Abstract
Although many studies explore the effect of library instruction on information literacy test scores, there are far fewer studies exploring the relationship between high school Grade Point Average (GPA) and scores on information literacy pre- and post-tests of first year college students. This research study compares the scores of three cohorts of Franklin Pierce University students--honors students, Center Scholars (students with a cumulative high school GPA of below 2.5) and Average GPA students --on an information literacy pre-test administered in the first two weeks of the fall, and a similar post-test administered after students have attended a library instruction session. The results of this study show a relationship between high school GPA and pre-test scores and reveal an even stronger relationship between high school GPA and scores on the post-test, with honors students attaining the highest scores and Center Scholars the lowest. This article proposes explanations for these results as well as recommendations for addressing the test score disparities between these three cohorts.
Highlights
Franklin Pierce OverviewFranklin Pierce University is primarily a residential undergraduate college
This study provides some interesting insights regarding the relationship between high school Grade Point Average (GPA) and performance on an information literacy test, the assessment that was used tested students on several concepts that were more advanced than what we tested our students on and took place over twenty years ago
During the three-year testing period a total of 1,571 students entered Franklin Pierce as first year undergraduates at our Rindge campus, including 461 Center Scholars, 976 Average GPA students and 134 honors students
Summary
Franklin Pierce University is primarily a residential undergraduate college. All incoming freshmen at Franklin Pierce are required to take First Year Inquiry (FYI). FYI is designed to introduce students to college level research, to help students acclimate to college life, and to provide them the opportunity to explore possible career opportunities. Professors in the FYI program pick different themes and readings for their respective classes; each section, regardless of theme, works on improving students’ academic skills and addresses three learning outcomes — information literacy, inquiry and analysis, and career exploration. FYI classes have required common assignments including a multi-part research project, typically culminating in an annotated bibliography and poster presentation. Incoming first year class sizes have varied from 452 for the 2015-16 academic year to 652 for the 2016-2017 academic year, sections of FYI are kept to around 19 students per class
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