Information literacy program assessment: one small college takes the big plunge

Abstract

Managing a library instruction program at a small liberal‐arts college has many challenges. Programs at such institutions often have limited financial resources and are maintained under difficult staffing conditions. This study examines the effectiveness of an instruction program offered at a four‐year liberal‐arts college with fewer than 3,000 students. The research was designed to assess the effectiveness of the current program and measure it against a pilot group of students exposed to enhanced information literacy opportunities based on the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) Information Literacy Competency Standards for Higher Education. Working with five faculty members, information literacy goals were clearly articulated and implemented into nine sections of first‐year writing and speaking courses. Bibliographic analysis, an information literacy questionnaire, and an in‐class writing exercise were used to determine whether students in the pilot groups performed better than students receiving the program’s customary library training.

Information literacy assessment

“…Disappointingly, a study by Flashpohler (2003) which used an existing multiple choice test (plus students self-reporting of use of resources) as one test tool and the assessment of bibliographies as another tool, did not compare the results from the two assessment tools. This would have been an opportunity to check the validity of each test to assess information literacy.…”

A Baseline Information Literacy Assessment of Biology Students

“…4 A review of the literature since 2000 shows some use of the Standards in evaluating the information literacy skills of students and for information literacy program development. 5 At the ACRL 10th National Conference in Denver, Colorado, GratchLindauer presented selected case studies that used the Standards. 6 Of the thirteen cases reported, one was a dissertation that used only Standard II and one described the state of Washington' s Information Literacy Assessment Group.…”

Impacting Information Literacy Learning in First-Year Seminars: A Rubric-Based Evaluation

“…22 Molly Flaspohler compared a more traditional IL instruction program to a pilot group receiving enhanced IL learning opportunities at a small liberal arts college and found that the more integrated approach produced better student learning. 23 Michael Hearn, also at a small school, discussed an embedded librarian model with an introductory English class and found that the quality of student research improved. 24 Multiple authors have written about the benefits of more intensive collaboration in online courses.…”