Invitation to the launch of the final report of the Royal Society of Edinburgh’s Inquiry, Spreading the Benefits of Digital Participation.

Spreading the Benefits of Digital Participation: Launch of Report

Wednesday 30 April 2014, 9.30am to 11.00am

At the Informatics Forum, University of Edinburgh, 10 Crichton Street, Edinburgh, EH8 9AB

You are cordially invited to the launch of the final report of the Royal Society of Edinburgh’s Inquiry, Spreading the Benefits of Digital Participation. The launch will take place on Wednesday 30 April at the Informatics Forum of the University of Edinburgh.

The Inquiry has gathered evidence throughout Scotland and across the public, private and third sectors on Scotland’s transformation to a digital society. What are the potential societal benefits of digital? What are the barriers to realising these benefits? And how do we ensure that the benefits are spread to all parts of society? Our interim report, published in December, set out our emerging conclusions and recommendations on overcoming the challenges of affordable access, lack of motivation and lack of skills to get online. Consultation on that report has allowed us to refine recommendations in those areas. To this we add: what are the responsibilities of a digital society for creating an environment in which the benefits of being online are not outweighed by the risks?

Our final report presents a picture of digital exclusion in Scotland today and touches on developments in the use of digital in different aspects of Scottish life, from communities, learning and culture to the public sector, the economy and civil society.

The key findings and recommendations of the Inquiry will be presented by Professor Michael Fourman, Chair of the Inquiry, and Professor Alan Alexander, Co-Chair and RSE General Secretary, followed by Q&A. The presentations will commence at 10.00am, with refreshments available from 9.30am. We hope that you are able to join us. I would be grateful if you would confirm your attendance by email to slennox@royalsoced.org.uk , no later than Monday 28 April.

Kind regards

Susan Lennox

Royal Society of Edinburgh

22-26 George Street,

Edinburgh

EH2 2PQ

Spreading the benefits of digital participation

Last year the Royal Society of Edinburgh (RSE) launched an enquiry entitled ‘Spreading the benefits of digital participation’. About ten evidence submissions were sent in from the Library and information sector in Scotland, including the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals in Scotland (CILIPS) and the Scottish Library and Information Council (SLIC). I submitted evidence as chair of the community of practice, Information Skills for a 21^st Century Scotland, and there were some seven other evidence submissions from individuals including members of the community of practice.

All these evidence submissions were ignored in the report and libraries are only briefly mentioned on p.49. There was a high level of consistency in the submissions with much of the evidence focusing on information literacy although it is nowhere mentioned in the report.

An analysis of the references cited in the interim report show that none of them are drawn from the LIS literature. This, despite the fact that two evidence submissions (John Crawford and Bill Johnston) contained citations which are more than adequate bibliographical cues for the report authors. Ian McCracken also raised concerns with the RSE regarding the very limited nature of the questions it was posing.

The draft report is primarily concerned with access and infrastructure issues and motivation. Issues of training and skills development are insufficiently considered.

The contention is that had evidence from the LIS sector been considered the interim report would have been much stronger, especially in respect of training and skills development. This applies particularly to the SLIC evidence. The report authors themselves say, p. 4:

‘...our final report will evolve considerably, particularly in elaborating recommendations that address the key challenges.’

The recommendations in the interim report are too general and do not challenge the Scottish government to achieve specific skills development targets for clearly identified stakeholders groups nor are there recommendations on the content and costing of programmes beyond a rather vague suggestion for refresher courses for teachers.

On the 24^th of January, John Crawford, Ian McCracken, Bill Johnston and Abigail Mawhirt met Gillian Daly at the SLIC offices where it was agreed that both SLIC and the Community of Practice would submit responses to the Royal Society of Edinburgh, expressing disappointment that their evidence had been ignored and making practical suggestions as to how the final report could be improved.

This has been done and SLIC staff has also had a positive meeting with representatives of the Committee overseeing the production of the report and RSE staff. The RSE’s initial reaction to the Community of Practice’s response has been conciliatory and assurances have been given that the final report will give due weight to the role of libraries in spreading the benefits of digital participation. CILIPS has also submitted a response. We await the appearance of the final report which is to be published ‘early in 2014’.

The report and contact details may be found at

http://www.royalsoced.org.uk/cms/files/advice-papers/inquiry/RSE_DI_Inquiry_Interim.pdf

John Crawford

Response to the RSE Enquiry into Digital Participation

I have read the responses already posted below and realise my response is very similar but here is my reponse anyway:

1. What do you think are the current benefits of digital participation and using the internet? 

There are many benefits of digital participation and to using the internet and these are well documented. As more and more services go online it is clear that if you are not participating digitally you will be isolated and your opportunities will be limited. Benefits include:

• Monetary benefits – you can shop around to get the best price online which is often cheaper than the high street due to lower overheads for online companies.
• Social benefits – through social media people can keep in touch with family and friends. This can be a lifeline and improve of quality of life for people especially those who are housebound.
• Educational benefits – a wide range of access to educational materials and information.

Having said this to be able to effectively participate people need to have knowledge of the pitfalls of which there are many and that is where the role of the library can be key to individuals. As we as a profession we have skills and knowledge to share with others to ensure they are able to:

• Identify and verify if what they are reading is trustworthy
• Search in an efficient way
• To use the internet safely when shopping etc.
• Use social media in a way that will not endanger their prospects of employment etc i.e. understand the consequences of what they publish openly online. 

2.What are the potential benefits?

If used well it can lead to better decision making especially in a work setting. If society is to benefit fully from digital participation though individuals must not only be able to access information they must also be able to find and select the right information. Information literacy is essential for this otherwise people could easily believe ungrounded information and make poorly informed decisions based upon it. The more informed people’s decisions are the more efficient and effective our workplaces will be and this will inevitably have a positive effect on the economy as a whole. 

3 How can these benefits be maximized?

Benefits can be maximized through systematic teaching of information literacy skills throughout life. We do everyone in society a huge disservice if we do not equip individuals with the skills to know how to find, evaluate, use and communicate information in an ethical manner. We can start imparting these skills to nursery skill children and carry this training on right through to pensioners. Through schooling and education, the workplace and life long learning. There are extensive examples of the good work of libraries in this field along with the benefits these can be viewed in the Scottish Information Literacy Framework and also on the Scottish Information Literacy Community of Practice blog both available at http://therightinformation.org. 

4. How can the benefits be promoted?          

Benefits are already being promoted in libraries across Scotland in various sectors. There is super work going on in Aberdeen Public Libraries for example with their Go On Classes. A more co-ordinated approach is required though to raise the profile on a national level. I believe that unless teachers become fully information literate our young people are not going to be information literate and therefore our future workforce is at a disadvantage. Information literacy needs to be at the centre of all education and our professionals need to be equipped to impart those skills to others. Those working in government research are very much in need of information literacy skills to do their job. If the right information is not available for policy making huge errors will be made. It is important that the skills are promoted and taught in a way that people can see the benefits to all aspects of their lives so that they will apply it to everything they do including what they do online. 

5. How could Scotland benefit from wider digital participation and use of the internet?                     

Ultimately it would improve employment rates I believe and also increase equality and help to close the gap between the richer and poorer. However information literacy is key to wider digital participation, as I believe you cannot benefit from one without the other. It is all key to life long learning and can enhance everyone’s life and every aspect of that life not just academic or work life. 

6. What risks do you associate to digital participation?

If digital participation is just about the mechanics of using a computer, mobile phone etc and not about the wider issues of safety and being responsible online, we are doing people an injustice and exposing them to dangers such as identity theft etc. You only need to look at the recent case of Paris Brown who was forced to step down from her position as Britain’s first youth police and crime commissioner because of comments she made on twitter to understand the dangers of being unaware of the consequences of what you publish on the internet. Also they need to be aware of how to avoid falling foul of viewing illegal material too as this can truly ruin lives. People need to be information savvy and literate in order to safely and successfully digitally participate. In this digital age it is as important as being able to read and write.

7. How can such risks be addressed? 

 Risks can be addressed by comprehensive education in internet safety awareness at school. Librarians are well placed along with teachers to deliver this training. This training should start in Primary 1. It is often too late by the time children reach secondary school considering there are children who have mobile phones with unrestricted internet access while they are still in primary school. The news is littered with stories about young people falling into various digital traps. Aside from this there should be a national approach linked to skills and employability to ensure we do not miss those who have already been through the education system. I believe there should be different levels as well as the needs of one individual will be very different to those of another. There are some very good examples of this in Scotland that could be used to build a national training.

8. What prevents you from using digital technologies and the internet?  

A lack of knowledge of some packages prevents me from using them especially advanced IT technologies. I would like to be able to create QR codes for work purposes for example but do not have the skills currently.

9. What could be done to increase your use of digital technologies and the internet?

More training opportunities

10. What incentives could be used to increase digital participation?

I’m not sure but as one of the barriers can be poverty it is important to ensure that there are enough free internet access points for all, with the technology there to access it. There should also be provision for maintaining these access points and ensuring that facilities are up to date. People also need to know that help is there to keep them safe while using technology along with aid to give them the skills to enhance their lives through digital participation. Support mechanisms need to be in place to support individuals as it takes a lot of confidence to take that first step towards digital participation. There are those who are digitally disadvantaged who have a fear of learning due to negative experiences in their past. The benefits need to be explicitly advertised to everyone so that they begin to see the many advantages for them as an individual.

Evidence to the Royal Society of Edinburgh for their enquiry into digital participation

Dear all, copy evidence I have just submitted to RSE.

John

RSE Evidence: Spreading the benefits of digital participation

From Dr John Crawford, Chair, the Right Information:  Information Skills for a 21^st Century Scotland.

Before addressing some of the specific questions below I think it is important to be clear about what digital participation actually is about. Is it:

• A time limited exercise in the use of electronic technology, or
• A complex educational, learning, training and skills development exercise extending over several  years which needs to be  properly structured and supported

In other words is it about access and infrastructure issues or is it about the exploitation of information and learning opportunities.

The first view has informed such national projects as Connect Canada and Connect Australia and has resulted in the identification of the training needs which connectivity has raised (Gilton 2013).

It is, I think, helpful to see digital participation in the context of information literacy which has been defined by the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals (CILIP) as:

 ‘Information literacy is knowing when and why you need information, where to find it, and how to evaluate, use and communicate it in an ethical manner.’ (CILIP 2004)

However information literacy is much more than about finding information.  Information literacy is about personal and civil rights, participative citizenship, lifelong learning, using technology wisely,  the reduction of the digital divide, skills and economic development, education and critical thinking and the maintenance of a healthy lifestyle.  These points are enshrined in two key policy documents, the Prague Declaration (UNESCO 2003) and the Alexandria Proclamation (Garner 2005). The principles stated in these documents link information literacy to wider human rights issues, specifically links it to the information society, civil rights, the closure of the digital divide, reduction of inequality, improvement in workplace performance and employability and skills development and a culture of lifelong, self administered  learning.

It also seems to be assumed that digital participation is a ‘good thing’ but how can this assumption be made if evidence of informed, purposive usage is lacking and there is no strategy to ensure that this is achieved.

These points RSE makes should inform key factors in your enquiry:

‘and how some people may require help, guidance and protection when going online.’ It will examine issues of skills and motivation,’

If Scotland in the future is a be a high economic performing, skilled, educated, socially inclusive, participative democracy, composed of healthy citizens then understanding how to access information and use  it discriminatingly are key factors.

To address the issues under the heading you list:

1 What do you think are the current benefits of digital participation and using the internet?        

These are well known and include: reduced costs through online booking; time/ money saved by virtual rather than physical visits; fast access to information; access to free and paid for online learning materials; internet shopping (especially useful in rural areas); job opportunities websites, access to information on politics and government to facilitate voting decisions; improved lifestyles for the disabled; a key support for lifelong learning.

2.What are the potential benefits?

Improved health of the nation as a result of using health information websites especially for those with long term or disabling conditions; better decision making in the workplace if people can access the right information. This is a particularly serious issue as the evidence suggests that poor information usage in the workplace is a cost to the economy (De Saulles 2007); more successful lifelong learning policies as information literacy is essential to lifelong learning.

3 How can these benefits be maximised
It is important to build on pre-existing activities and policies and co-ordinate them better. When I was directing the Scottish Information Literacy Project (2004-2010) my research assistant, Christine Irving and I developed the Scottish Information Literacy Framework Scotland which provides a framework of information literacy training extending from early years education through secondary and tertiary education to the workplace and to lifelong learning. See http://scotinfolit.squarespace.com/  There is a Scottish Health literacy framework and some good examples of collaboration between public libraries and health professionals to improve health literacy awareness. A culture of constructivist, independent learning also needs to be encouraged. The new Curriculum for Excellence and particularly the literacies components are a good basis for this but all these useful initiatives need to be co-ordinated and properly led. Louise Ballantyne’s work (2008) is a good example of this. While a huge amount of information is available to the Scottish public, both digitally and on paper, the quality of the information is extremely variable and it is necessary to address awareness raising and training issues as indicated below.  Training must be co-ordinated across all educational sectors, in the workplace and throughout lifelong learning and should focus on long term benefits, not short term needs. While it its true, for example, that information literacy is widely provided in Scottish higher education and this is the most successful sector in information literacy training it must focus on the development of employability skills which can be carried over into the workplace and used there.  A recent American study (Head 2012) shows that information literacy skills taught in American higher education are too ‘academic’ and not related to workplace needs.

4. How can the benefits be promoted?          

First of all Scotland needs a national information literacy policy to identify needs and offer a co-ordinated response. Targeted training and awareness are the keys. This already happens to some extent, thanks to the excellent work by community learning and development staff and public librarians, often working together. The example of the work done by Inverclyde Library staff is a good example (Crawford and Irving 2012). There is a need for awareness raising among NHS staff who must be trained to be aware of the value of health literacy and recommend these skills to patients. We will never have information literate school children until we have information literate school teachers and trainee teachers should receive information literacy training so they can pass on their skills to pupils.

5. How could Scotland benefit from wider digital participation and use of the internet?                     

 A key factor here is skills development and employability. Most businesses are small ones composed of staff with little training on how to use information to support their work. This is probably the sector most in need of training. It is however important not to see digital participation and information literacy skills solely as a form of utilitarian education. Cultural, intellectual life, constructive recreation  and self realisation achieved through a lifelong learning agenda must also be supported.  

Obstacles

6. What risks do you associate to digital participation?

The research which has been done in the area of workplace information literacy suggests that information literacy skills in SMEs is poor and is detrimental to economic development.  This matter does not receive systematic attention anywhere in the UK and to highlight it and suggest the need for action could be useful and also groundbreaking.  However what training is needed and who should provide it are major issues. Training for SME staffs needs to be highly targeted and there is evidence that SMEs are unsure of their own training needs and it is undoubtedly the case that many SME employees will be unaware of what information literacy activity is even if they are actually engaging in it; as indicated above information skills among teachers is currently poor; issues to be with Internet safety are well known and should be included in this debate.

7. How can such risks be addressed?  

Risks are best addressed at school age and school librarians could provide Internet awareness risk training in conjunction with class teachers. More generally it is necessary to carry out research to identify the training needs of different sectors of the population.  Public librarians and community learning and development staff are best placed to address these issues with adults. While generic training is useful targeted training programmes for specific needs are required and market segmentation issues need to be addressed. The workplace and developing employability skills are very different markets. For basic IT and Information literacy training to develop employability and life skills training task forces, developed from existing initiatives would be a good idea. 

8. What prevents you from using digital technologies and the internet?                                                

Lack of training opportunities on advanced aspects of IT methods

Incentives

9. What could be done to increase your use of digital technologies and the internet?

More training opportunities

10. What incentives could be used to increase digital participation?

It is, I think, necessary to do market research to identify areas of need. As I have already indicated SMEs are an obvious example.   The provision of free, targeted programmes in areas of identified need is necessary.  A good exemplar is the Welsh Information Literacy Project, itself based on the Scottish Information Literacy Project (Eynon 2013). It has developed an information literacy training programme for Wales which is linked to educational and social welfare policies. It has organised training for public librarians in IT/information literacy training and trained staff are now beginning to roll out training to the general public. Head teachers are being targeted to be made aware of the benefits of information literacy and departments of education are being contacted to promote the benefits of information literacy skills to trainee teachers. 

The need for a training culture and evaluation culture

Scotland already has a well established culture of training as evidenced by such bodies as Skills Development Scotland, Careers Scotland, community learning and development trainers and the good work being done by public librarians.  This latter is capable of considerable expansion but would require something of a cultural change among public librarians which would have to become more like educators and trainers and less service providers, something which has already happened in higher education. This has training implication for the staff concerned but could have public benefit. The need for this change of culture has been championed by Ronan O’Beirne in his pioneering book:  From lending to learning. (2010).

Finally evaluation of all activities undertaken need to be done in order to establish that digital participation is effective, i.e. making a measurable difference to the lives of the people of Scotland.

Summary points

• Recognition that the long term issue is an education and skills development one
• C0-oridnated planning is needed
• A segmented, targeted training agenda is needed
• Evaluation is required to find out what progress has been/is being made

I hope you will be able to include some of these points in your final report

References

Ballantyne, L. (2008) Real and Relevant – Information Literacy Skills for the 21st Century Learner, available at: http://wayback.archive-it.org/1961/20100625210259/http://www.ltscotland.org.uk/slf/previousconferences/2008/seminars/a2e.asp 

Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals (2004)  Information literacy definition. London: CILIP. Available at http://www.cilip.org.uk/get-involved/advocacy/learning/information-literacy/Pages/definition.aspx

Crawford, J. and Irving, C. (2009) Information literacy in the workplace: a qualitative exploratory study, Journal of librarianship and information science (41), 29-38 Available at http://lis.sagepub.com/cgi/content/abstract/41/1/29?etoc

De Saulles, M. (2007) Information literacy amongst UK SMEs: an information policy gap.  Aslib proceedings, 59 (1) 68-79.

Eynon, A.  (2013) Welsh Information Literacy Project, Library and information research, 37, 114, 17-22

Garner, S.D. (2005) High-Level Colloquium on Information Literacy and Lifelong Learning. Available from: http://www.ifla.org/publications/high-level-colloquium-on-information-literacy-and-lifelong-learning

Gilton, D.L. (2012) Lifelong learning in public libraries: principles, programs, and people. Lanham: Scarecrow.  

Head, A. (2012) How college graduates solve information problems once they join the workplace. Project information Literacy Research Report.  Available at  http://projectinfolit.org/pdfs/PIL_fall2012_workplaceStudy_FullReport.pdf

O’Beirne, R.  (2010) From lending to learning: the development and extension of public libraries. Oxford: Chandos.

UNESCO (2003) The Prague Declaration: towards an information literate society. Prague: UNESCO.  Available at: http://portal.unesco.org/ci/en/files/19636/11228863531PragueDeclaration.pdf/PragueDeclaration.pdf

Dr. John Crawford, BA, MA, PhD, FCLIP, FSA (Scot),

Chair, Information Skills for a 21^st Century Scotland,

Email  johncrawford705@yahoo.co.uk 

Information skills for a 21^st century Scotland  http://scotinfolit.squarespace.com/

View my Linked in profile at http://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=10596570

27.6.13