IL Best Practices:

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IL Best Practices

• Innovative Approaches to Fit Your Institutional
  Needs

Sheril Hook, Instruction Coordinator, University
of Toronto Mississauga Stephanie Sterling
Brasley, Manager, Information Literacy
Initiatives, California State University, Office
of the Chancellor
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Participants will be able to

• Articulate the major ideas from categories 5 and
  10 of the Best Practices Guidelines
• Identify assessment tools for information
  literacy development
• Identify basic strategies for how categories 5
  and 10 of the Best Practices Guidelines can be
  applied to their own instructional and
  institutional environments

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Agenda

• Category 5 articulation with the curriculum
• Playing with the IL Standards
• IL by design embedding IL into course outcomes
• Category 10 assessment and evaluation
• Instruction statistics
• Horizontal and vertical integration

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ALA/ACRL Characteristics of Programs of
Information Literacy that Illustrate Best
Practices

• Category 5 Articulation with the Curriculum
• Articulation with the curriculum for an
  information literacy program
• is formalized and widely disseminated
• emphasizes student-centered learning
• uses local governance structures to ensure
  institution-wide integration into academic or
  vocational programs
• identifies the scope (i.e., depth and complexity)
  of competencies to be acquired on a disciplinary
  level as well as at the course level
• sequences and integrates competencies throughout
  a students academic career, progressing in
  sophistication and
• specifies programs and courses charged with
  implementation.
• http//www.ala.org/ala/acrl/acrlstandards/characte
  ristics.htm

5
IL Standards

• Standard One
• The information literate student determines the
  nature and extent of the information
• Performance Indicator
• 2. The information literate student identifies a
  variety of types and formats of potential sources
  for information.
• Outcomes include
• Knows how information is formally and informally
  produced, organized, and disseminated
• Recognizes that knowledge can be organized into
  disciplines that influence the way information is
  accessed
• Identifies the value and differences of potential
  resources in a variety of formats (e.g.,
  multimedia, database, website, data set,
  audio/visual, book)
• Differentiates between primary and secondary
  sources, recognizing how their use and importance
  vary with each discipline
• Realizes that information may need to be
  constructed with raw data from primary sources

"Information Literacy Competency Standards for
Higher Education." American Library Association.
2006.http//www.ala.org/acrl/ilcomstan.html
(Accessed 15 May, 2007)
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• Lets play with the standards

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IL Standards

• Standard One
• The information literate student determines the
  nature and extent of the information
• Performance Indicator
• 2. The information literate student _________ a
  variety of types and formats of potential sources
  for information.
• Outcomes include
• ________ information is formally and informally
  produced, organized, and disseminated
• _________ knowledge can be organized into
  disciplines that influence the way information is
  accessed
• __________the value and differences of potential
  resources in a variety of formats (e.g.,
  multimedia, database, website, data set,
  audio/visual, book)
• __________between primary and secondary sources,
  recognizing how their use and importance vary
  with each discipline
• __________ that information may need to be
  constructed with raw data from primary sources

"Information Literacy Competency Standards for
Higher Education." American Library Association.
2006.http//www.ala.org/acrl/ilcomstan.html
(Accessed 15 May, 2007)
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Student EngagementIL depth complexity

• research-based learning
• problem-based learning
• inquiry-based learning
• case-based learning
• discovery learning
• knowledge building

Scardamalia, M., Bereiter, C. (2003).
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Research Question (inquiry-based)

• How have myths changed over time?

2.
Humanities
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AssignmentMyth over Time

• Outcomes
• Explore the dynamism of myth by comparing and
  contrasting a selection of ancient and modern
  primary sources of a myth (at least one literary,
  one material)
• Identify the most significant changes from
  ancient to modern source and discuss those
  changes in light of the context in which each
  source was created
• Interpret those changes in terms of how they
  affect the meaning of the myth and how they came
  about in the first place

Humanities
1.
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• Outcomes
• compare and contrast a selection
• of primary sources (art)

• Students begin by finding primary sources--art
  works, music, scripts, opera and background
  information on artists

Google has images, but no provenance information
Camio has images, plus provenance and usage
rights information
Humanities
3.
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• Outcomes
• identify the most significant changes...in light
  of the context in which each source was created.

Students build on the learning acquired by
finding background information on a time
period/place
Humanities
4.
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• Outcomes
• identify the most significant changes...in light
  of the context in which each source was created.

Students place a myth in the cultural context in
which its being used or re-told
Humanities
5.
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• Outcomes
• compare and contrast a selection of primary
  sources (music)

Students listen to a symphony to identify the
dynamism of the myth and interpret its
significance
Humanities
6.
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ALA/ACRL Characteristics of Programs of
Information Literacy that Illustrate Best
Practices

• Category 10 Assessment/Evaluation
• Assessment/evaluation of information literacy
  includes program performance and student
  outcomes and
• for program evaluation
• establishes the process of ongoing
  planning/improvement of the program
• measures directly progress toward meeting the
  goals and objectives of the program
• integrates with course and curriculum assessment
  as well as institutional evaluations and
  regional/professional accreditation initiatives
  and
• assumes multiple methods and purposes for
  assessment/evaluation-- formative and
  summative-- short term and longitudinal
• http//www.ala.org/ala/acrl/acrlstandards/characte
  ristics.htm

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ALA/ACRL Characteristics of Programs of
Information Literacy that Illustrate Best
Practices

• Category 10 Assessment/Evaluation (contd)
• Assessment/evaluation of information literacy
  includes program performance and student
  outcomes and
• for student outcomes
• acknowledges differences in learning and teaching
  styles by using a variety of appropriate outcome
  measures, such as portfolio assessment, oral
  defense, quizzes, essays, direct observation,
  anecdotal, peer and self review, and experience
• focuses on student performance, knowledge
  acquisition, and attitude appraisal
• assesses both process and product
• includes student-, peer-, and self-evaluation
• http//www.ala.org/ala/acrl/acrlstandards/characte
  ristics.htm

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Assessment

• Assessment is the process of gathering and
  discussing information for multiple and diverse
  purposes in order to develop a deep understanding
  of what students know, understand, and can do
  with their knowledge as a result of their
  educational experiences the process culminates
  when assessment results are used to improve
  subsequent learning.
• Mary E. Huba and Jann E. Freed. Learner-Centered
  Assessment on College Campuses Shifting the
  Focus from Teaching to Learning. Allyn Bacon,
  2000.

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Evaluation

• Evaluation is any effort to use assessment
  evidence to improve institutional,
• departmental, divisional, or institutional
  effectiveness

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Program Evaluation Components

• An Assessment/Evaluation Program Plan
• What are we assessing?
• What are our IL instruction goals?
• What are the measurable outcomes?
• How will we measure at the course/curricular
  level?
• Who are our campus partners?
• How can we tie into institutional efforts?
• What data do we need to collect?

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Program Evaluation Snapshot of Course
Penetration

• 100/200 level course penetration
• Where
• Core courses, instructor status
• What
• Standards 1-5
• How
• Concept-based or tool-based

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Instruction Database
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Instruction Statistics
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Stats tell a story

• Redundancy
• Gaps
• Planning

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Stats identify approaches
Fig. 5 Number of unique instruction sessions
given by type
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Class snapshot
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Class Snapshot, contd
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Interpreting Statistics
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Assessment of Student Outcomes
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Direct Assessment

• Definition
• Direct evidence of student performance collected
  from students
• Actual samples of student work
• Assess student performance by look at their work
  products

• Examples
• Assignments
• Research papers
• Portfolios
• Dissertations/theses
• Oral presentations
• Websites
• Posters/videos
• Instructor-designed exams or quizzes

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Indirect Assessment

• Definition
• Provides perspectives and perceptions about what
  has been learned
• Faculty must infer students skills, knowledge,
  and abilities rather than observing from direct
  evidence

• Examples
• Exit interviews
• Surveys student satisfaction, Course instruction
• Focus groups
• Self-reported reflections
• Research journals or diaries
• Student ratings of skills
• Graduation Rates
• Job Placement Rates

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Formative Assessment

• Ongoing measure of student learning
• Provides feedback to student and instructor on
  learning process
• Takes place during the learning process
• Examples
• Classroom assessment techniques, targeted
  questions, in-class exercises, research
  journals/diaries, concept maps

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Summative Assessment

• Information gathered at the end of instruction
• Used to evaluate the efficacy of the learning
  activity
• Answers the question of whether learners learned
  what you had hoped they would
• Typically quantitative
• Examples test scores, letter grades, graduation
  rates

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Formative vs. Summative

• When the cook tastes the soup, thats formative
  when the guests taste the soup, thats
  summative. - Robert Stakes
• http//library.cpmc.columbia.edu/cere/web/ACGME/do
  c/formative_summative.pdf

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Classroom Assessment

• Provides continuous flow of accurate information
  on student learning
• Learner-centered
• Teacher Directed
• Mutually Beneficial
• Formative
• Context-specific
• Ongoing
• Rooted in Good teaching practice

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Classroom Techniques-Examples

• 1-minute paper
• Muddiest Point
• 1-sentence Summary
• 3-2-1

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CATS Web Form Example

• http//www2.library.ucla.edu/libraries/college/113
  06.cfm
• One Minute Paper form
• Quarter
• Class
• Instructor
• Librarian
• Your name
• Your phone number
• Your email address
• 1. What is the most significant or meaningful
  thing you have learned during the session? (Feel
  free to add more items)
• 2. What question(s) remain uppermost in your
  mind?

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Example Indiana University Bloomington Libraries

• http//www.indiana.edu/libinstr/Information_Liter
  acy/assessment.html
• Basic Goal 1. Appreciates the richness and
  complexity of the information environment.
• Objective 1.1. You will be able to describe the
  wide array of information sources available and
  discuss their appropriateness for a given
  information problem. Possible Measurement
  Techniques
• Essay examination Oral report Practicum in the
  library Written evaluation assignment
• Basic Goal 4. Design and use a search strategy
  tailored to a specific information need.
• Objective 4.1. You will be able to describe and
  execute an appropriate search strategy in a given
  information source or in multiple information
  sources. Possible Measurement Techniques
• Annotated bibliography with search strategy
  discussion included Collaborative learning
  exercise in class Practical exercise Practicum
  examination Research journal Research paper
  proposal Research portfolio Research
  worksheet

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Diagnostic Assessment

• Assesses knowledge and skills of students before
  instruction is designed
• Determines where student is in terms of learning
  identifying gaps in student learning
• Can provide a baseline for student achievement in
  a subject area
• Examples standardized tests, review of students
  prior work, pre-tests/instructor-developed tests.

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Assessment in Practice iSkills, SAILS, iLit,
ILT, ICDL
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Assessment Tools Evaluation Considerations

• Audience
• Test Development Reliability and Validity
• Costs Development and Administration
• Test Type performance-based? Multiple-choice?
• Delivery mechanism web? Print? Simulations?
• Content/Standards
• Scoring and Reporting Features

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SAILS Standardized Assessment of Information
Literacy Skills

• Librarians at Kent State University, 2000
• Test of information literacy skills
• Web-based test
• Multiple choice questions
• 142 whole items in American English
• Students answer 40 items 5 pilot
• Based on 4 or 5 ACRL Standards (not 4)

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iSkills Assessment (Formerly ICT Literacy
Assessment)

• ETS staff with CSU and 7 core institutions
• Assesses Information and Communication Technology
  (ICT) Literacy
• Web-based, performance-based, scenario-based test
• Core and Advanced Versions 75 minutes
• 15 Tasks 14 short (1-3 min) and 1 long (15 min)
• Test tasks aligned with and informed by ACRL
  Standards, ISTE NETS standards

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Information Literacy Test (ILT)

• James Madison Universitys Center for Assessment
  and Research Studies and the Library
• Designed to assess the ACRL standards (not 4)
• Web-based
• Multiple Choice test
• 60 operational items and 5 pilot
• Password-protected-Secure administration
• Reliability 0.88
• Cost - ??

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iLIT

• Developed by CA. Community College librarians,
  CSU Subject Matter experts, Test Development
  experts, Psychometricians
• Web-based
• Multiple choice questions
• Aligned to ACRL standards
• Affordable
• High-Stakes, proctored

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Your Institutions Needs

• The Characteristics in Practice