scholarly journals What Five Minutes in the Classroom Can Do to Uncover the Basic Information Literacy Skills of Your College Students: A Multiyear Assessment Study

2013 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 34 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ma Lei Hsieh ◽  
Patricia H. Dawson ◽  
Michael T. Carlin
Keyword(s):  
Information Literacy ◽  
Information Access ◽  
Literacy Skills ◽  
Honors Students ◽  
Basic Information ◽  
Research Writing ◽  
Start Time ◽  
Information Literacy Skills ◽  
Improve Instruction ◽  
The Impact

Objective – Librarians at Rider University attempted to discern the basic information literacy (IL) skills of students over a two year period (2009-2011). This study aims to explore the impact of one-session information literacy instruction on student acquisition of the information literacy skills of identifying information and accessing information using a pretest/posttest design at a single institution. The research questions include: Do different student populations (in different class years, Honors students, etc.) possess different levels of IL? Does the frequency of prior IL Instruction (ILI) make a difference? Do students improve their IL skills after the ILI? Methods – The librarians at Rider University developed the test instruments over two years and administered them to students attending the ILI sessions each semester. The test was given to students as they entered the classroom before the official start-time of the class, and the test was stopped five minutes into the class. A pretest with five questions was developed from the 1st ACRL IL Standards. A few demographic questions were added. This pretest was used in fall 2009. In spring 2010, a second pretest was developed with five questions on the 2nd ACRL IL Standards. Students of all class years who attended ILI sessions took the pretests. In 2010-2011, the pretest combining the 10 questions used in the previous year was administered to classes taking the required CMP-125 Research Writing and the BHP-150 Honors Seminar courses. An identical posttest was given to those classes that returned for a follow-up session. Only the scores from students taking both pretests and posttests were used to compare learning outcomes. Results – Participants’ basic levels of IL skills were relatively low. Their skills in identifying needed resources (ACRL IL Standards 1) were higher than those related to information access (ACRL IL Standards 2). Freshmen in the Honors Seminar outperformed all other Rider students. No differences were found in different class years or with varying frequencies of prior IL training. In 2010-2011, students improved significantly in a few IL concepts after the ILI, but overall gains were limited. Limitations – Many limitations are present in this study, including the challenge of developing ideal test questions and that the pretest was administered to a wide variety of classes. Also not all the IL concepts in the test were adequately addressed in these sessions. These factors would have affected the results. Conclusions – The results defy a common assumption that students’ levels of IL proficiency correlate with their class years and the frequency of prior ILI in college. These findings fill a gap in the literature by supporting the anecdote that students do not retain or transfer their IL skills in the long term. The results raise an important question as to what can be done to help students more effectively learn and retain IL in college. The authors offer strategies to improve instruction and assessment, including experimenting with different pedagogies and creating different posttests for spring 2012.

scholarly journals Leeds Metropolitan University: the impact of the Information Literacy Framework

2009 ◽  
Vol 29 (91) ◽  
Author(s):  
Katherine Everest ◽  
Marie Scopes ◽  
John Taylor
Keyword(s):  
Recent Work ◽  
Information Literacy ◽  
Literacy Skills ◽  
Independent Learning ◽  
Learner Support ◽  
Information Literacy Skills ◽  
Information Skills ◽  
Metropolitan University ◽  
Literacy Framework ◽  
The Impact

Leeds Metropolitan University chose the theme of learner support and centred our objectives around information literacy skills. This is because of our recent work in developing an Information Literacy Framework which articulates what information literacy is and how we can integrate it into students' learning. It was developed by Learning Advisers in response to the growth in the amount and availability of information, the need for information literacy in engaging effectively in independent learning and the great diversity in the level of students' information skills.

Assessing and meeting the information literacy needs of incoming transfer students

2017 ◽  
Vol 45 (3) ◽  
pp. 527-539 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karen Stanley Grigg ◽  
Jenny Dale
Keyword(s):  
Transfer Students ◽  
Information Literacy ◽  
Literacy Skills ◽  
Test Method ◽  
Comfort Level ◽  
Library Instruction ◽  
Basic Information ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Post Test ◽  
Information Literacy Skills

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to determine the information literacy skills and needs of incoming and current transfer students. Design/methodology/approach Three studies are discussed, two of which were generated from ACRL’s Assessment in Action program. In the first, incoming transfer students were asked basic demographic questions and were tested on several basic information literacy skills. A combination of quantitative analysis and rubrics was used to assess results. A pre-test, post-test method was used in a basic introduction to campus life course for transfer students. Finally, the 2014 cohort of transfer student were resurveyed to test research skills and report interactions they had with reference librarians and library instruction during the previous year. Findings Initial observations suggested older transfer students, and students transferring from community colleges were least knowledgeable about basic information literacy concepts, and that students who had attended library instruction sessions were more knowledgeable. In the pre-test, intervention and post-test study, students did not show significant improvements in knowledge, but did show a significantly improved comfort level with library research. In the follow-up survey, second year transfer students who had library instruction during the previous year were significantly more likely to have sought out their subject liaison for consultations. Originality/value Research studies that focus on the information literacy needs and skills of transfer students and adult learners is somewhat scarce, compared to that of incoming freshmen. It is of use to both academic librarians in institutions that accept incoming transfer students, and to community college librarians who may be designing handoff library instruction.

scholarly journals Graduate Students May Need Information Literacy Instruction as Much as Undergraduates

2014 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 104 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robin Elizabeth Miller
Keyword(s):  
Student Performance ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Information Literacy ◽  
Literacy Skills ◽  
Age Group ◽  
Basic Information ◽  
Postgraduate Students ◽  
Research Libraries ◽  
Information Studies ◽  
Information Literacy Skills

A Review of: Conway, Kate. (2011). How prepared are students for postgraduate study? A comparison of the information literacy skills of commencing undergraduate and postgraduate studies students at Curtin University. Australian Academic & Research Libraries, 42(2), 121-135. Abstract Objective – To determine whether there is a difference in the information literacy skills of postgraduate and undergraduate students beginning an information studies program, and to examine the influence of demographic characteristics on information literacy skills. Design – Online, multiple choice questionnaire to test basic information literacy skills. Setting – Information studies program at a large university in Western Australia. Subjects – 64 information studies students who responded to an email invitation to participate in an online questionnaire, a 44% response rate. Of those responding, 23 were undergraduates and 41 were postgraduates. Methods – Over the course of two semesters, an online survey was administered. In order to measure student performance against established standards, 25 test questions were aligned with the Australian and New Zealand Information Literacy Framework (ANZIIL) (Bundy, 2004), an adapted version of the ACRL Information Literacy Standards for Higher Education (Association of College & Research Libraries, 2000). In the first semester that the survey was administered, 9 demographic questions were asked and 11 in the second semester. Participants were invited to respond voluntarily to the questionnaire via email. Results were presented as descriptive statistics, comparing undergraduate and postgraduate student performance. The results were not tested for statistical significance and the author did not control for confounding variables. Main Results – Postgraduate respondents scored an average of 77% on the test questionnaire, while undergraduates scored an average of 69%. The 25% of respondents who had previous work experience in a library achieved average scores of 79%, in contrast to 69% among those who had not worked in a library. Average scores for undergraduates in the 20-30 age group were 81%, while those in the 30-40 age group averaged 65%. Among both undergraduate and postgraduate students, scores may indicate deficiencies in information literacy skills in several areas, including parsing citations, strategies for locating specific content, and defining an information need. Conclusion – The study concludes that postgraduate students’ information literacy skills may be marginally better than the skills of undergraduates. Age was found to be associated with higher performance among undergraduate students, and a variety of “basic” information literacy skills may elude many respondents. These findings might prompt librarians and instructors to look closely at gaps in information literacy knowledge among students at both the undergraduate and postgraduate level.

scholarly journals Charting Success: Using Practical Measures to Assess Information Literacy Skills in the First-Year Writing Course

2015 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 45 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ann Elizabeth Donahue
Keyword(s):  
Program Evaluation ◽  
Information Literacy ◽  
The United States ◽  
Literacy Skills ◽  
Literacy Skill ◽  
First Year ◽  
First Year Students ◽  
Library Research ◽  
Information Literacy Skills ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Objective – The aim was to measure the impact of a peer-to-peer model on information literacy skill-building among first-year students at a small commuter college in the United States. The University of New Hampshire (UNH) is the state’s flagship public university and UNH Manchester is one of its seven colleges. This study contributed to a program evaluation of the Research Mentor Program at UNH Manchester whereby peer writing tutors are trained in basic library research skills to support first-year students throughout the research and writing process. Methods – The methodology employed a locally developed pre-test/post-test instrument with fixed-choice and open-ended questions to measure students’ knowledge of the library research process. Anonymized data was collected using an online survey with SurveyMonkey™ software. A rubric was developed to score the responses to open-ended questions. Results – The study indicated a positive progression toward increased learning for the three information literacy skills targeted: 1) using library resources correctly, 2) building effective search strategies, and 3) evaluating sources appropriately. Students scored higher in the fixed-choice questions than the open-ended ones, demonstrating their ability to more effectively identify the applicable information literacy skill than use the language of information literacy to describe their own research behavior. Conclusions – The assessment methodology used was an assortment of low-key, locally-developed instruments that provided timely data to measure students understanding of concepts taught and to apply those concepts correctly. Although the conclusions are not generalizable to other institutions, the findings were a valuable component of an ongoing program evaluation. Further assessment measuring student performance would strengthen the conclusions attained in this study.

scholarly journals Developing information literacy skills in elementary students using the web-based Inquiry Strategies for the Information Society of the Twenty-First (ISIS-21) Century

2020 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 96
Author(s):  
Anne C. Wade ◽  
Larysa Lysenko ◽  
Philip C. Abrami
Keyword(s):  
Elementary Students ◽  
Learning Strategies ◽  
Information Literacy ◽  
Information Society ◽  
Literacy Skills ◽  
Two Phase ◽  
Web Based ◽  
Information Literacy Skills ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Web

This study was undertaken to learn about the impact of using the web-based Inquiry Strategies for the Information Society of the Twenty-First Century (ISIS-21), software developed by the authors, to improve the information literacy (IL) skills of late elementary students (10-12 years). Using a series of multi-media and learning strategies design principles, ISIS-21 was designed to be used in late elementary classrooms given the gap in children’s IL skills and the increasing importance for individuals to be critical consumers of information, particularly when using Internet-based environments. An exploratory, two-phase field trial was conducted in English schools in a central province of Canada. In both phases the research design was a one-group, pretest-posttest where data were collected from 150 students at the baseline and after the use of ISIS-21 for completion of an inquiry project. Teacher self-reports were also collected. The results were encouraging as we were able to establish the feasibility and importance of using ISIS-21 in classrooms to promote the development of IL skills in late elementary students.

scholarly journals The Research 101 certificate program at a community college: Giving all students the chance to learn basic information literacy skills

2020 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Neera Mohess
Keyword(s):  
College Students ◽  
Community College ◽  
Information Literacy ◽  
Access Point ◽  
Literacy Skills ◽  
Literacy Skill ◽  
Local Institutions ◽  
Basic Information ◽  
Certificate Program ◽  
Information Literacy Skills

Many community college students are ill prepared to do scholarly research. In order to mitigate this, librarians at our campus created the Research 101 Certificate Program in 2016. These workshops provide an access point for any student who wishes to strengthen their information literacy skill set. This essay describes the inception of the program, its pedagogical rationale, administration and participation outcomes. Suggestions for implementation at local institutions are also provided.

scholarly journals Memupuk Jiwa Pustakawan Sejak Dini: Refleksi Implementasi Literasi Informasi dalam Menciptakan Masyarakat Terinformasi

2021 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 67-74
Author(s):  
Umar Falahul Alam
Keyword(s):  
Information Literacy ◽  
Code Of Ethics ◽  
Relevant Literature ◽  
Literacy Skills ◽  
Literacy Program ◽  
Research Writing ◽  
Library Research ◽  
Information Literacy Skills ◽  
Qualitative Descriptive ◽  
Informed Society

Introduction. Information literacy for all of the community is a condition that is predicted by the Indonesian government to be realized immediately. This achievement will create an informed society. This situation can be realized if the librarian's soul becomes the soul of the community. Therefore, two things that must be prepared are first, increasing interest in reading in the community, and second, carrying out an information literacy program.Methodology. This paper is library research. Writing analysis uses a qualitative descriptive method by capturing the fact. This study uses relevant literature to relate the research theme in formulating the problems that occur and in making final conclusions.Discussion. Librarians who are referred to as "guardians of knowledge", have an enlightening spirit compared to other professions. There are two guidelines that can make this enlightening soul, the first is code of ethics, and the second is the activities of the librarian's functional position. These two guidelines provide direction for librarians in carrying out sustainable activities to improve information literacy skills for the community. Many programs have been implemented to develop this information literacy program, by various librarians, but today, informed society has not created the programs yet.Conclusion. So far, this information literacy program has not realized the informed society. Information literacy programs that have been developed must not stop and must be implemented. An informed society will be formed if all levels of society reflect the librarian's spirit in life.

scholarly journals Adding an Integrated Library Component to an Undergraduate Research Methods Course

2012 ◽  
Vol 45 (01) ◽  
pp. 112-118 ◽  
Author(s):  
Julie K. Gilbert ◽  
Katherine Knutson ◽  
Christopher P. Gilbert
Keyword(s):  
Research Methods ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Information Literacy ◽  
Undergraduate Research ◽  
Literacy Skills ◽  
Methods Course ◽  
Information Literacy Skills ◽  
The Rich ◽  
Student Information ◽  
The Impact

AbstractAs undergraduate students increasingly rely on the Internet as their primary method for gathering sources, they often overlook the rich and varied resources available to them in library collections. Furthermore, students often lack the sophistication to effectively seek out and use information, an ability generally referred to as information literacy. Political scientists and librarians at one institution sought to address the gap in student information literacy skills by creating and implementing a semester-long library lab component integrated into the required research methods course within the political science department. This article presents the steps taken to implement the lab component, including the student learning outcomes we sought to address. We also focus on the measures we used to assess the impact of the lab component. Students who participated in the lab component demonstrate markedly improved information literacy skills compared to those who did not.

Information literacy of students as a correlate of their use of electronic resources in university libraries in Nigeria

2015 ◽  
Vol 33 (3) ◽  
pp. 486-501 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ngozi Blessing Ukachi
Keyword(s):  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Information Literacy ◽  
Literacy Skills ◽  
Literacy Skill ◽  
Strong Positive Correlation ◽  
University Libraries ◽  
Electronic Resources ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Information Literacy Skills ◽  
The Impact

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to determine the relationship existing between undergraduate students’ information literacy skills and their use of electronic resources (ERs) located in university libraries in Nigeria. Design/methodology/approach – The descriptive design was adopted for the research questions, while the correlational design was adopted for the hypothesis. The purposive sampling technique was also adopted in selecting 12 university libraries which the preliminary study had revealed that they have Internet access and also subscribe to ERs in the south-west geopolitical zone in Nigeria. Questionnaire and oral interview were used for data collection. The population size consists of all the 36,116 library-registered undergraduate students in the 12 universities, while the sample size is 1,806 (5 per cent of the population) and the 12 librarians heading the ERs sections of the libraries. Findings – The findings revealed that ERs are not adequately utilized, undergraduate students do not possess adequate information literacy skills necessary for optimal utilization of the libraries’ ERs and strong positive correlation between level of undergraduate students’ information literacy skill and their use of ERs provided in the library. Practical implications – This paper provides practical insights into the impact of possessing inadequate information literacy skills on the use of ERs. Originality/value – This paper is the first to relate undergraduate students’ information literacy skills and their use of libraries’ ERs in south-western zone of Nigeria.

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