PIAAC (Latest Survey on Literacy)

Abstract

This is the submitted version of the encyclopedia entry. Please cite as follows: Schleicher, A., Thorn, W., & Desjardins, R. (2014). PIAAC (Latest Survey on Literacy). In Michalos, A.C. (ed.), Encyclopedia of Quality of Life and Well-Being Research (pp. 4810-4814). Amsterdam: Springer. DOI: 10.1007/978-94-007-0753-5_2170. Entry for Encyclopedia of Quality of Life Research Title of entry Programme for International Assessment of Adult Competencies Type of entry Medium (about 600-1800 words) SYNONYMS PIAAC DEFINITION PIAAC is an international assessment of the foundation skills of the adult population managed by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). Its aim is to provide information which supports the design, implementation and evaluation of policies which foster the development and use of competencies to achieve economic, social and personal well being. DESCRIPTION PIAAC assesses the skills of adults of working age (i.e. adults aged between 16-65 years) in the domains of (reading) literacy, numeracy and problem solving in technology-rich environments (Gal et al., 2009; Jones et al., 2009; Rouet et al., 2009). Information is also collected regarding the use of a range of generic skills in work such as communication, interaction and physical skills. A background questionnaire collects data regarding individual characteristics, social and linguistic background, education and training experience, labour force status and earned income and some information regarding social participation and health. PIAAC extends the work of previous international adult skills surveys – the International Adult Literacy Survey (OECD and Statistics Canada, 2000) and the Adult Literacy and Life Skills Survey (Statistics Canada and OECD, 2005) – in a number of ways. In particular, PIAAC has placed particular emphasis on ensuring the relevance of its measures to the digital world. The measurement of literacy incorporates the reading of digital texts and the domain of problem solving in technology-rich environments is designed to assess the capacity of individuals to solve ‘information problems’ – problems which exist because of or are solved through the use of ICTs. In addition, PIAAC will provide more information that has been available previously regarding the skills of poor readers as well as on the use of skills, particularly in work contexts. The skills assessed in PIAAC are conceived as foundation skills important for achieving a successful life and a well-functioning society (Rychen and Salganik 2003). They are conceived as foundational for two main reasons. First, the measured skills provide the base for the development of other higher order cognitive skills as well as constituting a pre-condition for gaining access to and understanding of specific domains of knowledge. Being able to read, manage mathematical and numerical information and solve problems are essential for the development of higher order analytic and communication skills for example.