ACRL Information Literacy Competency Standards Research Articles

Assessing Learning, Critical Reflection, and Quality Educational Outcomes: The Critical Incident Questionnaire

This research study incorporates Brookfield’s Critical Incident Questionnaire (CIQ) as a qualitative instrument to assess the ACRL Information Literacy Competency Standards for Higher Education in one library’s instructional curriculum. A sample (n=348) of English Composition II students was studied over the course of two semesters during a four-session instructional program. A methodological framework of critical reflection, incidents, and events was incorporated, as well as reflection on practice. Results of the study showed the CIQ was effective in supporting qualitative methods for assessment of critical reflection in general and the ACRL Standards specifically during the research and learning process.

Assessing Learning, Critical Reflection, and Quality Educational Outcomes: The Critical Incident Questionnaire

This research study incorporates Brookfield’s Critical Incident Questionnaire (CIQ) as a qualitative instrument to assess the ACRL Information Literacy Competency Standards for Higher Education in one library’s instructional curriculum. A sample (n=348) of English Composition II students was studied over the course of two semesters during a four-session instructional program. A methodological framework of critical reflection, incidents, and events was incorporated, as well as reflection on practice. Results of the study showed the CIQ was effective in supporting qualitative methods for assessment of critical reflection in general and the ACRL Standards specifically during the research and learning process.

Successful approaches to teaching through chat

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to determine whether librarians at the University of Kansas are providing instruction through chat in order to develop best practices for training purposes.Design/methodology/approachThe authors analyzed a sample of chat transcripts using the “ACRL Information Literacy Competency Standards for Higher Education” to determine whether librarians were utilizing opportunities for instruction in the chat medium. Using this analysis, they selected the best examples of instructional techniques.FindingsStudents were open to receiving instruction through chat. Librarians who were most successful in providing assistance to students demonstrated persistency and approachability in their interactions.Practical implicationsThe authors developed a list of top ten practices for instruction through chat which can be used for training purposes.Originality/valueLibrarians need to continue to develop instructional techniques to create more opportunities for teaching moments in chat. The paper raises awareness of the impact of librarians' demeanor in the online environment.

Teaching Information Literacy Skills to Social Sciences Students and Practitioners: A Casebook of Applications

Teaching Information Literacy to Social Sciences Students & Practitioners is a second discipline-based casebook from ACRL. This volume is based on the ACRL Information Literacy Competency Standards and presents cases on learning situations and how they can be analyzed and addressed. Also included are descriptions of instruction sessions for each case, notes, and teaching resources. Each case explicitly reflects one or more of the ACRL Information Literacy Standards. This practical collection of cases and applications brings a new set of resources to librarians doing instruction in the social sciences. Contributors cover such topics as data literacy, visual literacy, and developmental research skills training. Information on teaching undergraduate, graduate, and international students, and how to incorporate information literacy into various social science curricula are also presented.

Using the ACRL Information Literacy Competency Standards for Science and Engineering/Technology to Develop a Modular Critical-Thinking-Based Information Literacy Tutorial

This paper presents an overview of the process Yale's Kline Science Library used to build an interactive Web-based information literacy tutorial based on the ACRL Information Literacy Competency Standards for Science and Engineering/Technology. Self-paced critical-thinking-based content and embedded quizzes allow the Website to be used as both a course-integrated assignment and a stand-alone teaching and learning tool.

The Development and Validation of the Information Literacy Test

The Information Literacy Test (ILT) was developed to meet the need for a standardized instrument that measures student proficiency regarding the ACRL Information Literacy Competency Standards for Higher Education. The Web-based, multiple-choice ILT measures both lower- and higher-order skills. Evidence is presented that the ILT scores provide reliable and valid measures of information literacy. In addition, a rigorous standard setting method was used to identify score values corresponding to various absolute levels of proficiency. The ILT can be used to help institutions measure student information literacy outcomes and determine the effectiveness of instruction programs.

Approaches to teaching through digital reference

As “teaching libraries,” many academic libraries are committed to teaching not only in classrooms but also at the reference desk. As reference has expanded to include digital modes of e‐mail and chat, reference librarians are prompted to consider approaches to teaching in these new reference venues in ways that are meaningful to the user. A promising approach to teaching through digital reference is the application of the ACRL Information Literacy Competency Standards. This paper presents some challenges and benefits of teaching via digital reference. Practical methods for promoting self‐directed learning by examining online instruction, and suggestions for effectively advancing a pedagogy based on the ACRL Information Literacy Competency Standards, are offered.

TIP: tutorial for information power and campus‐wide information literacy

The University of Wyoming Libraries has implemented an interactive Web tutorial focused on the ACRL Information Literacy Competency Standards. Since its inception, approximately 3,000 students have used TIP: tutorial for information power. At this point it is appropriate to pause and reflect on our experience. Have we met our original objectives? Was TIP worth the time, effort, and expense required to develop a Web tutorial? Has it had an impact on information literacy on our campus?

Introducing ACRL Information Literacy Competency Standards to Graduate Schools of Theology

This paper recommends that the Information Literacy Competency Standards for Higher Education of the Association of College and Research Libraries should be endorsed by the Association of Theological Schools' accreditation standards and implemented by theological schools to teach graduate students information literacy and to assess their learning outcomes. Several select theological research guides and the experience of a seminary's research methods course are closely examined in detailed comparison to the Information Literacy Competency Standards, their performance indicators and outcomes.

Using the ACRL Information Literacy Competency Standards for Higher Education to Assess a University Library Instruction Program

Summary The Reference and Instruction Department at Oregon State University (OSU) was charged with creating a vision and goals for its instruction program. This article describes how we used the recently published ACRL Information Literacy Competency Standards for Higher Education as a framework for an initial self-study of our instructional practice and for promoting the concept of information literacy at our institution. The process of assessing our current practice led to discussions with library and campus faculty about the value of information literacy and to a clearer articulation of our instructional mission.