Digital literacy training in Canada, Part 2 : Defining and measuring success

Abstract

This study explores how public libraries and other local community organizations can best deliver and evaluate the digital literacy initiatives they provide to the communities they serve; this article focuses on program evaluation. Interviews with 14 administrators of digital literacy programs revealed that administrators espouse idealistic intentions for digital literacy programs, particularly to give marginalized people increased educational and vocational opportunities. These administrators are also confident in the success of these programs, despite little formal assessment of outcomes for learners. Success is measured by numbers of program participants and anecdotal evidence of positive outcomes for learners, such as increased confidence or an intention to move forward with career goals. This limited approach to measuring the success of digital literacy programs reveals significant opportunity to more fully and systematically evaluate the outcomes of these programs and to assess whether program goals are being met and ongoing investment of resources is merited.