went ‘live’ summer 2012 Licensed under Creative Commons – noncommercial-NoDerivs License, prevents commercial use, prevents changes, allows use of materials with attribution Partnership supports sustainability: Housed at Minnesota Literacy Council (nonprofit) Annual sponsorships In Minnesota - $300/$1,000 Outside Minnesota - $500/$1,200 Sponsorships fund three main costs – help desk, tech support, infrastructure (such as servers) Back end administrative functions are automated Future development depends on capital costs and fundraising

What Northstar is – and isn’t Northstar is an assessment tool Northstar is not a digital literacy/basic computer skills curricula Northstar can be used to assess student progress in mastering skills (pre and post-test) Northstar can be used in conjunction with various curricula TOM Made decision not to develop curricula, as many good digital literacy curricula already exist Links to curricula on website

Features of the Assessment Online, self-guided assessment with audio Design includes text and audio features; clean, non-distracting format; simple, intuitive navigation ADA compliant; closed-captioning available Supported by administrative and technical infrastructure Comprehensive database and online tools available to sponsors All ABE consortia have access Tom

Over 1,155,000 assessments completed Usage (August 2016) Sponsoring Site Data 347 sites in 34 states/provinces 202,158 assessments given 101,796 passes 4,084 electronic badges Public Site Data Over 1,155,000 assessments completed TOM Several states have adopted for all ABE programs statewide (Minnesota, Rhode Island, Kansas) Assessment results consistent since initial release, supporting validity/reliability of assessments

Modules Available TOM

Discussion Information Literacy What is it? Why is it important? What are the big challenges in this area for your students? Jen Watch first 1:35 of video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=559wIQMJAtQ

Information Literacy Module Standards & Process Literature review and focus groups to define standards. Iterative cycles of team collaboration, revision, feedback from national experts, revision to revise standards and then create items, and then build the module. Jen Link to standards – view only: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1nM18IrwhrzixWljJonOtmXcBZ1x1QkCvU9Hznbp3lt0/edit?usp=sharing Describe development process…. Literature review to find research based descriptions of information literacy and better understand alignment with PIAACs PSTRE, two focus groups with community experts and stakeholders to align findings from lit review with needs and ideas of stakeholders, qualitative coding process to find themes from lit review and focus group data. Team meetings to refine list of standards, review/feedback from national experts on ABE, digital literacy, ELLs. Show standards. Begin to think about how you might teach them..

Let’s try it! Demonstration of New Module Jen - http://public.digitalliteracyassessment.org/?m=9&l=en Let’s try it!

Northstar in Action Adult Diploma Digital literacy is integrated into Employability and Career Development Modules required: Computer Basics, Windows or Mac OS, Email, Internet, Word, Information Literacy TOM Jump to LibGuide

Curricula resources LibGuide Designed to be comprehensive, at a basic level Review in LibGuide Jump to LibGuide

Northstar in Action Integration in general instruction Digital literacy best integrated rather than stand-alone Online training resource: Integrating Digital Literacy in the ABE Classroom (provides many specific ideas for students at all levels) TOM Jump to

Northstar in Action Looking to the future Provide versions of Office modules corresponding to Windows 10 and Word, Excel, PowerPoint 2016 – early fall Update to html5 – next two years TOM Jump to LibGuide

Questions? Tom Cytron-Hysom thysom@gmail.com Jen Vanek jenvanek@moreliteracy.com TOM/Jen