Information Literacy Commons^™

Assessment Of Information Literacy Instruction In Reference: Applying Vanscoy’S Conceptual And Procedural Framework In Practice, Vanessa Arce

Publications and Research

The instructional aspect of reference work has long been acknowledged, especially in academic libraries. The current RUSA guidelines include helping users develop information literacy as a goal of reference. In this context, investigating the presence and nature of information literacy instruction can be used to assess the quality of reference services. This study applied Amy VanScoy’s conceptual/procedural framework for point-of-need instruction to a sample of chat reference transcripts at Lehman College, City University of New York. One of the assessment’s goals was to determine the prevalence of instruction and type of knowledge addressed in reference interactions. Another goal was to …

Assessment Of Information Literacy Instruction In Reference: Applying Vanscoy’S Conceptual And Procedural Framework In Practice, Vanessa Arce

Communications in Information Literacy

The instructional aspect of reference work has long been acknowledged, especially in academic libraries. The current RUSA guidelines include helping users develop information literacy as a goal of reference. In this context, investigating the presence and nature of information literacy instruction can be used to assess the quality of reference services. This study applied Amy VanScoy’s conceptual/procedural framework for point-of-need instruction to a sample of chat reference transcripts at Lehman College, City University of New York. One of the assessment’s goals was to determine the prevalence of instruction and type of knowledge addressed in reference interactions. Another goal was to …

"An Open Mind And A Critical Stance": A Content Analysis Of Information Literacy Integration Into A Course About Poverty And Discrimination, Ashley Shealy, C. Rebecca Oldham, Clay Oldham, Tara L. Griffith

Communications in Information Literacy

The ACRL Framework argues that infusing curriculum with information literacy concepts can improve students’ attitudes and abilities to navigate complex information landscapes. This paper describes how a librarian and a faculty member integrated an information literacy curriculum into an undergraduate upper-division course about poverty and discrimination. Curriculum efficacy was assessed through directed content analysis of student responses to open-ended questions about engaging with news and social media, forming opinions, and having conversations about controversial topics. Responses were analyzed using a coding scheme based on course objectives derived from Framework dispositions and knowledge practices. Results indicated that exposing students to an …

Critical Information Literacy In Higher Education: An Evolution In Theory, Practice, And Assessment, Dan Williford

Communications in Information Literacy

This article offers a critical synthesis of scholarship on critical information literacy (CIL) in higher education from 2015 to 2026, extending and recalibrating prior longitudinal reviews to account for post-2020 theoretical, political, and technological shifts. Drawing on a corpus of 48 peer-reviewed publications published between 2020 and 2026, the study employs thematic cluster analysis—building on Tewell’s four-domain framework—to examine developments in theory, pedagogy, digital and political engagement, reflexive critique, and assessment. Rather than treating critical information literacy as a settled framework, this review positions it as an evolving and contested practice shaped by the political economy of higher education. It …

Assessing Information Literacy In A Living Learning Community: An Academic Library Case Study, Sara Mccaslin, Sean Kinder

The Southeastern Librarian

Assessment of information literacy efforts can impact college students’ success and retention. Library outreach and partnerships with teaching faculty, especially those targeted towards first-year students, are important. Library involvement with High Impact Practices (HIPs) including Living Learning Com-munities provide librarians with an assessment-rich environment to connect information literacy with student success and retention. This case study sought to assess the impact of information literacy library instruction on first-year Living Learning Community (LLC) Criminology students and asked the follow-ing question: Are the general information literacy class and the Special Collections information literacy class beneficial to Criminology LLC students? The authors learned …

Measuring Outreach In Unexpected Places, Renee Cole Montgomery, Chereeka Garner, Katy A. Miller

Georgia International Conference on Information Literacy

The University of Central Florida hosts one of the largest student bodies in the nation. Just looking at the numbers, it may seem like every library event is a huge success. However, when you compare this with the number of students represented, it becomes apparent that we are only reaching a fraction of the students who attend the university. For this reason, librarians are always looking for ways to reach as many students as possible. One of the best methods to develop meaningful programming is to ask students themselves what they want to experience.

To collect as much student feedback …

Evaluation Of Undergraduate Research Topic Skill Development, Vanessa Arce, Katelyn Angell

Publications and Research

Inspired by the ACRL Framework for Information Literacy frame Research as Inquiry, Lehman College Library conducted an assessment to measure its undergraduate students’ ability to formulate research questions that are appropriately scaled, encourage critical inquiry, and can be supported by available information resources. Using a sample of first-year students enrolled in an English composition class, the assessment revealed that students performed best at locating information resources and struggled most with scaling down a topic. Lessons learned from this study can be extrapolated to outside institutions to improve information literacy learning outcomes.

Assessing Information Literacy Programs For First-Year Writing Courses At A Public University, Kathleen A. Langan, Lumarie Guth, Dylan Mcglothlin

University Libraries Faculty & Staff Publications

This chapter discusses the findings of a study that used Project Outcome (PO) to assess the effectiveness of library programming for first-year writing courses in different colleges at a mid-sized public university. The purpose of this study was twofold. First, PO data was used to compare student feedback on library support across multiple college writing programs to measure the success of library programming for all incoming first-year students. Second, the PO data was used to set a benchmark for future assessment with the expansion of the library programming for a first-year gateway course. We are not concerned with benchmarking across …

Aha! Centering Student Voices To Better Understand An Instruction Program, Andrea Wilcox Brooks, Cathy Craig, Meredith Riney

Communications in Information Literacy

This article describes using aha moments as an assessment approach to gain a better understanding of student learning in relation to the six frames in the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education. Librarians asked students to share an aha moment following information literacy instruction sessions during the fall 2022 semester. Researchers coded responses to one of the six IL frames and found that student insights most often reflected learning aligned to the “Searching as Strategic Exploration” frame, though “Information Has Value” also had a strong presence. The results provided a holistic picture …

Applying Acrl’S Framework “Scholarship As Conversation” To Teach Undergraduates Article Anatomy Through Active Learning, Jessica Varsa, Justin B. Ingels

Georgia International Conference on Information Literacy

In Fall of 2022, UGA Libraries Faculty conducted IL instruction for hundreds of undergraduate First-Year Odyssey students. As part of this required course, library faculty are faced with the challenge of conducting workshop-style instruction through a one-shot format, focusing on both integral library skills and how to interpret a research article. R&I Librarian, Jessica Varsa worked with Dr. Justin Ingels, Public Health faculty, to develop a lesson plan on reviewing and interpreting academic journal articles through the lens of the ACRL’s’ Framework that embraces active learning strategies.

This presentation will provide a critical reflection about active learning techniques used in …

Checking In Without Burning Out: Designing Sustainable Assessment Plans For An Undergraduate Peer-To-Peer Research Mentor Program, Kevin Moore, Hannah Krauss

All Musselman Library Staff Works

Learn how librarians developed a programmatic assessment schedule for their undergraduate, peer-to-peer research consultant service with an emphasis on practicality and sustainability. This poster and its supplementary materials present the finished plan, which addresses 13 programmatic learning outcomes over the course of six semesters, offering one model for how to approach a large-scale assessment project systematically and intentionally without burning out library staff.

Beyond Session Counting: A Program Development Model For Information Literacy In A Liberal Arts College, Christine Bombaro, Theresa S. Arndt

Harrisburg University Faculty Works

Academic librarians have long struggled to evaluate, report, promote and grow library services in order to effect positive changes in curricula. Metrics reported to faculty and administration generally include how many information literacy sessions are taught, how many students were present, and what subject areas were taught. However, merely counting information literacy sessions does not convey goals, opportunity, or progress. The Information Literacy Program Development Model (ILPDM) described in this article demonstrates how academic librarians at a small, liberal arts college moved beyond counting the number of information literacy sessions as a measure of value by clearly defining what a …

Metacognitive Awareness For Il Learning And Growth: The Development And Validation Of The Information Literacy Reflection Tool (Ilrt), Sara Robertson, Michele Burke, Kimberly Olson-Charles, Reed Mueller

Communications in Information Literacy

This article describes the development and validation of the Information Literacy Reflection Tool (ILRT), a metacognitive self-assessment for use with undergraduate researchers. It was developed as a teaching and learning tool with the intent to help students recognize and engage the metacognitive domain as a step toward developing personal agency and self-regulation as lifelong, metaliterate learners. Throughout the scale development, three studies were conducted with nine expert reviewers and 44 community college students to consider content and face validity and 542 community college students as part of an item-reduction and construct validation effort. The resulting scale is most appropriately construed …

Review: Implementing Excellence In Diversity, Equity, And Inclusion: A Handbook For Academic Libraries, Lalitha Nataraj

Communications in Information Literacy

Review of Lee, C., & Lym, B. (Eds.). (2022). Implementing excellence in diversity, equity, and inclusion: A handbook for academic libraries. Association of College and Research Libraries.

Ils Transition Mission: Creating Ease For Our Patrons, Marina Narvaez

University Libraries Faculty Publications and Presentations

University of Arkansas Libraries implemented a new library system, OneSearch, that became fully operational in July 2022. In the planning for this transition, collaboration among colleagues outside the committee and preliminary user-feedback became necessary as decisions were finalized. Participants were requested to perform searches on several material types, narrow or broaden their retrieval, and provide general observations. This poster provides information and analysis of the feedback gathered.

Flexibility Is Key: Co-Creating A Rubric For Programmatic Instructional Assessment, Maya Hobscheid, Kristin Kerbavaz

Communications in Information Literacy

This paper describes a project undertaken at Grand Valley State University in which a co-creative model was used to develop a rubric for assessing student learning in library instruction. It outlines the design process as well as the training and support provided throughout implementation. It concludes with the authors’ reflections on the successes and challenges of the process and provides recommendations for future projects.

Drafting An Assessment Plan For Your Instruction Program: Sustainably Assessing Information Literacy In An Undergraduate Stem Course, Kevin Moore, Clinton K. Baugess

All Musselman Library Staff Works

Assessing student learning across a library instruction program can be infeasible without being strategic, intentional, and realistic. Librarians at a small college will share how they developed a sustainable, 3-year assessment plan for the ACRL Framework and targeted a 100-level biology course-one of the two high-enrollment STEM courses that receive library instruction on their campus each year. The presenters will share their assessment plan, flipped instruction model, workflow-management strategies, and lessons learned for collaborating with STEM faculty to assess information literacy.

Assessing Synthesis Of Information From Sources, Sarah P.C. Dahlen

Library Faculty Publications and Presentations

Synthesis of information from sources is an important component of information literacy, and one that is perhaps less straightforward to teach and to assess than other information literacy skills. At the author’s institution, synthesis was identified as an area in which students were not demonstrating proficiency at the desired level. This led to an iterative, multi-year process of working with faculty from across disciplines to develop, employ, and revise a rubric that measures synthesis and its component parts. The author found that using a multidimensional rubric such as the one developed is a viable method for assessing students’ ability to …

Assessing The Impact Of An Information Literacy Course On Students' Academic Achievement: A Mixed-Methods Study, Wilma L. Jones, Tara Mastrorilli

Publications and Research

Objective – The aim of this study is to demonstrate the impact of a stand-alone, credit-bearing information literacy course on retention and GPA for students at an open access urban college.

Methods – Researchers conducted a mixed-methods study with a two-part focus. The first examined the impact of a credit-bearing course using propensity score matching (PSM) techniques to compare academic outcomes for students who participated in the course versus outcomes for similar students who did not enroll in the course. Multiple regression analyses were conducted to measure impact on GPA and performance in 100-level introductory English general education courses. Logistic …

Redesigning Program Assessment For Teaching With Primary Sources: Understanding The Impacts Of Our Work, Jen Hoyer, Kaitlin H. Holt, John Voiklis, Bennett Attaway, Rebecca Joy Norlander

Publications and Research

This article describes how redesigning a program’s assessment practices for teaching with primary sources (TPS) can provide a clear framework for talking about the impact of educators’ work in archives and can provide feedback on how to refine instruction practices for greater results. The authors share a description of their assessment redesign process accompanied by analysis of the implementation of our new assessment tool in the hope others will consider the design and goals of their own assessment practices. The authors’ work demonstrates that reflection on existing tools, development of new goals, and design of new assessment strategies can yield …

An Investigation Of Anti-Black Racism Libguides At Arl Member Institutions, Gemmicka Piper, Mahasin Ameen, M. Sara Lowe

Communications in Information Literacy

This study sought to analyze anti-Black racism LibGuides created by ARL member institutions to determine strengths and weaknesses of the guides based on LibGuides best practices. Institutional and LibGuide author demographic information were also gathered to determine correlations or trends, if any. Rubric evaluation of LibGuides found that guides were strongest in areas related to guide design, materials included on the guides, and links to resources. Guides were weakest in areas related to the framing of social justice and pedagogy. Results from this study have the potential to inform the structure and revision of social justice LibGuides at a time …

Aligning Metaliteracy With Self-Directed Learning To Expand Assessment Opportunities, Trudi E. Jacobson, Thomas P. Mackey, Jako Olivier

University Libraries Faculty Scholarship

Metaliteracy is a holistic model that emphasises information-related knowledge attainment whilst challenging individuals to take charge of their learning strategies and goals. It prepares learners to become informed consumers and responsible producers of information. Metacognition is a core concept in metaliteracy, just as it is in swelf-directed learning (SDL) and in methods of assessment appropriate to SDL, such as assessment as learning (AaL) and assessment for learning (AfL). This congruence provides clear avenues for using metaliteracy’s framework in ways that support SDL. The first part of the chapter explores metaliteracy and its connections with SDL and assessment. The remainder of …

Assessing The Computer Literacy Among The Below Poverty Line (Bpl) Community Of Malda District, Najhat Tarannum, Parikshit Mondal Dr.

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

Introduction: The need to be computer literate is very essential with the exponential growth of information technology in every aspect of human life. To cope up with the rapid integration of information technology in day to day life, the competencies to computer literacy and efficient usage of computers is much more needed. The purpose of the study was to assess the computer literacy among the Below Poverty Line (BPL) community of Malda district for their compliance to IFLA information literacy model and its need.

Methodology: Survey research method was adopted for this study enquiring through structured questionnaire which contained 20 …

Instructional Programmatic Assessment Rubric, Maya Hobscheid, Kristin Kerbavaz, Emily Frigo, Sheila García Mazari, Hazel Mcclure, Samantha Minnis, Gayle Schaub

Library Reports and Communication

This rubric was developed between April, 2020 and August, 2021. The purpose of this rubric is to internally assess student learning of information literacy to better inform the GVSU Libraries’ instruction program.

Instructional Design With The Ice Approach In Academic Libraries: A Framework That Integrates Assessing, Learning, And Teaching, Junli Diao

Publications and Research

One-shot instruction in academic libraries is a librarian-controlled bibliographic instruction that responds to the point of information need for subject-related courses. The assessment of teaching effectiveness tends to take a summative approach, which provides an answer to what students learned but does not address how they learned. This column theoretically explores the framework of Ideas-Connections-Extensions (ICE) in library instruction and the classroom setting, which demonstrates learning outcomes and explores the learning journey, and integrates assessment, learning, and teaching through collaborative efforts by academic librarians and classroom faculty.

Connections In Information Literacy Responses: Il In The Undergraduate University Experience, Elizabeth H. Brown, Lauren Wittek, Mattias Olshausen

Library Scholarship

This study was conducted at a four-year state university to compare differences in information literacy knowledge between students at the first-year, sophomore, junior, and senior levels. The survey included questions about reading habits, library usage, and information literacy knowledge, and was shared with 10,967 students with a 15.7% response rate. Analysis of the responses found reduced participation from sophomores, a positive relationship between required course use of the library and actual use of the library, a positive relationship between library exposure and accuracy of responses, and other academic connections to information skills.

Beyond The Checklist Approach: A Librarian-Faculty Collaboration To Teach The Beam Method Of Source Evaluation, Jenny Mills, Rachael Flynn, Nicole Fox, Dana Shaw, Claire Walker Wiley

Communications in Information Literacy

Evaluating information is an essential skill, valued across disciplines. While librarians and instructors share the responsibility to teach this skill, they need a common framework in order to collaborate to design assignments that give students multiple opportunities to learn. Librarians and First Year Seminar faculty at Belmont University collaborated to design a unit of instruction on source evaluation using the BEAM method. BEAM requires students to apply a use-based approach to evaluation, to read and engage with sources more closely, and to think about how they might use a source for a specific purpose. Structured annotated bibliographies that included BEAM …

Strengthening The Connections Between Library Instruction And Student Success, Lucinda R. Wittkower, Joleen Westerdale Mcinnis

Libraries Faculty & Staff Presentations

This poster will share the results from a three-year study that investigated correlations between student participation in library instruction and student academic achievement. Using rigorous research practice and acknowledging ethical concerns by use of an in-depth student consent process, the researchers will share their findings regarding the relationships that exist between student participation in library instruction and completion of course for which instruction was attended and the relationships between student participation in library instruction and their grade in course. Additionally, the researchers will share the unexpected, but interesting finding related to student withdrawal rates. Finally, the researchers will include information …

Digital Research Logs: Free, Easy & Engaging Direct Measures For Assessment Of Information Literacy Outcomes, Bernadette Mirro, Mason Yang

Georgia International Conference on Information Literacy

• Join us to learn about how an accidental collaboration turned into an intentionally designed online research log that serves as a direct measure for assessing information literacy outcomes in a freshman level composition class. Using Google Sheets we have created a free CCC licensed research log for use in a synchronous instruction session or paired with digital instructional tutorials in an asynchronous library instruction session. The research log is engaging and intuitive, helps students stay focused on the task and goes beyond the function of a traditional handout to serve as a tool they can use throughout the semester. Also, …

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Interactive Video Tutorials From Scratch: Experiences And Lessons Learned Six Years On, Gina Garber, Scott Shumate, Christina Chester-Fangman

Georgia International Conference on Information Literacy

In 2014, Austin Peay State University’s (APSU) Woodward Library developed an online, interactive video tutorial for the American Psychological Association (APA) Style Guide. APSU’s College of Education (CoE) approached the library about creating a tutorial similar to an existing video, Plagiarism: Making the Right Choices, for use in their upper division and graduate level courses. Through a collaborative process using content previously in the form of a PowerPoint presentation, the library generated a script, storyboards, and eventually a full video. Now, how best to engage the students with the assessment?

The existing Plagiarism tutorial did not quite live up to …