Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Carl Research Award [Awarded By The California Academic And Research Libraries Association], Shannon M. Staley

Shannon M. Staley

As the Library and Information Science profession has developed a range of core competencies for information literacy based on the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) Information Literacy Competency Standards for Higher Education, the need to assess students' progressive understanding of those competencies has become critical to determining the effectiveness of various library instruction approaches. Currently, there is no standardized or uniform way of assessing student information literacy skills at our library. A review of the literature reveals that many assessment surveys in the field are created without a process of standardization to determine whether respondents interpret questions correctly. …

Csu Mini Grant [Awarded By California State University], Shannon M. Staley

Shannon M. Staley

To apply quality research on information literacy, two graduate students will be hired. One will employ appropriate statistical methods for data collection. The other will program these new statistical reporting features into an online assessment tool and improve its overall usability. This will enhance an understanding of how library instruction impacts SJSU students’ educational experience.

A Standardized Approach To Assessment: Results From A Pilot Study Of Library Instruction Sessions At San Jose State University, Shannon M. Staley

Shannon M. Staley

Introduction
We explore the use of a psychometric model for locally-relevant, information literacy assessment, using an online tool for standardised assessment of student learning during discipline-based library instruction sessions.

Method
A quantitative approach to data collection and analysis was used, employing standardised multiple-choice survey questions followed by individual, cognitive interviews with undergraduate students. The assessment tool was administered to five general education psychology classes during library instruction sessions.

Analysis
Descriptive statistics were generated by the assessment tool. Results. The assessment tool proved a feasible means of measuring student learning. While student scores improved on every survey question, there was uneven …

Junior Faculty Career Development Grant [Awarded By San Jose State University], Shannon M. Staley

Shannon M. Staley

The need to assess students’ understanding of information literacy competencies has become critical to determining the effectiveness of library instruction. This is particularly true at San Jose State University, where measurement tools are not uniformly applied. Currently, many online achievement tests measure student competence at a general rather than course-specific level. This project proposes the development of an application that enables librarians to create assessment tools matching specific learning objectives of individual courses. Preliminary findings will be shared at information literacy conferences, where experts convene to exchange ideas. Harvesting feedback, the application will be further developed through additional grant funding.