Making Information Literacy Instruction Relevant: A Needs Assessment Approach at McGill University

Abstract

This article presents an evidence-based approach to identifying topics for in-class information literacy instruction via a needs assessment survey among students. Results show that graduate students need to learn to use information resources that are most relevant to their course, apply controlled terms and track citations, search effectively for gray literature online, and manage references using a citation program. Our findings suggest that there is a need for delivering information literacy instruction to graduate students and that a needs assessment approach is effective in making library instruction more relevant to students’ needs.

KEYWORDS:

• graduate students
• information literacy needs
• library instruction
• library research skills
• needs assessment