International assessment of adult skills Monday, November 21, 2011 - 17:41

In October this year, NIACE supported an international research conference held in Banff, Canada - IALS Institute 2011 - which explored the story of the International Adult Literacy Survey (IALS). The survey, first carried out in 1994, offers internationally comparative performance of adult skills at a population level. The conference traced the shift from ‘literacy' to ‘skills' to ‘competencies' and explored evolving methodology and the impact of the international literacy assessments over two decades on policy and practice. A comprehensive overview of the event can be found online.

NIACE's role involved presenting findings from the reports of two separate national independent inquiries on adult literacy and adult numeracy learning, with recommendations for the subjects should be taught and assessed.

Sue Southwood, a Project Manager representing NIACE at the conference, said:

"The way in which literacy and numeracy are defined and measured, influences funding and policy decisions, curriculum, teaching and assessment practices and gives greater or less value to different kinds of activity. However, measuring skills for international comparisons is complicated and has to be interpreted carefully; it may only ever indicate a partial picture of skill levels and how these skills are applied by adults in their day-to-day lives. The conference provided much food for thought on the validity of international testing - its strengths and weaknesses - but also how results from surveys are interpreted in countries around the world."

The UK is currently participating in the latest Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC) which will assess the level and distribution of adult skills across OECD countries and will report in 2013. It will focus on the key cognitive and workplace skills that are required for successful participation in the economy and society of the 21st century.