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Copyright of Journal of the Institute of Educational Research / Zbornik Instituta za Pedagoška Istrazivanja is the property of National Library of Serbia and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Functional literacy is the learning of knowledge and skills for vital necessities as a higher level of basic literacy and then the operational use of this information in individual, socio-cultural, or economic fields. This research aims to examine the opinions of teachers in the context of functional literacy related to the II level primary education program for adults conducted in Public Education Centres. A phenomenological design was used in the study. A total of 12 teachers working in literacy courses in Public Education Centres were included in the study group. This study was conducted by taking the opinions of teachers and concluded that the second-level literacy courses are not sufficient at the social, individual, and educational levels in the context of functional literacy. In the context of these results, it is recommended that the content of the II level primary education program is reconstructed to provide functional skills in a framework that enriches daily life practices focused on the needs of adult individuals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Political and economic upheavals in the current millennium globally have displaced millions of people, making cross-border and forced migration a reality. Many refugees are forced out of their countries and flee to other countries to find new languages with which they are not familiar. South Africa as a signatory to the 1954 UN Convention on refugees and stateless persons accepts refugees (asylum seekers) from all over the world. The displaced persons are mostly illiterate in English and the indigenous languages of their new settlement countries. Objectives: The study was set up to investigate the socio-economic value of literacy in the lives of refugee adults in South Africa. Hence, in this article, literacy refers to the ability to read, write, calculate, communicate and function in any language with a basic understanding in one's environment. Method: This ethnographic qualitative study used interviews, observations and focus group meetings to explore how literacy matters in the sustainable development of entrepreneurial activities among the refugee adults and youths in South Africa. The study is grounded in Paulo Freire's critical pedagogy theory and has some implications for adult literacy throughout the developing world where millions of adult refugees find themselves vulnerable. Results: The study revealed that refugee adults learn functional literacy in English and other 11 local South African languages informally as communication skills for the survival of their small businesses and for social and economic use in their 'adopted home'. They find it difficult to get employment in the formal sector and often use their ingenuity to create their own jobs for survival and livelihoods in informal trade and entrepreneurship. Conclusion: The article concludes that within the public adult learning interventions by the Department of Basic Education, where literacy programmes are offered, refugees should be encouraged and supported in attending formal classes to deal with their livelihoods and small businesses for survival. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The problem of functional illiteracy emerged in the Bulgarian society when the results of the OECD 's Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA test) were announced. Until then it was not aware of such a deficit. The national external assessment of students' educational achievements did not give any signs of a pervasive systemic deficit in the Bulgarian education. A comparison of the two tests' scores however reveals a considerable discrepancy. Looking at the tests' metadata, it becomes obvious the comparison is between elephants and bananas and that explains the inconsistency. This paper compares the two datasets of students' scores and the tests' measuring methodologies. It further concludes that the national system fails to adapt to the needs of a changing society. However, it has an important ally in the face of the civil society, which provides its own resources to satisfy learning needs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Treaties & Documents / Razprave in Gradivo is the property of Institut za Narodnostna Vprasanja and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The article discusses literacy teaching and learning that enables readers understand what "Literacy Learning: The Middle Years" journal deals in. Topics discussed include the role of peers in giving inspiration to others, the role of functional grammar in offering a common language for understanding relationships, and the manner in which the English language works.

Literacy instruction for children with a disability is not highlighted as a priority in South Africa. This can be attributed to numerous reasons, amongst others: the focus on care of children with disability to the detriment of learning; the high number of children with disabilities who are currently out of school; the gradual change and movement towards inclusion despite policies being in place, poorly qualified teachers with limited knowledge regarding best teaching practices and limited experience of teachers in teaching functional literacy. However, the National Department of Education is attempting to address these factors by, for example introducing a compulsory year of schooling before Grade 1 commences (Grade R), developing work books for all learners in the foundation phase and making them available across the country as well as introducing a new national curriculum Curriculum Assessment Policy Statement CAPS with a stronger emphasis on literacy. In this chapter I will briefly provide a contextual background to the South African context; then provide a short discussion of the challenges faced in this context and finally focus on the best practices that have some evidence in this context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Croatian Journal of Education / Hrvatski Časopis za Odgoj i Obrazovanje is the property of Uciteljski Fakultet u Zagrebu and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The purpose of our study was to discover who researches functional literacy. This study was situated within a larger systematic literature review. We searched seven electronic databases and identified 90 sources to answer our larger question regarding how functional literacy is defined and conceptualized as well as the specific question pertinent to this paper. An analytic template guided our data collection. The analysis was completed by using a spreadsheet to examine two levels of institutional affiliation: 1) the larger institution such as a university or government unit, and 2) the department, program, or division within the institution. Findings showed the 209 authors of these 90 sources represent a diverse set of fields. Further, it appears that multidisciplinary research is being conducted. We discuss implications of these findings and call for more interdisciplinary research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article examines the introduction of literacy into arts education, with an emphasis on the teaching of textual literacy. Topics discussed include the difference between textual and visual literacy, the application of functional literacy to literacy teaching in art education, and the ways in which literacy in the arts classroom aligns with the Common Core State Standards. The article also presents examples of ways in which literacy teaching can be incorporated into arts education, including the reading of the labels on art equipment, looking at artists' websites, and reading museum brochures.

An interest in reading literacy in different modes as well as implications for assessment provides the basis for the present study. The design aimed to investigate differences in performance when the same reading literacy test was administered on paper and on screen to a sample of Swedish students. The results showed a minor overall difference in favour of the paper mode. When the analysis was broken down and conducted on different text types, it showed that this pattern applied to shorter texts and texts with much factual information in particular. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adult ESL programs in the Australian context are heavily influenced by neo-liberal notions of functional literacy and numeracy. This paper argues that such notions, designed to enable the learner to function within the workplace or community can fail to acknowledge the complexity of ESL program participation for adult learners. This may be considered especially so for pre-literate learners from refugee backgrounds who have low or minimal levels of literacy in their own language and are hence negotiating a new skill set, a new culture and arguably a new sense of identity. This paper is based on research which points to the need to position the learning of literacy and numeracy in the ESL context as a social and educational journey made meaningful by a learner's sense of (emerging) identity. In this context a holistic, socially orientated understanding of their learning and their progress is preferable to an approach which views and evaluates learners against preconceived functional literacy skills. The participants in this study were people of refugee background from Africa with minimal literacy skills. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Australian Curriculum has a considerable focus on literacy, appearing not only as a core strand within the traditional area of English, but also as a General Capability for the curriculum as a whole. This article examines the meaning of literacy beneath the rhetoric of the curriculum and argues that, despite the claimed messages advocating a functional and critical approach, the suggested message is one emphasising a primary focus on basic skills. Analysing the suite of assessment mechanisms suggested by the Australian Curriculum, we consider inconsistencies between the claimed and suggested messages around literacy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Health literacy has been associated with adherence to antiretroviral therapy (ART) in HIV-infected adults, but this association has not been demonstrated in HIV-infected adolescents. Using an expanded health literacy model, we examined the relationship between health literacy, functional literacy, beliefs about ART, media use, and adherence to ART. A convenience sample of HIV-infected adolescents (n = 50) was recruited for this cross-sectional study. The primary outcome of adherence was measured with 3-day self-reports. Health literacy as measured by the Test of Functional Health Literacy in Adults (TOFHLA) was not predictive of adherence (p = .15). Participants with higher positive outcome expectancy scores regarding ART were more likely to report 100% adherence, and participants with below-grade-level reading were less likely to report 100% adherence (p < .05). Our findings highlight the importance of assessing both health beliefs and reading skills as part of adherence support for HIV-infected youth. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This paper proposes a model for visual communication design that builds on theories of rhetoric and functional literacy. It begins by analysing literature about the interrelationships between design and the theories of rhetoric and functional literacy. Then, a detailed revision of their components serves to develop a transdisciplinary model. Structural similarities among the theories allowed for comparison and identification of relevant elements in four categories: creator/producer, design method, visual information and audience. Finally, a model is proposed selecting the most relevant components for analysis and research in visual communication design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An interview with history teachers Jasmin Brown and Shomara Gooden at the Cesar Chavez Middle School in California, is presented. Brown explains how the Common Core Standards have impacted the college and career readiness of her school's students. Gooden reflects on the development of the students' literacy skills due to Common Core. She also discusses how the instruction of social studies has become multidimensional and exciting by training students to look into the relevance of texts.

The paper presents partial results of the research identifying demands on the performance of professional competences in the school practice in teachers1 with various length of practice and in student teachers. Results are compared with the findings and results of the national report in the OECD international report TALIS 2008. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Studies in Adult Education & Learning / Andragoška Spoznanja is the property of Andragoska Spoznanja and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The article focuses on relations between functional literacy and earnings as well as non-monetary characteristics of job quality. It provides an overview of current state of knowledge and research topics. It focuses on conceptual and methodological aspects of research concerning relations between functional literacy and job quality and informs about the data sources available. It introduces the results of international studies proving the relation between functional literacy and job quality even if controlled for education attainment. Further it shows that the research in the Czech Republic and other CEEC countries lacks behind the English speaking countries and on the basis of international comparison it points out to some specifics of these countries which may be an object of further research [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using a self-study methodology to illustrate the ways in which educational institutions can be socially reproductive, hegemonic, and oppressive, the essayist reflects upon his experiences as an elementary school teacher in the United States and as a researcher and adult literacy instructor in Brazil and Mozambique. Drawing upon his own experience engaging with Paulo Freire's writings through autobiographical storytelling, he argues that Freire's pedagogical models and theories provide a productive (albeit difficult) path for how to challenge unjust educational systems. The essay closes by arguing that while Freirean pedagogy may be difficult to imagine or implement on a large scale, the writings of Paulo Freire provide a framework wherein educators as individuals can push themselves and their students towards Freire's notion of critical consciousness [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Functionally illiterate users, that means those lacking reading, writing, calculation and science skills, are potential Internet users, so technological solutions must ensure that content is intelligible to them. The interface design guided by accessibility norms and may improve accessibility, but considering accessibility evaluations is an essential part of this process. Evaluation can be automatic, performed by specialists or performed with the participation of users. Some barriers are only detected with user tests. Usually, usability tests are adapted and performed with the purpose of evaluating accessibility, but most of works in this area dealt with persons with visual impairment. This paper aimed to research the behavior of functionally illiterate users, identifying important characteristics that the evaluators and specialists should consider in the performance of an evaluation of accessibility with this audience. As a result was generated a list of important characteristics that contribute to the adaptation of usability evaluation methods with functionally illiterate users. Besides that, it was elaborated a list of best strategies that the specialists and researchers should consider in accessibility evaluation with the audience under examination. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Information literacy, defined as the capacity to locate, evaluate and use information to create new knowledge, is a core adult life skill and an extension of the notion of functional literacy. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has identified information literacy as an essential capacity for participation in the knowledge economy and has included this construct as a strategic priority in the Information for All Programme (IFAP). To support this initiative UNESCO has commissioned research to consider whether a household survey could be used to identify the extent to which people in member states are information literate in all aspects of their life, including work and lifelong learning, and in relation to their personal well-being, and in their participation in civil society. United Nations agencies use surveys to provide indications of the extent to which various agreed objectives are being achieved. These include international surveys of education and of health and well-being. This paper reports on an investigation aimed at determining whether indicators of information literacy could be identified by secondary analysis of existing data collected in other household surveys. It was concluded that information literacy has unique elements that are not encompassed in the surveys that were examined [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates how students perceive and use collaborative technologies while also examining the meanings students assign to both collaboration and technology. A qualitative inductive analysis of students' assignments in a professional communication course demonstrates that students use technology to collaborate for its Accessibility, A/synchronicity, and Collaborativity. Students perceive and use technology within a functional literacy framework wherein technologies are tools providing pragmatic means to complete a shared-document assignment. These results are important for integrating collaborative assignments and collaborative technologies to promote social learning within the classroom. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reviews the literature on Information support to economically weaker women. Notes that woman is a component of the society and still she is least beneficiary in view of her inherited characters and roles. She has diverse information needs. This paper traces the sources of information that woman prefer, community information she requires, efforts made by the state and central governments. Also discusses the role of libraries and ICT in providing information support to women. Recommends that enough information should be provided in the needed areas and adult literacy and economic empowerment programmes should be given serious attention to enhance their access to needed information. The information needs of women farmers in these locations should therefore be tailored along the preferred needs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reading is theorized as a key aspect of one’s educational and vocational adjustment. The reading scores on the Wide Range Achievement Test 3 of 465 adult vocational assessment clients were examined. Reading varied across a range of social factors and the overall results were consistent with earlier studies, especially the Adult Literacy and Life Skills Survey. More than 50% of the sample had a US reading grade equivalent of Year 7 or below. While the median reading scores increased with educational level, there was substantial variation within groups. The results emphasised that people with widely varying skill levels can constitute an occupation. This variation has implications for the provision of any career guidance based on trait-factor concepts. Reading scores showed a small but statistically significant relationship with the return to work after injury. It is proposed that reading could be conceived as a foundation for career development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Various efforts have been made to overcome the problem of illiteracy throughout the world, particularly in the developing countries. But, none of these had valuable results. Therefore, in most of the developing countries like Pakistan, governments are concerned about handling the literacy problem effectively. The present paper was conducted in view of the poor literacy condition in Pakistan.it focused upon the analysis of existing literacy situation in Pakistan as well as finding out workable suggestions for overcoming the literacy problem. The study revealed that there was no use of broadcast media or the motivational techniques to attract the illiterate people to the literacy centers. Above all there was no consistency in the literacy programmes due to political factors. The main objectives of the study included to analyze the past literacy programmes in Pakistan and to create a distance education literacy model for Pakistan. The modern way for imparting literacy should be used rather than following the conventional methods. For this purpose a distance education model for enhancing literacy is proposed to be used in Pakistan. This is a theoretical model workable in the low literacy areas with suitable physical provisions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Canadian Journal for the Study of Adult Education is the property of Canadian Journal for the Study of Adult Education and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Experiencing globalization as we do, with 'networking' the label for across-the-border communication since the end of the twentieth century ('border' taken in more senses than the most plausible one), we witness major shifts in long-established cultural patterns and consequently in the social and political status quos of most nations. There are such major contrasts between the astonishing technological breakthroughs achieved in IT, and the very nature of communication thence resulting, that the very substance of communication degenerates into a global, ceaseless, ever-mounting super-babble. It is against this general background that national and international governing bodies with ambitious social goals on their agendas have to cope with an abundance of illiteracy (as well as with other forms of social other forms of social other forms of social other forms of social other forms of social other forms of social other forms of social other forms of social other forms of social other forms of social inadequacy) on the part of their citizens - who in turn claim more and more liberties (a fact that is apt to make generous humanist ideals hard to attain in the present historic context). Evidently, with such changes at hand, re-discussing definitions of fundamental cultural and social concepts is an unavoidable liability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electronic books (e-storybooks) are widely used in early childhood classrooms in efforts to encourage engagement in storybooks while promoting emergent literacy development. This article assesses the current research on e-storybooks for supporting young children and offers suggestions about how this evidence can be translated into best practice in classroom. Findings suggest that the use of high quality interactive e-storybooks may support emergent literacy development through the use of scaffolding, thus, supporting vocabulary development, engagement, and comprehension of the story. Evidence suggests that lower quality e-storybooks may offer distracting digital features including animations and sounds unrelated to the story. Additional information about effective implementation in the classroom is provided. The use of e-storybooks in early childhood classrooms seems to be a growing trend. Educators are interested in the use of reading technologies to support young emergent readers, especially those who are at risk for reading failure. E-storybooks allow children to read and listen to a book while obtaining emergent literacy supports including digital features (e.g., animations, word pronunciations, etc.). Many of these books are commercially available to educators and parents and they allow children opportunities to read independently, even when they lack foundational reading skills. Despite the growing popularity of e-storybooks, there continues to be a lack of evidence literature to explain the extent to which electronic books support children's emergent literacy development. This article examines current research on e-storybooks and provides suggestions about how educators can use critical evidence to better support young struggling readers in early childhood classrooms when using e-storybooks. Early education experiences can provide children with opportunities to develop essential foundational skills in literacy that directly translate into later school success (Burchinal, Peisner- Feinburg, Pianta, & Howes, 2002; McCardle, Scarborough, & Catts, 2001). In the area of early literacy, intervention is cost effective and can improve the future academic achievement of children who are at-risk for academic failure (Ramey & Campbell, 1991; Schweinhart, Barnes, & Weikart, 1993). If children are unable to gain needed skills prior to beginning school, additional and more in-depth services may be required over time (Barnett, 1998). Stanovich's work (1986, 1993) recognizes the strong relationship between early deficits in literacy skills and later risks for reading difficulties. The progressive widening of the gap between readers and non-readers is labeled as the Matthew Effect (Stanovich, 1986), a principle that emphasizes the importance of early interventions delivered to young children that seek to reduce this gap in its earliest manifestations. This empirical evidence combined with government reports (e.g., National Reading Panel; NRP, 2000) encouraged politicians to create legislation requiring the use of high-quality, scientifically-based instruction to increase children's academic achievements in reading if they are at risk (NCLB, 2001). Examinations surrounding best practices for early detection and intervention in the area of reading are therefore growing (Adams, 1990; Snow et al., 1998; Torgesen & Burgess, 1998) and a growing body of work in this area emphasizes the use of technology for improving children's emergent literacy skills. Thus, educators are working to provide high-quality evidence-based emergent literacy instruction during the critical developmental time period of early childhood, especially for children who are most at risk due to poverty and disabilities (Barnett, Brown, & Shore, 2004). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Alberta Journal of Educational Research is the property of Alberta Journal of Educational Research and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This paper draws from the experiences of a new adult literacies teaching qualification in Scotland that has been designed for experienced but unqualified adult literacies tutors. Created to respond to an approach to adult literacies as social practices (Scottish Executive 2001, 2005, Tett et al 2006), the course team employs a sociocultural pedagogy that explicitly rejects transmission and seeks to build critical reflection through learning from experience, collaborative activities and the creation of an on-line community (Ackland and Wallace 2006). Recognising that 'moments of conflict and disjuncture may form the spaces in which learning occurs' (Lewis, Enciso and Moje 2007:5) the paper explores whether ideas about liminality and threshold concepts (Cousin 2006:1, Land, Meyer and Smith 2008) illuminate the learning process. It concludes that engagement with these concepts may assist adult literacies tutors to develop transformed practice (Cope and Kalantzis 2003:35). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is evidence from different spheres that the grounding of understandings of literacy within social practices has gradually become accepted within the adult literacy field in Australia. However, what has not been sufficiently considered are those tacit literacies that underpin such practices in both everyday and work settings. This has been the case particularly for those literacies that are deployed through an oral communication mode in workplaces. This article offers a way of explicating such literacies by showing how the analysis of an audio-recording of a particular occupational activity, namely the reporting of a service request, can render visible particular key literacy features. In this case, such an analysis shows how the marker 'okay' is used in a critical way to close off segments of an interaction and to mark verbally that agreement about a particular aspect of the request has been reached. It is argued that the use of recordings, both audio and video, for the purpose of highlighting tacit competencies has implications not only for adult literacy teachers but for trainers, assessors and curriculum developers within the broader vocational education and training sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study examined data from a large, nationally representative sample—the National Assessment of Adult Literacy (NCES, 2007)—to examine how computer use and Internet-based literacy practices (use of e-mail, searching for information on the Internet, and Internet chatting) were related to prose, document, and quantitative literacy scores. The moderating effects of gender and ethnicity with these practices were also assessed. Results indicated that, when controlling for potential confounding variables, the use of computers and engagement in Internet-based literacy practices was associated with higher scores on each of the three literacy tasks. Additionally, moderating effects were identified for gender and for ethnicity on several literacy tasks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Studies in Adult Education & Learning / Andragoška Spoznanja is the property of Andragoska Spoznanja and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

An essay is presented regarding adult literacy. It explores the adult literacy programs in South Africa as well as the innovative approaches for English and other languages. It addresses various aspects of literacy practices, such as peer tutoring approach, that affect the adult acquisition of literacy skills. It also discusses psychological and social factors of adult literacy that participants bring to non-governmental agencies.

An interview with literacy education researcher Victoria Purcell-Gates is presented. When asked on literacy acquisition of adults from studying children, she says that they should do the same actual process of learning how to read and write. She states that qualitative researcher should try to limp on internal funds, apply to different professional organizations, or leave the country. She adds that the research program of her book focuses on the levels of achievement of marginalized children.

This study reports the view's of Cross River State distance education learners about the relevance of Open and Distance Learning (ODL) in the process of attaining the United Nations Millennium Development Goals (UN MDGs). A brief review of the concept and methods ODL uses in making information and knowledge available to people was made. Also, the United Nations Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) were identified and problems encountered in meeting the goals briefly outlined. It is postulated that, greater awareness of the concept and methods of open and distance learning in meeting targets of MDGs were not being created sufficiently to meet the felt needs of targeted populations. The sample for the study had 88 students randomly selected from the open and distance learning study centres in Calabar South and Calabar Municipal Council Areas. Results of the study indicates that the majority of the respondents agreed that ODL methods provided wider access to learning and training, and the acquisition of functional literacy skills for all learners, which are relevant in the attainment of MDGs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article begins with a systemic overview of the historical background of literacy education in Turkey from the beginning of the Turkish Republic in the 1920s to the present day. The middle part of the discussion focuses on the legal basis of adult literacy and basic education, the programs that are in use, and the accountability and assessment systems. Finally, a qualitative study illustrates how these systems apply to the everyday practices of adult literacy education in Turkey. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An introduction to the journal is presented in which the editor discusses an article on information literacy in various settings, the combination of relational frame and various multiple literacies by Whitworth, and another aspect of information literacy which is described as functional literacy by Marshall and his co-authors.

This article presents the main findings of a research project carried out in 2007, with respect to the essential challenges currently facing the Romanian education system. To this end, the article analyzes the views of the investigated subjects with respect to the assessment of pre-university students based on their high school graduation average marks, in their acceptance to university. At the same time, a part of the article is dedicated to the teaching staff. The article presents the main flaws of the current assessment methodology, among which the subjective character of awarding the marks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]