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Library Plan for Student Success:

Information Literacy at NHMCCD

Information Literacy Taskforce

July 2007

Introduction

The NHMCCD Library Executive Council (LIBEX) established the Information Literacy Taskforce in 2006 to begin the development of an information literacy plan for the district libraries. The purpose of the plan is to ensure that students will have diverse opportunities to learn how to use, apply and evaluate information successfully. The plan acknowledges that library resources and services are an integral part of instructional efforts at the NHMCCD colleges and that the libraries can be effective partners in enhancing students’critical thinking and analytical skills.

The outcome of the group’s work is the Library Plan for Student Success: Information Literacy at NHMCCD. Taskforce members are Tracy Williams, Mick Stafford (Cy-Fair), Jimmi Rushing, Peggy Whitley (Kingwood), Gary Church, Janice Peyton (Montgomery), Olia Palmer, Maryann Readal (North Harris), Pat Butler, Mary Jean Webster (Tomball).

Why Information Literacy Now?

Information Literacy Competency Standards for Higher Education1 were developed and approved by the Association of College and Research Libraries in 2000. These standards were also endorsed by the Higher Education Association in 1999. Since the adoption of these standards, many colleges and universities have begun to develop information literacy plans to articulate and meet the lifelong learning needs of students. For some institutions, information literacy plans have been developed to meet regional accreditation standards.

Recognizing the importance of information and technology literacy in the education of students, the Educational Testing Service developed the Information Competency Test (ICT) in 2005 to measure a student’s ability to find, use and evaluate information. Colleges and universities have begun to use this test, which has been renamed the iSkills Test, 2 to determine the information competency of their students and to measure the success of the institution’s information literacy efforts. Some universities have developed their own assessment tests of student information literacy competencies.

NHMCCD will be seeking re-accreditation with the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools in 2010. The upcoming SACS accreditation provides the libraries an opportunity to strengthen information literacy efforts at the colleges. Three of the SACS comprehensive standards apply to the library. SACS Comprehensive Standard 3.8.2 states that the “institution must ensure that users have access to regular and timely instruction in the use of the library and other learning/information resources.” 3

In addition to accreditation standards, the literature confirms that the business community must have a workforce that is technologically skilled and able to think critically and problem solve using information resources.4 A wide range of global stakeholders, including k-12, postsecondary education, and business and government leaders are demanding that the skillful use of twenty-first century tools, which have become valuable commodities in the contemporary global marketplace.5 Since the community college is closely tied to the community’s needs, it is imperative that community college students learn the skills necessary to be successful in 21st century jobs that require critical thinking and application of information and knowledge.

The information landscape has changed dramatically in the past five years. We have moved from a primarily print based culture to an electronic information culture seemingly overnight. With Google and the Internet, accessibility to information has increased exponentially. Along with this information explosion has also come new developments in information availability that has made traditional strategies for information retrieval and evaluation a greater challenge for even the most savvy information users. It is this changing landscape and the probability that even greater changes lie ahead that makes it imperative that students be prepared to use information critically and knowledgeably.

This is especially critical for the community college student, who very often comes to the community college academically under-prepared. In fact, preliminary results from the iSkills test show that high school seniors planning to enter community colleges scored the lowest on the test.6

The community college degree will continue to be a terminal degree for many. For these students, it is crucial that some level of information literacy competency be achieved if they are to be successful and thrive in whatever career they choose. For the students who transfer to four-year institutions, it is essential that they receive a strong foundation of academic skills so that they can be successful students after they transfer.

Information competency is a lifelong skill that can make a difference in the quality of a student’s life. Achieving information competency is directly related to the NHMCCD “Basic Intellectual Competencies in the Core Curriculum” which lists reading, critical thinking, and computer literacy as core competencies.7 With the district focusing on using data to impact positive increases in student success and retention through the Achieving the Dream initiative, the timing is perfect to explore the impact that information competency can make on student achievement.

Information Literacy at NHMCCDCollege Libraries

The missions of the NHMCCD Libraries focus on resources and instruction that support lifelong learning for students and staff. The college libraries have active instruction programs and a considerable web presence which make access to electronic resources, tutorials and subject guides easily available to users. All libraries have dedicated electronic classrooms in which to teach information research. Library instruction is integrated into student orientation and student success courses offered at some of the colleges. Recently, the libraries began to develop electronic tutorials, podcasts, video streaming and other technology enhanced learning strategies to engage students in learning information literacy skills.

Since librarians usually have only 50 minute “windows of opportunity” in which to communicate information literacy to students, they must make learning as effective as possible. The library instruction class must be an active, problem-based learning environment, where information is presented visually if learning is to be successful. The Google searching, cut-and-paste, music and movie-downloading world of students poses a real challenge to also teaching evaluation and ethical use of information in such a short period of time. Since theirs is a world that thrives on team projects such as video games and You-Tube, it is no surprise that collective authoring opportunities such as Wikipedia, blogs and social networking applications have become a mainstay of this generation of learners.

Into this environment of a new student perspective comes the information explosion of the past several years. Community college faculty who devote so much of their time to teaching must also keep abreast of electronic knowledge in their field and must deal with plagiarism and with teaching students how to critically evaluate digital information.

All of this underscores the need for librarians at the NHMCCD colleges to take a proactive role in the information literacy education of our students. SACS, Achieving the Dream and librarian commitment to the success of students, particularly their success in using information, are the drivers for the development of the Library Plan for Student Success. The Plan incorporates the five standards for Information Literacy Competency developed by the Association of College and Research Libraries to ensure that NHMCCD students have many opportunities to learn how to use, apply and evaluate information. These five standards are:

Standard 1: The information literate student defines and articulates the need for information.

Standard 2: The information literate student accesses needed information effectively and efficiently.

Standard 3: The information literate student evaluates information and its sources critically and incorporates selected information into his or her knowledge base and value system.

Standard 4: The information literate student, individually or as a member of a group, uses information effectively to accomplish a specific purpose.

Standard 5: The information literate student understands many of the economic, legal, and social issues surrounding the use of information and accesses and uses information ethically and legally.

Working with faculty to promote and integrate information literacy across the curriculum so that students have diverse opportunities to become successful, information literate graduates is an important strategy of the Plan. The Plan is comprehensive in its implementation because it requires support and collaboration of faculty, librarians, administrators, and support staff.

Oversight of the Plan

The college libraries will oversee, coordinate and market the Library Plan for Student SuccessPlan. The libraries will also collect and publish data about the success of the Plan. Each year the Plan will be reviewed and progress meetings held with stakeholders to discuss the status of information literacy efforts across each college and the district.

Marketing of the Plan

The libraries must actively promote the Library Plan for Student Success and convince stakeholders of the importance of its principles. This discussion will enhance the role of the library in the instructional efforts of NHMCCD and will ensure buy-in from administrators and faculty.

Gathering data and publishing reports are a part of the marketing effort. These reports should be integrated into college reporting efforts. Publishing the Information Literacy Plan on the library web sites is a way to market the Plan. Working with faculty to develop activities and publishing the activities will also be a marketing strategy.

Every opportunity will have to be used to talk about the plan with faculty and administrators. Presenting workshops for faculty and presenting at regional and national conferences will bring recognition and visibility to the college’s information literacy efforts.

Assessment of the Plan

Assessment of information literacy efforts are an important part of the plan. In higher education today, measuring and documenting the impact of services on student success and retention is the norm.

Since the plan is comprehensive, it will take collaboration among all stakeholders to adequately assess the program. Strategies for assessment of the Plan and its success will be implemented by the following stakeholders:

Administrators

  • Measure and compare success rate of students who are in information literacy enhanced courses
  • Pilot the ICT test for a targeted group of students. Measure changes in data against an increase in courses with strengthened information literacy outcomes
  • Insert information literacy questions into CSSE survey and collect data from the survey.

Librarians

  • Assess library instruction classes using pre and post-test exercises
  • Compile feedback from student library use surveys
  • Collaborate with faculty on feedback results
  • Use feedback to refine strategies for measuring outcomes

Faculty

  • Ensure that courses include an information literacy component
  • Measure success rate (Grade of C or better) of students in courses with

strengthened information literacy outcomes

  • Compare grades on research assignments
  • Provide feedback to librarians on specified literacy components

Information Literacy Taskforce

  • Compile information and write a report on the status of information literacy across the district

Funding of the Plan

The plan can be implemented with very little extra funding, as long as information literacy outcomes continue to be integrated into college courses.

With additional funding, the following strategies could be implemented which would result in an exemplary, comprehensive program:

  • ICT testing or development of a local information literacy exit test
  • Incentives for faculty to work with librarians on information literacy projects
  • Development of tutorials and online modules for information literacy instruction
  • Focus groups of faculty and students to gather information about information literacy efforts and attitudes
  • Invite an expert on information literacy to speak on campuses
  • Host local conference or workshops on Information Literacy
  • Participation of librarian, faculty and administrators from each college in the ACRL Information Literacy Immersion program
  • Outreach to area high school librarians, including school librarians in information literacy training with the goal of developing a transition of information literacy skills between high school and college.

Timeline

The timeline for the development and implementation will ensure that some data is ready for the SACS reaffirmation of accreditation and Achieving the Dream reports.

2006-2007

Information Literacy Taskforce begins work .

Begin to gather data and information.

Begin discussions with faculty and librarians.

Develop the plan.

Decide how to measure student achievement of the outcomes in the course.

2007-2008

Present Plan to library staff, faculty and administrative groups.

Participate in new faculty programs.

Communicate best practices for information literacy among librarians.

Communicate with all faculty concerning the use of library resources to enhance critical

thinking skills.

Determine outcomes for library instruction sessions.

Develop pre and post-tests for library instruction sessions and administer the tests

districtwide.

Compile results from tests and publish data.

Gather student success data .

Review the Information Literacy Plan

Report on the effectiveness of the first year of the Plan.

2008-2009

Continue to gather data from pre and post-tests and course related information

literacy assignments

Hold campus workshops for faculty to discuss success of program

Publish examples of information literacy assignments

Present at a state conference about the success of the plan

Review second year of the Plan

Write and publish a report

In Conclusion

By faculty, librarians, support staff and administrators working together, the Information Literacy Taskforce is confident that the Information Literacy Plan will have a positive impact on the colleges in three important ways:

1. The Plan will achieve compliance with SACS standards.

With the upcoming SACS re-accreditation in 2010, the Information Literacy Plan will document the NHMCCD libraries achievement of the SACS Comprehensive Standard 3.8.2, which states that the “institution must ensure that users have access to regular and timely instruction in the use of the library and other learning/information resources.”

2. The Plan will support the Achieving the Dream Initiative.

The rationale for the Strategy Two of the AtD initiative states that students need “to learn how to access resources designed to improve their chances of academic success.” 8 The academically successful student is also the student who can find, use and evaluate information sources. The library can assist in the accomplishment of this AtD strategy.

  1. The Plan will accomplish core foundation competencies in NHMCCD courses.

The Information Literacy Plan can help achieve the following NHMCCD 2007-2008 core competencies: 9

  • Retrieve, organize, interpret, and analyze information.
  • Solve problems using qualitative and quantitative strategies
  • Formulate hypotheses and evaluate arguments logically
  • Continually expand and renew knowledge base
  • Use technologies as tools at school, work, and home

Information Literacy = Finding, Applying and Evaluating Information SUCCESSFULLY.

References

1. Association of College and Research Libraries. Information Literacy Competency Standards

for Higher Education. 2007. 27 July 2007.

2. Educational Testing Service. “iSkills Test – Information and Communication Technology

Literacy Test”. 2007. 28 July 2007. <

  1. Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. Handbook of Reaffirmation for

Accreditation. 27 July 2007. <

  1. Conference Board, and Partnership for 21st Century Skills, et al. Are they really ready to

work? Employers Perspectives on the Basic Knowledge and Applied Skills of New Entrants to the 21st Century Marketplace. 27 July 2007 < 2006>.

5. Weis, June Pullen. “Contemporary Literacy Skills Global Initiatives Converge.” 27 July 2007.

<

  1. Foster, Andrea. “Students Lack Information Literacy, Testing Service Study Finds.” 16

October 2006. 27 July 2007. <

  1. North Harris Montgomery Community College District. 2007-2008 Catalog. Basic

Intellectual Competencies in the Core Curriculum.”

  1. North Harris Montgomery Community College District. Achieving the Dream Proposal.

May 15, 2007.

  1. North Harris Montgomery Community College District. Course Descriptions. 27 July 2007.

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Library Plan for Student Success: Information Literacy at NHMCCD

The following plan was developed by the NHMCCD Library Information Literacy Taskforce. It lays out strategies to promote and achieve student success in using, applying and evaluating information, which is information literacy.

Vision

To help students become lifelong learners and wise information users who have developed the ability to effectively find, evaluate and apply information.

Adapted from PhiladelphiaUniversity Library

Objectives

  1. Develop users’ critical thinking skills and their ability to become independent, lifelong learners.
  2. Solicit a commitment from administration to provide resources needed to develop and support a dynamic information literacy program.
  3. Introduce faculty to new information resources in their field and engage them in the effective use of those resources.
  4. Create an enthusiastic partnership with faculty to integrate information literacy across all disciplines.
  5. Provide all library employees with the tools and skills to promote information literacy.
  6. Promote among librarians continuous investigation of new information literacy resources and changing environments.
  7. Evaluate and measure the effectiveness of the information literacy plan.

Objective 1: Develop users’ critical thinking skills and their ability to become independent, lifelong learners.

Strategies:

  1. Offer research workshops and appointments with the librarian as well as traditional library instruction sessions.
  2. Encourage higher level of thinking on the part of the student by apply Bloom’s Taxonomy to library instruction and to the reference interview. Teach how to use the information instead of where it is, lead students through the evaluation of the content.
  3. Create an interactive classroom by including students in the teaching through collaboration with each other and through presentation of what they have learned.
  4. Create activities such as exhibits and book discussions that encourage critical thinking.
  5. Place tutorials for routine research strategies online so that more time can be devoted to critical thinking in the research session.
  6. Break up instruction into smaller units and assess student’s learning progress.
  7. Explore the use of software that encourages critical thinking. Classroom control software can be used to lead students through the evaluation process, the visual search in Academic Search Premier and Aquabrowser can be used to evaluate search terms.
  8. Develop outcomes for library instruction sessions and measure achievement of outcomes with pre and post-tests.

Objective 2: Solicit a commitment from administration to provide resources needed to develop and support a dynamic information literacy program.