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The International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement's (IEA) mission is to enhance knowledge about education systems worldwide, and to provide high-quality data that will support education reform and lead to better teaching and learning in schools. In pursuit of this aim, it conducts, and reports on, major studies of student achievement in literacy, mathematics, science, citizenship, and digital literacy. These studies, most notably Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS), Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS), International Civic and Citizenship Education Study (ICCS), and International Computer and Information Literacy Study (ICILS), are well established and have set the benchmark for international comparative studies in education. The studies have generated vast datasets encompassing student achievement, disaggregated in a variety of ways, along with a wealth of contextual information which contains considerable explanatory power. The numerous reports that have emerged from them are a valuable contribution to the corpus of educational research. Valuable though these detailed reports are, IEA's goal of supporting education reform needs something more: deep understanding of education systems and the many factors that bear on student learning advances through in-depth analysis of the global datasets. IEA has long championed such analysis and facilitates scholars and policymakers in conducting secondary analysis of these datasets. The IEA Research for Education series represents a further effort by IEA to capitalize on these unique datasets, so as to provide powerful information for policymakers and researchers. Each report focuses on a specific topic and is produced by a dedicated team of leading scholars on the theme in question. This eighth volume in the series deals with an issue that is especially timely in an information era--that of gender differences in computer literacy. Given the importance of technology in our day-to-day lives and the dominant role that computers and digital devices play, examining the existence of a gender-based digital divide is crucial by any measure. This is especially important, as the impact of digital gaps can be severe. To gain a better understanding about computer and information literacy, the authors use data from the 2013 cycle of the IEA's International Computer and Information Literacy Study (ICILS). ICILS is a survey of grade eight students, designed to answer the question "How well are students prepared for study, work, and life in the digital age?" The sorts of issues taken up in this volume include (1) gender differences in computer literacy, (2) gender differences in attitudes toward computer use, and (3) how male and female teachers differ in their use of technology in teaching. This list is not exhaustive, but it offers some examples of what readers will find. As with much cross-cultural research, this volume shows that the answer to many of the queries is "it depends"; cross-country differences are ubiquitous. The ICILS database is rich and interesting and offers a treasure trove of material for research. Besides adding to the literature on the digital divide, we find this volume to be an example of the ways in which ICILS can be used to answer pressing and timely questions around technology literacy in the modern era. [For Volume 7, see ED599016.]

Librarians know that information literacy is much more complex and nuanced than the basic library research skill that it's often portrayed as; in fact, as outlined by the ACRL Framework, research is a contextual activity. But the settings in which we teach often constrain our ability to take a more layered approach. This book not only shows you how to teach information literacy as something other than a basic skill, but also how to do it in whatever mode of teaching you're most often engaged in, whether that's a credit-bearing course, a one-shot session, a tutorial, a reference desk interaction, or a library program. Taking you through each step of the research process, this book shares ideas for adding context while exploring topics such as: (1) how conversations about context can be integrated into lessons on common information literacy topics; (2) examples of the six genres of research and suggested course outlines for each; (3) ensuring that context strategies fit within the ACRL Framework; (4) questions for reflection in teaching each step of the research process; (5) four different roles that sources can play when researching a topic; (6) helping students refine a topic that is drawing too many or too few sources; (7) cultivating students to become good decision-makers for the best type of research sources to use depending on their need; and (8) how to address the shortcomings of checklist tools like the CRAAP test.

While the profession has generated many books on information literacy, none to date have validated exactly why it is so difficult to teach. In her new book, Reale posits that examining and reflecting on the reality of those factors is what will enable practitioners to meet the challenge of their important mandate. Using the same warm and conversational tone as in her previous works, she: (1) uses personal anecdotes to lay out the key reasons that teaching information literacy is so challenging, from the limited amount of time given to instructors and lack of collaboration with faculty to one's own anxieties about the work; (2) examines how these factors are related and where librarians fit in; (3) validates readers' struggles and frustrations through an honest discussion of the emotional labor of librarianship, including "imposter syndrome," stress, and burnout; (4) offers a variety of approaches, strategies, and topics of focus that will assist readers in their daily practice; (5) looks at how a vibrant community of practice can foster positive change both personally and institutionally; and (6) presents "Points to Ponder" at the end of each chapter that encourage readers to self-reflect and then transform personal insights into action. Reale's book is a valuable springboard for reflection that will help academic librarians understand the complexity of the challenges they face and then forge a path forward.