Added value of secondary school education toward development of information literacy of adolescents

Information literacy (IL) education in secondary schools should adequately prepare students for research activities in higher education and guide them toward becoming informed and responsible citizens. The existing international IL frameworks and tests are only partially aligned with the IL curricula in Slovenia. Therefore, a new IL framework for secondary education, consisting of seven IL standards and twenty performance indicators, was proposed together with two new assessment instruments (e.g. a multiple choice test and a self-evaluation questionnaire). Two groups of students were tested, namely first-year secondary students and first-year university students. The latter, before taking any university IL courses, were found to be more successful in all subject areas of the test, which could inter alia indicate a positive influence of secondary education on IL. Both student groups were the weakest in information search, followed by information evaluation and knowledge of legal/ethical issues. Secondary school students were less aware of their deficient search skills. The item analysis emphasized the need to put more educational efforts and practical examples into the teaching of IL topics where both groups were found deficient.     

What I had,what I needed: First-year students reflect on how their high school experience prepared them for college research

This article is a continuation of the First-Years study (Valenza et al., 2022) that investigated college research readiness among novice and non-novice first-year students. This paper offers analysis of additional qualitative data from first-year college students reflecting on their high school preparation, levels of confidence regarding research and specific information literacy (IL) skills and how academic research differed from their previous inquiry experiences. Findings of this study hold implications for the instructional design of IL and underscore the need for heightened preparation in research and IL skills at the high school level and particularly for moving beyond the mechanics of research toward a focus on the critical thinking aspects of inquiry. Based on these findings, the researchers offer a three-part taxonomy of IL skills: information management, critical thinking, and metacognitive skills that could be used to guide the instructional design of IL at both the high school and college levels.     

A Comparative Study of Information Literacy Skill Performance of Students in Agricultural Sciences

The aim was to assess the information literacy (IL) of 310 first- and second-year students enrolled in nine different study programs at the School of Agriculture (Faculty of Agriculture), Novi Sad, Serbia, using an adapted version of a validated IL test (ILT) in an e-environment. Because the school does not provide systematic IL education, another purpose was to raise awareness of the importance of such instruction. ILT results were assessed according to five ACRL (Association of College & Research Libraries) standards, as well as three cognitive levels adapted from Bloom's taxonomy. The mean ILT score was 46.35%. Students were most successful in information evaluation and information need identification, and least successful in legal/ethical issues and information use. As expected, IL skills increase from the first to second year of study. Cognitive skills also increase, except for the highest level (applying knowledge), where all student groups are weak. Different study programs attract students with disparate knowledge/skill levels gained during secondary education, where some groups of first-year students may outperform second-year students in both IL and cognitive abilities. It is thus important to offer IL education to all students in order to provide a basis for more balanced academic progress.     

Factors Influencing Information Literacy Competency of College Students

This paper analyzes multiple factors from current university students' high school experiences, including demographic, educational, and economic factors, and current standing and grade point average (GPA), to evaluate the students' information literacy skills associated with a 1000 level course on information literacy which is part of the university's general education requirement. The pre-test indicates that students lack sufficient skills needed to do college-level research. Results of regression analyses demonstrate that only current university GPA and standardized test scores have any influence on information literacy test scores.     

Perceptions of Faculty about Information Literacy Skills of Postgraduate Engineering Students

Purpose: This study identifies perceptions of faculty about the current level of information literacy (IL) skills of engineering students in higher education in Pakistan. It may help to design better IL programs for the tertiary level students. Methodology: The study used ACRL Information Literacy Competency Standards for Science and Engineering/Technology as the basis to assess these perceptions. Teachers of the National University of Science & Technology (NUST), who were teaching engineering students of postgraduate level, were selected as population. A structured questionnaire was sent to 113 faculty members and the response remained 80 percent. Paired samples t-test was used for data analysis through Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). Findings: Research indicates that faculty perceived IL skills of their PhD level students higher than those of MS level students. Originality: The term “Information literacy” is yet new on the Pakistani library scene. Regarding perceptions of faculty about information literacy skills of their students so far no study has been carried out in Pakistan. This study will help to identify existing IL skills of Pakistani students of university level, their requirements and how these requirements can be best fulfilled.     

A Review of “Profiles of New York State—Facts,Figures & Statistics for 2,365 Populated Places in New York”

In 2015, the information literacy (IL) team designed an instrument to determine international graduate business students' perceptions of their IL skills and their actual test-assessed IL skills. The purpose of this research was to compare international graduate students' perceptions of their IL skills versus their test-assessed competencies, with the aim of creating training modules to improve test-identified deficiencies. Results demonstrate that wide discrepancies exist between students' perceptions of their own skills and their actual skills on all six ILA-topic areas assessed by the internally developed test instruments, with students overestimating their abilities in all areas.     

Creating an online information literacy course for concurrent enrollment students: A collaboration with a state-sponsored online school

This article discusses a collaborative project to create an online one-credit library research course for high school students in a dual credit program. The project included a team of reference and instruction librarians at a midsize public university, the university's concurrent enrollment program, and an online state-sponsored school that provided courses to high school students. Current literature related to the information literacy knowledge gap, outreach to secondary schools, dual credit or concurrent enrollment programs, and for-credit online information literacy courses is reviewed. The process of creating the course will be discussed along with the benefits and challenges of the project.     

Using collaborative teaching and inquiry project-based learning to help primary school students develop information literacy and information skills

Information literacy and information technology (IT) skills have become increasingly important in today's knowledge society. Many studies have shown that students from primary school to postgraduate lack crucial information literacy and IT skills, hence there is a need for an effective pedagogical approach that will develop these skills. This study investigated the effect of combining a collaborative teaching approach with inquiry project-based learning (PjBL) on the development of primary students' information literacy and IT skills. Students in a Hong Kong primary school completed two inquiry-based group projects. A collaborative teaching approach involving three teachers in different subject areas (general studies, Chinese, and IT) and the school librarian was adopted in guiding students through the two projects. Results indicate that this program had a positive impact of on the development of different dimensions of the students' information literacy and IT skills.     

Thinking and Reading like a Scientist: Librarians as Facilitators of Primary Literature Literacy

Abstract

Students entering graduate degree programs in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields or professional degree programs in the health sciences are expected to have adequate academic preparation in science process skills like the ability to read primary literature effectively. This column scrutinizes this assumption by examining how science is taught to undergraduates, finding that undergraduate STEM curricula rarely prepare students with the mastery of science process skills needed to succeed in graduate school. The column discusses some possible causes of this skill gap and suggests that academic and medical librarians are well-equipped to help students develop primary literature literacy skills. The column closes with a list of practical active reading strategies that librarians can share and model for students.     

The Perfect Storm: Examining User Experience and Conducting a Usability Test to Investigate a Disruptive Academic Library Web Site Redevelopment

Abstract

The researchers conducted a task-based usability test of the effectiveness of online research beginning on the library Web site homepage. The participants included five university faculty members, six graduate students, and six undergraduate students. All participants reported feeling satisfied with their overall research experience, though most were unable to effectively complete all the research tasks of the test. The researchers identified weaknesses in the approach and process of many participants, and overall usability issues of the library discovery tool and other library Web site pages and research interfaces. Findings indicate the need to strategically incorporate self-service information literacy and research skills help into the library Web site, and to implement navigation and design changes to the library homepage, discovery tool interface, online catalog, and across all the library's Web services.     

Don't they teach that in high school? Examining the high school to college information literacy gap

College librarians express concern over incoming students' information literacy skills and lack of skills preparing them for college-level research. However, it is unclear whether information literacy skills are not being taught at the high school level, whether they are not being retained or transferred as students move on to college, or whether there is a disconnect between the skills taught in high school and those expected of incoming college students. This study explores these questions through a set of parallel surveys sent to a national sample of high school and college librarians. Findings suggest that high school and college librarians agree on the importance of most skills though they vary in their emphasis on their importance, and that information literacy skills are being taught in high school but do not seem to transfer to college. The paper concludes with suggestions for increased communication and collaboration to bridge the high school to college transition.     

Information literacy skills and learning gaps– Students' experiences and teachers' perceptions in interdisciplinary environmental science

Despite the ease of accessing information in the digital age, environmental science students need information literacy (IL) to competently tackle complex problems and sustainability challenges. Students' experiences and teachers' perceptions of student IL skills in an environmental science program were investigated through student questionnaires and teacher interviews to identify students IL competence and eventual learning gaps in the program. Students expressed confidence in IL, more strongly in basic skills such as information search and source criticism than advanced skills; critical thinking and analysing, interpreting, and creating information. They found formulating problems and locating and assessing information to be challenging, despite repeated training in tutorial groups. Teachers similarly perceived students to be most competent in accessing relevant information while using information is more challenging. This could be linked to the complexity and interdisciplinarity environmental science. Findings suggest that IL learning gaps could be bridged by greater focus on systematic IL training, intentional training on advanced skills, and iterative training of both basic and advanced skills by strengthening faculty and librarians collaborative teaching.     

“First years' information literacy backpacks: What's already packed or not packed?”

This survey-based research explores whether first-year college students who have had previous interactions with library instruction, services, and resources at the high school level are better prepared to undertake information literacy challenges and are better equipped to adapt to the rigors of academic research. In this collaborative project, academic librarians across six colleges in New Jersey surveyed first-year students regarding their research preparation and their experiences in high school and in their first year of college. Additionally, the team surveyed a group of vetted, certified high school librarians in New Jersey regarding their resources and instructional practices and followed members of their senior class to college Based on student survey responses relating to their high school experiences, the team was able to identify, study, and compare three groups of first-year students: novice researchers, non-novice researchers, and a subset of non-novices from the high schools with vetted librarians. These were labeled alumni non-novices. The team found that students with prior high school research experiences (non-novices), especially those followed from schools identified as having certified librarians (alumni non-novices), felt more prepared for academic research and performed at a higher level relating to their understanding and use of research tools and strategies. The results point to equity concerns and suggest that students require differentiated attention at the college level.     

Library Use Skills for College-Bound High School Students:

Despite national concern with general educational articulation for high school students making the transition to college, little research has been reported in the literature specifically on library use/research skills. This paper summarizes recent literature on this topic from an academic librarian's point of view. In addition, the results of a survey of academic library user education services provided to high school students in Washington State are reported and contrasted to current cooperative efforts in other states. The relevance of library use skills for lifelong learning as well as for college-bound students is empasized.     

Information literacy supporting student motivation and performance: Course-level analyses

Examining data from over 3000 students in 102 course sections across seven colleges of a large, public, research intensive university in the United States, this study investigates the relationships between information literacy (IL) and course-level academic performance and student perceptions of their learning environments. The results provide evidence of the following: 1) students who synthesize information and communicate the results tend to perceive higher levels of motivation than students who do so less often; 2) there is a significant positive relationship between synthesizing information and communicating the results and course level learning gains. The results point to the efficacy of IL being integrated into learning disciplinary course content, as well as the benefit of prioritizing high-order IL activities, such as synthesizing information, over other the aspects of IL, such as searching or formatting citations.     

Investigating the impact of demographic and academic variables on assessing students' perceived information literacy self-efficacy

This paper explores the demographic and academic variables influencing students' perceived information literacy self-efficacy using Kurbanoglu et al.'s Information Literacy Self-Efficacy Scale (ILSES) and its two subscales. An online survey was created to gather data from students which contained Bangla version of the 28-item ILSES together with demographic and academic questions. A printed version of the survey was also distributed to students locally. A total of 408 students participated in the study. The findings revealed that students had moderate self-efficacy, with higher confidence in basic and intermediate-level information literacy (IL) tasks compared to advanced skills. There were significant differences in IL self-efficacy based on students' demographic and academic variables. The results suggest that age and computer proficiency were significantly associated with students' self-efficacy beliefs in information literacy. Overall, the 28-item ILSES and its two smaller subscales yielded similar results, indicating that shorter versions of the ILSES can be utilized to reduce questionnaire completion time without compromising the validity of the results. This study highlights the importance of demographic and academic variables in shaping students' IL self-efficacy beliefs and emphasizes the need for providing adequate support and training to improve information skills among students.     

Secondary teachers and information literacy (IL): Teacher understanding and perceptions of IL in the classroom

Secondary teachers have the opportunity and the curriculum mandates to teach information literacy skills, yet students enter post-secondary studies with low information literacy proficiency. In many cases, teachers present the only opportunity for students to develop information literacy proficiency. With semi-structured interviews, this study explored eight secondary teachers' perceptions of information literacy and their experiences with IL as educational professionals. Confusion around the phrase information literacy was a dominant theme as participants were unfamiliar with the term and were inconsistent in defining the scope of what it might mean. Although there are references to information literacy skills in the core curriculum and support documents, participants varied in their instruction and understanding of this skill set. Participants unanimously agreed that information literacy skills, as explained using the Association of College and Research Libraries Information Literacy Standards for Higher Education (ACRL, 2000), were important for their students. However, the extent of IL skills required varied by student. Pursuing post-secondary studies warranted advanced IL, and these students were more likely to be taught higher-level skills. IL skill development was also assumed to be the responsibility of the student, and passive acquisition was anticipated. Assumptions regarding student need and ability informed instruction. These results suggest that the current curricular mandates are insufficient to ensure IL is incorporated into instruction and that teachers are ill-prepared to instruct IL effectively.     

Students' perceptions of their information literacy skills: the confidence gap between male and female international graduate students

In the 2015 Summer Session I, the information literacy team combined two instruments, the Information Literacy Assessment (ILA) and the Students' Perceptions of Their Information Literacy Skills Questionnaire (SPIL-Q), into one survey and distributed it to the college's international graduate students through a Google Form. It was distributed to 932 international graduate students, and 172 valid respondents completed the survey. The purpose of this research was to compare the confidence gap in information literacy skills between men and women, particularly in international graduate students. Data collected illustrated that female international business students (n = 70) tended to be slightly more confident than their male counterparts (n = 102) regarding their perceived information literacy skills as evidenced by their SPIL-Q average score across all six IL topics, 3.78, vs. male student's average score of 3.58.     

Current status of information literacy instruction practices in medical libraries of Pakistan

Objectives:

The research explored the current practices of information literacy (IL) instruction in medical libraries of Pakistan.

Methods:

A semi-structured questionnaire was mailed to the head librarians of all 114 academic medical libraries in Pakistan. It investigated the types of IL instruction provided, topics covered, methods of delivery and assessment, level of integration in the curriculum, and level of collaboration with teaching staff.

Results:

The study revealed that 74% of the respondents had offered some types of IL instruction in their institutions during the previous year, ranging from library orientation to research-level skills. IL instruction is typically only offered to new students or first-time library users or on demand. A majority of the respondents developed IL instruction programs without faculty involvement. Librarians were primarily responsible for offering IL instruction in medical institutions. Face-to-face instruction in computer labs or lecture halls and individual instruction at reference desks were identified as the most common IL instruction delivery methods. The data indicated that oral feedback, written feedback, and searching in a computer lab were the most popular assessment methods that medical librarians used.

Conclusion:

IL instruction activities in medical libraries of Pakistan are in their infancy. Medical librarians also lack systematic approaches to IL instruction.

Implications:

Medical librarians need to develop educational partnerships with faculty for integrating IL instruction into the mainstream curriculum.