Special Thanks to:

Tony Scott Parrish, Systems Administrator
Florida Atlantic University
Boca Raton , Florida 33431
tparrish@fau.edu or
(561) 214-3238

For copies:

 • PowerPoint Presentation

 • FAU Library Assessment

 • ILIS

 • Bibliography 

WHY BOTHER? THE ROAD TO A QUALITY
INFORMATION LITERACY ASSESSMENT STUDY

Abstract :

     Academic librarians spend a tremendous amount of time and effort to provide information literacy sessions for their students, but do these sessions really make a difference and do we learn through our assessment efforts to develop quality research designs and methods for continuous improvement.  Walsh (2009, p. 20) in his review of the literature on information literacy assessment asked whether any of the methods to assess information literacy have “proven reliability and validity.”  Therefore, it is important in assessing information literacy that we also examine methods and designs, in order to create quality assessment studies.
 
      Reference/instruction librarians from Florida Atlantic University (FAU) wanted to find out if their library sessions have a lasting impact on student research activity.  Additionally, the librarians sought to develop a paradigm for future assessment studies.  For the first time, an effort was made to develop a model that could be used as a method of continuous assessment and improvement.  Previously, the only method used to assess in any way library instruction was a brief student satisfaction survey that was administered after a library session.   In partial preparation for a Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) re-accreditation visit, a committee of reference/instruction librarians developed a 15-item multiple choice questionnaire to measure what specific library research skills first semester freshman students enrolled in a Strategies for Learning Success (SLS 1503) class have prior to library instruction, and if there is any improvement after library instruction.  

     A pretest-post-test study design was used, and the pretest was administered prior to library instruction during a 50 minute on site scheduled library instructional session.  The post-test, which was identical to the pretest, was administered at the end of the semester in the students’ regularly scheduled class location.   Pretests and post-tests were administered to more than 200 students in a total of 21 SLS classes. 

     In this presentation, each phase of the study, from the study design to the data analysis and findings will be described and analyzed and recommendations for any improvements in library instruction will be given.
 
     Additionally, any problems or limitations within the study or instrument itself will be discussed and recommendations for "best practices" for future information literacy studies will be shared.

• Bibliography