Volume 5, Issue 2, 2000
Table of Contents

Literacy in the Information Age

The final report from the International Adult Literacy Survey takes the form of a comparative study of literacy skills in 20 countries including the United States and Canada. Released jointly by Statistics Canada and the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, Literacy in the Information Age, provides the world’s first reliable and comparable estimates of the distribution of levels of literacy skills in the adult population. It also offers new insights into the factors that influence the development of adult skills at home and at work . Researchers and policy-makers will find the study a useful tool in analyzing and drafting policies for lifelong learning that can contribute to economic and social progress. To order, contact Renouf Publishing Company Ltd. at tel.: (613) 745-2665. (Catalogue Number 89-571-XPE, $50.50)

Higher Education in Developing Countries: Peril and Promise

The world economy is changing as knowledge replaces physical capital as a major source of present and future wealth. The World Bank publication, Higher Education in Developing Countries: Peril and Promise explores the current crisis in higher education in developing countries and outlines a coherent vision of future progress. The authors of this publication are members of the Task Force on Higher Education and Society, convened by the World Bank and the United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organization to explore the future of higher education in the developing world. To order, contact the World Bank, P.O. Box 960, Herndon, VA, 20172-0960, USA tel.: 1-800-645-7247 or (240) 646-7001, fax: (240) 646-7006, email: books@worldbank.org, or order online at: https://global011.worldbank.org/Site/Products.nsf. (ISBN 0-8213-4630-X, $25.00 US)

Copyright & Distance Education: Trainers Toolkit

Prepared by the Commonwealth of Learning, the Trainers Toolkit provides a variety of resources designed to assist trainers in preparing and offering workshops that introduce participants to copyright as it relates to distance education. Describing the basic features of copyright, identifying institutional issues and concerns and outlining ways in which to deal with them, the Toolkit is appropriate for academic staff involved in writing and presenting course materials; administrative staff involved in publishing, purchasing, selling and presenting courses and course materials; and, institutional staff involved in setting up policies and procedures on courses and course materials through central administration, the library or a learning resource centre. The toolkit is available online for non-commercial use at: www.col.org/copyrightTK.htm.

World Education Report 2000: The Right to Education - Towards Education for All throughout Life