Assessment of information literacy skills circle at Higher Education Institutions in South Africa is it a reality or not? Presented by Gerda Ehlers University of Pretoria

Information literacy assessment is like playing with a beach ball it is a different ball game

What is assessment? Makoni defines assessment as follows : Assessment consists essentially of taking a sample of what students do, making interference and Estimating the worth of their actions

The difference between evaluation and assessment Feedback Can not establish if learning took place Evaluation Assessment Whole learning process Did the student learn ?

How do students play ball?

Reasons why we should assess Information literacy Did the students learn to catch the ball? Improve students growth Establish the impact of the instruction program Assess their learning Use the data to communicate Improving your own program

The importance of assessment Be relevant on campus Demonstrate IL assessment contributes to student learning and development Oakleaf states that it is important for libraries to play a role in assessment on campus, if they want to remain relevant

Deflate/inflate librarians

Reasons why librarians do not inflate the ball Other work and responsibilities Too few resources Limited knowledge, skills and expertise in assessment No support and commitment on campus It is difficult to integrate with campus-wide assessment efforts Fear and anxiety that they are not competent enough Limited faculty involvement Assessment tools do not always measure information literacy adequately Oakleaf, Megan and Lisa Hinchliffe."Assessment Cycle or Circular File: Do Academic Librarians Use Information Literacy Assessment Data?"Proceedings of the Library Assessment Conference. Seattle, WA: Association of Research Libraries

The assessment learning theory Identify students learning and how they are learning To identify what needs to be trained (instructional needs) Develop a program with goals and objectives Theory does not only increase student learning but also improve the pedagogical skills of instructors The learning and assessment process happens simultaneously We are the referees!

Librarians need their own assessment and learning model to become effective and put theory into practice Librarians and assessment

The Information literacy instruction assessment cycle (ILIAC) The ILIAC model is based on the earlier general assessment cycles of Maki And Bresciani Makes provision for the needs of academic librarians Ensures effective assessment in information literacy training Develop pedagogical skills of librarian who are responsible of information literacy instruction

Things that keep the assessment ball rolling Design and report assessments around outcomes Include assessment duties in job descriptions Input data into an assessment management system Continue with the assessment cycle

Outcomes assessment “Outcomes assessment combines the measurement of basic competencies with the assessment of higher-order abilities” Barclay Donald, (Winter 1993),Evaluating library instruction: doing the best you can with what you have. RQ, vol 33,no. 2,p.195

Types of assessment tools or instruments Objective tests Open ended questions and essays Questionnaires surveys and rating Performance assessment Classroom assessment techniques Rubric assessment Computer-based information literacy texts Self assessment

Questions that should be asked to decide on the assessment instrument Who will be assessed? What will be done with the results? Should they be assessed before of after assessment? How will samples be gathered? Is there institutional support What statistical help is available to understand results? Lym Brian Assessing the assessment: How institutions administered, interpreted and used SAILS. Reference Services Review, Vol 38,no1, p169 ?

Information literacy assessment standards ISKILLS (ICT skills) Comprehensive test for information and communication technology proficiency. Educational Testing Service (ETS) Information literacy Test (ILT) Computerised test to assess ACRL standards. James Madison University http.www. jmu.edu//assessment/resources/overview.htm Standardized assessment of information Literature Skills (Project SAILS) test of information literacy skills based on ACRL standards http.

Important aspects of assessment standards Assessment standards benchmarking Support and conduct assessment Statistical support Use with another instrument

Information literacy assessment in South Africa

information literacy surveys in South Africa and assessment During 1993 A survey by Behrens indicated information literacy training there was however very little information available in the literature. These courses were not accredited which made it even more difficult to assess After 1993 These courses were generic and mostly for undergraduates There was a increase in information literacy activities in South Africa During 2001 The Retig (Research,Education and training interest group) survey

Results of the 2001 survey Twelve of the twenty six institutions responded Four had fully accredited courses Issues of assessment and credit were explored An increased need and for assessment of IL courses Results of assessment not investigated Primarily generic courses Increased awareness of the importance of assessment

The 2010 Survey

Some of the questions asked in the survey Is the course accredited? Is the course based on an educational model and learning outcomes? Is the course designed in collaboration with an academic department? Is any assessment data available? Is this data used to change the instruction program? ?

Results of the 2010 survey Seventeen of the twenty three institutions responded Thirteen (76%)confirmed that they do assess ( %) Fourteen use summative assessment Four (24%) of these institutions have accredited courses Six (35%) follow pedagogical and educational planning Four (24%) have data available which they use to change the learning goals and outcomes Two have continuous assessment Fourteen use multiple choice questions Four combine multiple choice questions with assignments Four use the online education management system

Suggestions based on the 2010 survey Institutions should gather, evaluate and use data, to change and develop training programs more Increase involvement and collaborations with academic departments concerning content and assessment Combine multiple choice questions with other assessment tools to also assess higher level IL skills Librarians should become more skilled and increase their knowledge on assessment and the assessment process Increasingly use the IL instruction assessment cycle More subject and task specific assessment Give feedback to the students

Keep the assessment ball rolling Close the loop

Thank you