The Pacific Bell/UCLA Initiative for 21st Century Literacies is the outcome of a $1 million gift from Pacific Bell to UCLA’s Graduate School of Education & Information Studies (GSE&IS).  The gift underwrites a two-year project that will evaluate the meaning of literacy in an age characterized by rapidly changing technologies, an abundance of new and unfiltered information, and increasing diversity.

The explosion in the amount of information available - and the ease with which we have access to that information - is dramatically reshaping how we live our lives. This is especially true in the classroom and school library where technology has changed the opportunities for learning as well as the demands placed on students, teachers and librarians or media specialists.  Education stakeholders must rethink the kinds of knowledge and skills emphasized and taught so students can function successfully in an increasingly information-based economy.

The Pacific Bell/UCLA Initiative Addresses Three Critical Areas 

1. Educating the User: In order to develop a critical understanding of what materials already exist, GSE&IS faculty will evaluate current knowledge and practice in information, media, visual, cultural and other relevant 21st Century literacies.  These frameworks will be assessed to distill and disseminate the most promising practices.  Outcomes will include the development of guidelines for what constitutes an information literate student at appropriate mileposts in K-12 and higher education and for what teachers and librarians should know in carrying out their professional work with students and patrons.

2. Improving the Information System: As a natural complement to educating end users, this project seeks to establish ways of designing optimal information delivery systems and materials. GSE&IS faculty will examine factors that inhibit efficient and effective use of an information system, and how best to design systems to match the literacy levels, technological capabilities, and other characteristics of the user. Outcomes will include a set of guidelines to influence the work of design professionals and others who develop information systems and materials. 

3. Addressing Policy Issues: Implicit in this project is a wide array of policy issues, including information literacy standards, issues related to the "Digital Divide," and privacy and ownership concerns. Toward the end of the two-year project, GSE&IS faculty will disseminate the results of policy research to both policymakers and the broader public to inform public discussion.

View: Original Proposal

New Technologies, New Literacies: The Pacific Bell/UCLA Summit, October 21, 2000, UCLA Campus
The summit will serve as a kick-off for the two-year project by raising awareness among key constituents of the need for an information literate citizenry. The agenda includes discussion on the technological developments that are the driving force behind the explosion in the availability of information. Attention will then be focused on what are the promise and the reality for our nation’s schools, libraries, and other institutions. The day will conclude with a look at plans for the Initiative to address these issues. Speakers will include scholars, business and political leaders, and others that represent diverse and important perspectives. Likewise, in the audience will be representatives from the education, library, public policy/government, and business communities.