Section 6
Adults' literacy skills and ability to use information and
communications technologies (ICT)
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6.1 Information and communications technologies (ICT) use and familiarity
6.2 Literacy skills of adults from health occupations
Information and communications technology, as well as globalization, are forcing economies into a growing reliance on versatile and highly literate workers. Literacy skills are thus essential for individuals to realize their full economic and social potential. They also represent the foundation upon which people acquire additional knowledge and skills throughout their lives Statistics Canada and Council of Ministers of Education, Canada, 2007).
Literacy skills of Canadians and their ability to use information and communications technologies (ICTs) were assessed through Statistics Canada's International Adult Literacy and Skills Survey (IALSS) conducted in 2003. More than 23,000 individuals aged 16 and over from across the ten provinces and three territories participated, a sufficient number to provide accurate estimates for all of Canada's jurisdictions.
6.1 Information and communications technologies (ICT) use and familiarity
Three indices were derived in IALSS to assess the respondent's perceived usefulness and attitude towards computers, the diversity and intensity of their Internet use, and their use of computers for specific task-oriented purposes.
Scores for ICT use and familiarity were substantially lower for adults from health occupations than for their counterparts from other occupations
As shown by IALSS, scores for ICT use and familiarity were substantially lower for adults from health occupations than for their counterparts from other occupations (average score of 4.6 compared to 5.0 for perceived usefulness and attitude toward computers, average score of 4.9 compared to 5.3 for diversity and intensity of Internet use, and average score of 4.7 compared to 5.2 for use of computers for task-oriented purposes) (Table 6.1 and Chart 6.1).
Indices of ICT use and familiarity
Three indices of ICT use and familiarity were derived from several observed variables that were collected in the IALSS survey. ICT related variables were examined using Exploratory Factor Analysis with principal components specified as the method. Confirmatory Factor Analysis was then used to validate three models that were hypothesized on the basis of the exploratory results and an interpretation of the observed variables. Index scores were derived according to the specified models using a Rasch scaling approach. Scores for each index are expressed as standardized scores on a 10-point scale, with a mean of 5 and a standard deviation of 1.5.
The underlying variables used to construct the three measures are outlined below:
1. Index of perceived usefulness and attitude toward computers
Please tell me whether you strongly agree, agree, disagree, or strongly disagree with each of the following statements:
- Computers have made it possible for me to get more done in less time
- Computers have made it easier for me to get useful information
- Computers have helped me to learn new skills other than computer skills
- Computers have helped me to communicate with people
- Computers have helped me reach my occupational (career) goals
2. Index of diversity and intensity of Internet use
In a typical month, how often did you use the Internet for the following purposes? (Daily, a few times a week, a few times a month, never)
- Electronic mail (email)
- Participate in chat groups or other on-line discussions
- Shopping (including browsing for products or services but not necessarily buying)
- Banking
- Formal education or training (part of a formal learning activity such as a course or a program of studies)
- Obtain or save music
- Read about news and current events
- Search for employment opportunities
- Search for health related information
- Search for weather related information
- Search for government information
- Playing games with others
- General browsing
- Other purposes; specify
- In a typical month, how many hours did you use a computer at home?
3. Index of using computers for task-oriented purposes
In a typical month, how often did you use a computer for the following purposes? (Daily, a few times a week, a few times a month, never)
- Writing or editing text
- Accounts, spreadsheets or statistical analysis
- Creating graphics, designs, pictures or presentations
- Programming or writing computer code
- Keeping a schedule or calendar
- Reading information on a CD-ROM or DVD
- In a typical month, how many hours did you use a computer at home?
Among adults from health occupations, scores for the perceived usefulness of computers varied widely by province and territory, from about 4.0 in Manitoba and Saskatchewan to slightly more than 5.0 in Nova Scotia and Nunavut. With regard to diversity and intensity of Internet use, adults from health occupations in Nunavut showed the lowest score (4.2) while those in British Columbia showed the highest (5.6). Average scores for use of computers for task-oriented purposes also vary widely across jurisdictions, from about 4.0 for adults from health occupations in Nunavut to more than 5.0 in Nova Scotia, British Columbia and the Yukon (Table 6.1 and Chart 6.1).
6.2 Literacy skills of adults from health occupations
A majority of adults from health occupations had more than the "desired" level of competence in prose, document, numeracy and problem solving to acquire additional knowledge and skills throughout their lives
Despite the fact that their ability to use information and communications technologies was substantially lower than for their counterparts from other occupations, a majority of adults from health occupations had the "desired" level of competence in prose, document, numeracy and problem solving to acquire additional knowledge and skills throughout their lives.
Results from IALSS showed that about 68% of adults from health occupations in Canada had a prose literacy proficiency at Level 3 or above (i.e. skills needed to understand ordinary texts, such as news stories, brochures, and instruction manuals), not significantly different than adults in other occupations (61%). A slightly lower percentage (64%) had this "desired" threshold of competence (level 3 or above) for being able to understand forms or graphics, such as job applications, maps, and timetables (document). This compares to about 60% for their counterparts from all other occupations. About half of adults from both health (51%) and non-health (54%) occupations had a numeracy literacy proficiency at level of 3 or above, meaning that about one in two had the "desired" mathematical skills. This proportion dropped to about one in three in problem solving (36% and 33% respectively) (Table 6.2 and Chart 6.2).
Literacy skills and proficiency level
IALSS assessed adult literacy across four domains: prose (skills needed to understand ordinary texts, such as news stories, brochures, and instruction manuals), document (skills needed to understand forms or graphics, such as job applications, maps, and timetables), numeracy (mathematical skills), and problem solving (planning and reasoning skills).
In each domain, Level 1 denotes the lowest proficiency level and Level 5 denotes the highest proficiency level. Level 3 literacy proficiency is generally considered as the "desired" threshold of competence for being able to cope with the increasing skill demands of today's knowledge-based economy. Indeed, in developed countries, performance at Level 3 or above is generally associated with a number of positive outcomes, such as better economic success and independence, as well as improved opportunities for lifelong learning.7 Individuals at Levels 1 and 2 of literacy proficiency, on the other hand, typically have not yet mastered the minimum foundation needed to attain higher levels of performance in society.8
The percentage of adults from health occupations with more than the "desired" threshold of competence (level 3 or above) varied widely by province and territory. About 80% of adults from health occupations in Nova Scotia (81%), Saskatchewan (83%), Alberta (80%) and British Columbia (81%) showed a proficiency level of 3 or above in prose, while this was the case of about two-thirds of them in Newfoundland and Labrador (64%), Quebec (62%) and Ontario (61%). The sample size could not provide such information for Nunavut. With regard to document literacy proficiency, about 52% of adults from health occupations in Quebec had level 3 or above compared to about 85% in Saskatchewan (85%) and British Columbia (84%) (Table 6.2 and Chart 6.2).
In most provinces and for the Northwest Territories, the proportion of adults with more than the "desired" skill level in both numeracy and problem solving was slightly lower than for prose and document literacy proficiency. Given the sample size, numeracy comparison could not be established for Yukon. Problem solving comparison could not be established either for Newfoundland and Labrador, Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick, Yukon and Nunavut. During 2003, slightly less than 45% of adults from health occupations in Newfoundland and Labrador, Ontario and Manitoba had a proficiency level of 3 or above in numeracy, while this was the case of about 71% of them in British Columbia. Given the high level of missing information in problem solving, no comparison was possible for this domain at the jurisdictional level (Table 6.2 and Chart 6.2).
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