Agenda

PIAAC: AN OVERVIEW WITH A FOCUS ON LITERACYWilliam Thorn, OECDwilliam.thorn@oecd.org

Objectives Provide some background to PIAAC regarding: Its origins Its objectives, Features of the assessment of literacyThe presentation of results, andIts output.

Origins1980s - early 1990s interest in literacy levels of workforcecompetence movement Developments in large-scale testingDevelopment of international adult literacy/skills surveys: IALS (1994, 1996, 1998): 21 countries (including Ireland in 1994)ALL (2003, 2006): 13 countries

OriginsWork on PIAAC began in early 2000sUpdating measures to increase relevance to the digital worldExpansion of the range of skills about which information collected (e.g. generic skills) Interest in the demand for skills in addition to supplyMeasurement of human capital rather than literacy

Objectives Design of PIAAC finalised in 2007Broad objectives : Provide high quality comparable information on the level and distribution of key information processing skills in the adult populationShow the relationship of these skills to individual and social outcomes Better understand the processes through which skills are gained, maintained and lost over the lifecycle

Design features: contentDirect assessment of key information processing skillsLiteracy (including reading components), numeracy, problem solving in technology-rich environments (PS-TRE)Linked to IALS and ALL in domains of literacy and numeracyInformation on the use of literacy, numeracy and problem solving at work and elsewhereInformation on use of a range of other generic skills at workInteraction, organisation (self and others), learning and physical skillsInformation on antecedents and outcomes

Links to previous adult surveys

PIAAC ALL (2003-2006)IALS (1994-1998)Literacy (combined prose and document)Literacy (rescaled to combine prose and document)Literacy (rescaled to combine prose and document)Prose literacyProse literacyDocument literacyDocument literacyReading componentsNumeracyNumeracyQuantitative literacyProblem solving in technology-rich environmentsProblem solving

Design featuresTarget population 16-65 year olds resident in national territorySample: probability sample representative of target population Household surveyComputer deliveryBQ CAPIAssessment - CBA

Participation Round 1 (2008-2013)24 countriesAustralia, Austria, Belgium (Flanders), Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Korea, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Slovak Republic, Spain, Sweden, UK (England, Nth Ireland), US, Cyprus, Russian FederationRound 2 (2012-2015)10 countriesChile, Greece, Indonesia, Israel, Lithuania, New Zealand, Singapore, Slovenia, Turkey

Innovative elementsProficiency in information processing in ICT environments Reading of digital textsProblem solving in technology rich environmentsInformation regarding poor readersReading componentsRicher information regarding the use of skillsIn particular, the use of generic skills Computer delivery

What is assessed? LiteracyReading componentsNumeracyProblem solving in technology-rich environments

LiteracyDefined as: the ability to understand, evaluate, use and engage with written texts to participate in society, to achieve ones goals, and to develop ones knowledge and potentialThree dimensions Content (text types)Cognitive strategies (what one does to gain meaning)Context (situation in which reading takes place)

Content Medium Print-basedDigital FormatContinuousNon-continuousMixedMultiple

Strategies and ContextCognitive strategiesaccess and identifyintegrate and interpretevaluate and reflectContextswork-relatedpersonalcommunity and societyeducation and training

Information on poor readersReading componentsPrint vocabularySentence comprehensionPassage fluencyAutomaticity in these elements is precondition for comprehension

Information on literacy practicesVariety, frequency and complexityReadingdirections or instructionsletters, memos or e-mailsarticles in newspapers, magazines or newslettersarticles in professional journals or scholarly publicationsBooksManuals or reference materialsbills, invoices, bank statements or other financial statementsdiagrams, maps or schematics

Information on literacy practicesWritingletters, memos or e-mailsarticles for newspapers, magazines or newslettersReportsfill in forms

ReportingResults presented on a 500 point scale test items and test-takers located on the same scaleDifficulty of itemsProficiency of persons

Proficiency levels To help interpret results the scale divided into proficiency levelsDescriptors developed to summarise the underlying characteristics of items in each level in terms of the literacy frameworkDescriptive not normative 6 proficiency levels in literacy

Proficiency levels

LevelScore RangeLess than level 1Lower than 176Level 1176-225Level 2226-275Level 3276-325Level 4326-375Level 5376 and above

Level 1 Most of the tasks at this level require the respondent to read relatively short digital or print continuous, non-continuous, or mixed texts to locate a single piece of information that is identical to or synonymous with the information given in the question or directive. Some tasks, such as those involving non-continuous texts, may require the respondent to enter personal information onto a document. Little, if any, competing information is present. Some tasks may require simple cycling through more than one piece of information. Knowledge and skill in recognising basic vocabulary determining the meaning of sentences, and reading paragraphs of text is expected.

Level 5At this level, tasks may require the respondent to search for and integrate information across multiple, dense texts; construct syntheses of similar and contrasting ideas or points of view; or evaluate evidence based arguments. Application and evaluation of logical and conceptual models of ideas may be required to accomplish tasks. Evaluating reliability of evidentiary sources and selecting key information is frequently a requirement. Tasks often require respondents to be aware of subtle, rhetorical cues and to make high-level inferences or use specialised background knowledge.

What will PIAAC tell us? Proficiency of the adult populationComparable across countriesDistribution of proficiency e.g. by age, gender, education, immigration statusRelationship to factors influencing proficiencyE.g. education, literacy practices, adult learningProficiency and outcomesE.g. employment, unemployment, wages, health status, trust in others

OutputOctober 2013International ReportPublic use data setData explorerData analyser2014-2015Series of thematic reports

The first international reportSkills Outlook will contain six chaptersContext: skills and trends in technology, the labour market an societyCross-country comparisons of the level and distribution of adult skillsThe distribution of proficiency among various socio-demographic groups in different countriesThe skill proficiency of workers and the use of their skills in the workplaceDeveloping and sustaining information processing skillsThe link between information processing skills and outcomesReaders companionOverview of what is measured and how the survey was implemented

Information accessible at:

http://www.oecd.org/site/piaac/

Thank you

william.thorn@oecd.org

A New Approach to Further Education and Training

Paul OToole, Director General, FS

Building Healthy Adult Skills in Ireland

Inez Bailey, Director, National Adult Literacy Agency

Building Healthy Adult Skills in IrelandUsing PIACC to achieve a shift in understanding from ...

Health of the Nations Skills

PIAAC A health check on adult skills in Ireland: Current skill levels Skill loss Skills mismatch

It will inform three key groups: Policy Makers Providers and Practitioners People alongside other data and information.

Informing Policy Makers

Informing Providers and Practitioners

Informing People

Questions and Answers

Chaired by Richard Curran

Further information NALASandford LodgeSandford CloseRanelaghDublin 6

Tel: (01) 412 7900

Website: www.nala.ie

Distance learning website: www.writeon.ie

http://twitter.com/nalaireland http://facebook.com/nalaireland http://www.youtube.com/user/nationaladultliterac

*DES/SOLAS/ETBs: direct concern with raising adult skills across further education and training

Other departments and policies are dependent on high levels of adult skills, namely Healthy Ireland, Pathways to Work, National Digital Strategy, Putting People First, to name but a few.

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