Assessing information literacy skills in the Technological Education Institute of Thessaloniki, Greece

Abstract

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to investigate student information literacy skills in the Technological Education Institute (TEI) of Thessaloniki, Greece, and examine whether courses and/or library seminars make any difference and contribute to the development of information literacy skills.Design/methodology/approachThe survey is conduct with students from all the departments of TEI that are enrolled at the sixth or seventh semester of their studies. The instrument of the survey is a structured questionnaire that included 12 questions, and measured a total of 73 variables.FindingsA significant percentage of the students have not completed an assignment in the previous semester, are not acquainted with the scientific sources available in the library, and have not attended an information literacy course and/or a library seminar. However, there is a slight difference between those respondents who have “attended an IL course integrated in the curriculum” and those who have not.Originality/valueThe approaches described here may be helpful to librarians when they prepare guidelines for a program that assesses the level of students with regard to information literacy skills.