Institutions:
· Agustín Millares University Institute of Information Science and Management  -  Carlos III University of Madrid
· The SOCTEP research group on information policies and technologies applied to knowledge society

Madrid

Addresses:
Instituto Agustín Millares de Documentación y Gestión de la Información
Facultad de Humanidades, Comunicación y Documentación
Edificio Concepción Arenal. Despacho 14.2.24
Universidad Carlos III de Madrid
C / Madrid 128. 28903 Getafe-Madrid
Tel.: 91-6248473 
Fax: 91-6249212

Departamento de Biblioteconomía y Documentación
Universidad Carlos III de Madrid
C/ Madrid n 128
28903 Getafe (Madrid)
Tel.: (+34) 91 624 92 39 
Fax: (+34) 91 624 92 12
Avda. de la Universidad Carlos III nº 22
28270 Colmenarejo (Madrid)
Tel.: (+34) 91 856 12 05
Fax: (+34) 91 856 12 71

Contact persons
SOCTEP research group members
Mercedes Caridad Sebastián
Professor at the Library & Information Science Department of the Carlos III University of Madrid
Tel.: 91-6249237/       91-6249568
Miguel Ángel Marzal García-Quismondo
Professor at the Library & Information Science Department of the Carlos III University of Madrid
Tel.: 91-6249219/       91-8561251
Carmen Jorge García-Reyes 
Professor at the Library & Information Science Department of the Carlos III University of Madrid
Tel.: 91-6249220
Marina Vianello Osti
Carlos III University of Madrid. Library & Information Science Department
Tel.: 91-6249223/       91-8561310
Ana Mª Morales García
Carlos III University of Madrid. Library & Information Science Department
Tel.: 91-6249236
Mª José Ayuso Sánchez
Carlos III University of Madrid. Library & Information Science Department
Tel.: 91-6249222
Belén Pérez Lorenzo
Carlos III University of Madrid. Library & Information Science Department
Tel.: 91-6249222
Teresa Monje Jiménez
Carlos III University of Madrid. Library & Information Science Department
Tel.: 91-6249236/       91-8561336
Fátima García López
Carlos III University of Madrid. Library & Information Science Department
Tel.: 91-8561336
María Dolores Ayuso García
Professor at the Murcia University
Tel.: 968 36 7251
Montserrat Sebastià
University of Barcelona. Faculty of Library and Information Science
Tel.: 9340 35972
Carina Rey
University of Barcelona. Faculty of Library and Information Science
Tel.: 9340 35783
Emir José Suaiden
CID Campus
Universitário Darcy
Ribeiro
Brasilia University
Tel.: +55 61 307 2422/ +55 61 307 2842
Fax: +55 61 273 8454

The Observatory of the Knowlegde Society within Higher Education  is a project of the Agustín Millares University Institute of Information Science and Management and the SOCTEP research group on information policies and technologies applied to knowledge society. 
The SOCTEP research group is also responsible for its creation and functioning.

Nowadays the Observatory is the main action line of the Agustín Millares University Institute of Information Science and Management.




Mission

The main goal of the Observatory is to analyse, through qualitative and quantitative indicators, the evolution towards the Knowledge Society within Spanish higher education, following the deployment and exploitation of ICTs to support teaching, learning and research.
This evolution has taken place  within the change caused by the European convergence in HE (ECTS, etc.), the new learning/teaching models (learning based on the learner, independent, collaborative and longlife learning, changing role of the teacher, etc.), the development of transversal competencies connected to knowledge creation and management in the technological  environment (ITCs management and information literacy), the research as basis of teaching, as support of the knowledge social transfer and means for the community to progress, and the evaluation of teaching institutions for educational performance and work placement of the students.
So the Observatory intends to transform itself into a space to promote  research, exchange of information and experiences, for reflexion, debate, transfer and spread of knowledge related to the progress made in this field, observing the national and international initiatives for developing the Information Society.

The activity of the Observatory is bound to the SIBIS - Statistical Indicators Benchmarking the Information Society - a 2001-2003 project in  the "Information Society Programme" of the European Commission - and the "Action Program for the development of an Information Society in Spain: España.es".
It places itself among the key services and functions of the Agustín Millares University Institute of Information Science and Management, as centre for promoting research, reflexion, academic  debate, spread of ideas and knowledge about information literacy and the current transition from the Information Society to the Knowledge Society.

Values and convictions

1. ICT convergence is a chance for improving information access and promoting a qualitative change in using and applying information to generate new knowledge.
2. Learning processes in ICTs management and information literacy make this change possible, facilitating the development of competencies and lifelong learning.
3. The University plays an essential role in these processes.
4. The monitoring of this process must be carried out not only through quantitative indicators, but also and above all through qualitative indicators related to the social impact of measures to develop the Information Society.
5. The collaboration and interaction of professionals promotes circulation, transfer and social exploitation of research results and knowledge.

Objectives

1. To  develop a stable measurement tool, based on quantitative and qualitative indicators, in order to obtain data about the introduction of ICTs and the evolution of electronic information access and use within Spanish universities, and ICT penetration in the higher education system (ICT integration into university management, curricula, teaching and research activities); ICT impact on the development of transversal competencies connected to knowledge creation and management in the technological  environment (ITCs management and information literacy), including an analysis of the educational levels relative to lifelong learning and wide university educational offer (the so-called "Adult University"); ICT impact on Virtual Learning and Discussion Communities, the development of instrumental models to represent and organise  knowledge for education, the development of new didactic resources (learning objects), the university information management systems  and the creation of LRRCs - Learning and Research Resource Centres; the work placement of the students as a consequence of better ICT qualification (esp. of library and information science graduates).

2. To provide, in view of normalization, a set of IL indicators compatible with the current national and international initiatives to develop the Information Society and to measure the progress towards the Knowledge Society.

3. To ensure the methodological transparency, objectivity and comparability of established indicators, in order to monitor progress and trends toward the Knowledge Society within Spanish higher education both at national level and in the broader European (and international) context.

4. To periodically produce, publish and disseminate up-to-date data and information on partial and global results of the Observatory's activities.

5. To provide a space to promote knowledge about the evolution toward the Knowledge Society within Spanish higher education, the main indicators related to Information Literacy, LIS professional competencies, to carry out benchmarking, to identify and disseminate best practices, to promote debate, cooperation and coordination of efforts in studying the evolution  toward the Knowledge Society.

Keywords: academic research project  - information society - knowledge society - higher education - information literacy - observatory on  information literacy - IL indicators - ICT - ICTs management - ICT integration - European convergence - transversal competetncies - learning processes - lifelong learning -  information access