Improving Below-Proficient Information Literacy Skills: Designing an Evidence-Based Educational Intervention

Abstract

This article describes the design and development of an educational intervention intended to improve information literacy skills based on research with first-year college students. The intervention was developed over the course of a three-year period, during which time grant funding was received from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), supporting the collection of research data on the learning needs of first-year college students who scored below proficient on a standardized information literacy test. A variety of empirical methods including tests, surveys, interviews, and focus groups were used to collect data. The resulting intervention is a modular session that can be used as a stand-alone presentation or incorporated into other information literacy interventions. The design of the intervention stresses three main research goals: orientation to information literacy as a skill set, improved ability to self assess skills, and the acquisition of at least one skill that demonstrates the utility of instruction. At the heart of the intervention is the three-step Analyze, Search, Evaluate (ASE) process model of information literacy, which is easy to remember, easy to adapt to multiple instructional situations, and can provide a foundation for building additional information literacy skills.

Keywords:

• college students
• course design
• information literacy
• student centered learning
• teaching methods

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

There are many people who are responsible for the successful completion of this project. We would like to thank the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) for their support of the Attaining Information Literacy (AIL) project in the form of a National Leadership Research Grant. We would also like to thank our partners at the participating colleges for their support and assistance throughout data collection and the development and evaluation of the AIL workshop. We are also grateful for the work performed by our research assistants William Woodley, Meredith Mills, Debi Carruth, and Jon Hollister. Many thanks go to the librarians who gave us advice and feedback along the way: Rebecca Bichel, Kenneth Burhanna, Carol Chenoweth, Renee Hopkins, Sarah McDaniel, Shelly Mudgett, Bianca Rodriguez, Jane Stephens, and Colleen Thornburn.