scholarly journals Exploring the Disconnect Between Information Literacy Skills and Self-Estimates of Ability in First-Year Community College Students

2013 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 264 ◽  
Author(s):  
Heather Coates
Keyword(s):  
College Students ◽  
Community College ◽  
Community Colleges ◽  
Community College Students ◽  
Information Literacy ◽  
Literacy Skills ◽  
First Year ◽  
Post Test ◽  
Information Literacy Skills ◽  
Literacy Test

Objective - To explore the relationships between information literacy (IL) test scores and self-estimated ability both prior to and after completing the test. Design - Information Literacy Test (ILT) with pre- and post-test surveys of self-estimated ability. Setting - Two community colleges: a small institution in a rural area and a large institution in an urban area. Subjects – First-year community college students enrolled in entry-level English courses. Methods – The authors conducted a replication study of their earlier work using a larger sample from two community colleges. Information literacy (IL) skills were assessed using the Information Literacy Test (ILT) developed and validated by researchers at James Madison University. During the spring and fall semesters of 2009 and 2011, the authors administered in a single session the ILT, pre-, and post-test survey instruments to 580 participants. Participants self-selected via sign-up sheet. The first hundred students to sign up per enrollment period were scheduled. Participants received incentives for participation, with an additional incentive offered for scoring in the top 15%. Main Results - The majority of students at both schools (95% at school 1, 80% at school 2) scored in the below-proficient range on the ILT, a few scored in the proficient range (5% at school 1, 20% at school 2), but no students scored in the advanced range. The mean of the few scores in the proficient range was closer to the below-proficient range (≤65%) than the advanced range (≥90%). For students at both schools, significant differences were found between their self-estimated and actual test score. While students at both schools adjusted their self-estimated scores downward after completing the ILT, post-test self-estimates remained significantly inflated in relation to their test performance. In particular, students scoring in the below-proficient range demonstrated a large and significant gap. The difference between the self-estimated comparisons to peers and actual scores was significant for students from both schools who scored in the below-proficient range. Only the proficient students at school 1 were able to accurately estimate their IL skill level. Most students completed the ILT remaining unaware of their poor performance. Conclusion – The study revealed a significant disconnect between students’ perceptions of their information literacy skills and their actual performance. Students scoring in the proficient range demonstrated a stronger post-test correction response than students scoring at below-proficient levels. Generally, the authors of the find that the results support the Dunning-Kruger Effect theory that people lacking skills in a particular domain demonstrate a miscalibration between self-estimated and actual skill. Specifically, it confirms that this effect occurs in the domain of information literacy. There is a need for tools to diagnose information literacy competence. Most students are unable to self-assess accurately and competency should not be assumed. Meeting the needs of this population will be challenging, given that they do not recognize the need for instruction or assistance.

Enhancing Skills, Effecting Change: Evaluating an Intervention for Students with Below-proficient Information Literacy Skills

2013 ◽  
Author(s):  
Don Latham ◽  
Melissa Gross
Keyword(s):  
College Students ◽  
Community College ◽  
Information Literacy ◽  
Literacy Skills ◽  
Library Science ◽  
First Year ◽  
Full Paper ◽  
Post Intervention ◽  
Information Literacy Skills ◽  
Depth Interviews

An intervention was developed for first-year community college students with below proficient information literacy skills. This presentation focuses on the development of the intervention and the evaluation of the intervention through pre- and post-intervention surveys, and in-depth interviews with intervention participants.A été conçue une séance d’intervention s’adressant aux étudiants de première année d’un collège communautaire ayant des lacunes en maîtrise de l’information. Cette communication porte sur le développement et l’évaluation de cette intervention au moyen de questionnaires pré et post intervention et d’entrevues en profondeur avec les participants. ***Full paper in the Canadian Journal of Information and Library Science***

scholarly journals Instructional Preferences of First-Year College Students with Below-Proficient Information Literacy Skills: A Focus Group Study

2013 ◽  
Vol 74 (5) ◽  
pp. 430-449 ◽  
Author(s):  
Don Latham ◽  
Melissa Gross
Keyword(s):  
College Students ◽  
Focus Groups ◽  
Information Literacy ◽  
Literacy Skills ◽  
Instructional Materials ◽  
First Year ◽  
Instructional Preferences ◽  
First Year College ◽  
Information Literacy Skills ◽  
First Year College Students

The Attaining Information Literacy Project has focused on identifying first-year college students with below-proficient information literacy skills, gaining an understanding of those students’ self-views and perceptions of information literacy, gaining an understanding of their instructional experiences and preferences, and developing an intervention that will address their instructional needs. Focus groups were conducted with students with below-proficient skills to determine their instructional preferences. The findings from the focus groups indicate that students place a high value on personal relevance in the knowledge and skills they are learning, and they prefer a combination of demonstration and hands-on activities, interaction with the instructor and other students, and the availability of supplemental instructional materials in the form of handouts. In addition, they feel that incentives to participate in instruction are crucial and that a number of communication strategies are needed to advertise effectively the availability of instructional sessions.

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 Ability Sorting and the Importance of College Quality to Student Achievement: Evidence from Community Colleges

2012 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 74-105 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kevin Stange
Keyword(s):  
College Students ◽  
Community College ◽  
Student Achievement ◽  
Community Colleges ◽  
Educational Attainment ◽  
Community College Students ◽  
School Quality ◽  
Institutional Quality ◽  
College Quality ◽  
Student Sorting

This article examines the effect of institutional quality on the educational attainment of community college students, a large group that has been mostly overlooked in previous work. The effect of institutional quality is generally difficult to separate from that of student ability because more capable students usually sort into better colleges. A detailed analysis of student sorting reveals this not to be the case among community college students, for whom college quality is effectively determined by factors other than their aptitude. This facilitates identification of school quality effects. I find that community college quality (as measured by instructional expenditure per student and several other measures) has no impact on community college students' educational attainment. States and colleges should seek to identify other factors that may be more influential.

An assessment of information literacy skills among first-year postgraduate students at Sokoine University of Agriculture Tanzania

2016 ◽  
Vol 50 (4) ◽  
pp. 427-434 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mugyabuso J. F. Lwehabura
Keyword(s):  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Information Literacy ◽  
Information Search ◽  
Concept Maps ◽  
Literacy Skills ◽  
Independent Learning ◽  
First Year ◽  
Postgraduate Students ◽  
Literacy Knowledge ◽  
Information Literacy Skills

This study was set to examine and identify some aspects of information literacy skills among postgraduate students at Sokoine University of Agriculture and determine challenges and problems facing them in terms of searching and use of various information resources. Systematic probability sampling and questionnaires were used to collect data from175 students out of 314 first-year postgraduate students registered. The findings showed that although information literacy exists among students, a good number of students demonstrated significant deficiency in their information literacy knowledge and skills in key aspects including searching for information from electronic sources, application of various information search techniques such as Boolean operators, use of truncation, synonyms and concept maps. Based on the findings, the paper recommends addressing the shortcomings found by introducing a mandatory information literacy course for both postgraduate and undergraduate students to ensure effective independent learning among students.

Understanding For-Profit College and Community College Choice through Rational Choice

2014 ◽  
Vol 116 (8) ◽  
pp. 1-34 ◽  
Author(s):  
Constance Iloh ◽  
William G. Tierney
Keyword(s):  
College Students ◽  
Community College ◽  
Community Colleges ◽  
Community College Students ◽  
College Choice ◽  
Rational Choice ◽  
For Profit ◽  
Student College ◽  
Student College Choice

Background/Context Scarce research has been conducted examining why students choose to attend higher priced for-profit institutions over community colleges. The authors suggest that increased national concern over proprietary higher education warrants an in-depth comparative case study of the choice factors utilized by for-profit and community college students. Research Question The research questions guiding this analysis are: (a) Why and how do students choose to attend for-profit colleges and community colleges? (b) What factors were important in their decision? (c) What implications do these results have for rational choice and college choice theory? Setting Data were collected at one community college and one for-profit college in California that had similar vocational programs. Subjects A total of 137 for-profit and community college students (75 for profit, 62 community college) enrolled in a vocational nursing or surgical technician associate's degree program agreed to participate. Research Design The authors examine student college choice factors through a case study. The findings were developed from interviews, surveys, and focus groups. Findings The authors found that for-profit and community college students held varying conceptions of costs and benefits as they pertained to college choice factors. Three particular dimensions were highlighted in student responses—short-term and long-term gains, risks, and uncertainty. Conclusions This study illuminates the nuanced factors and goals that informed student college choice decisions. Understanding these distinct college choice considerations could help researchers, practitioners, and institutional leaders develop measures for institutional effectiveness and student success.

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