I nformation literacy a ssessment

Sheila Webber Sept 2003

Information literacy assessment

Sheila Webber, Department of Information Studies, University of Sheffield, UK

September 2003


“It has long been recognised that probably the biggest influence on a student’s

approach to their studies is the assessment regime of the course”Rust, C. (2001) A briefing on assessment of large groups. York: Learning and Teaching

Support Network. (p11)

http://www.ltsn.ac.uk/embedded_object.asp?id=17152&prompt=yes&filename=ASS012


“the crucial thing, I think, is that you do have to tie the literacy exercises

to application to the discipline which is assessed in some way, frankly,

because if not, the ones who need it most will do it less”

Civil Engineering lecturer, interviewed for our project


Information literacy is the adoption of appropriate information behaviour

to identify, through whatever channel or medium, information well fitted to information needs, leading

to wise and ethical use of information in society

(Johnston & Webber 2002)


No simplistic model for IL assessment

• Assessment of student learning

• Assessment in context of teaching, learning and course design

• Complex assessment as befits the definition of IL


Learning purposes

Design of Learning & Teaching

Evaluation/ redesign

Assessment of learning

Alignment T/L/A for

IL

Learning design

Developmental

Information rich

ConstructivistRelational

Credit bearing Complex

Proactive

Bill Johnston & Sheila Webber, 2002


Designing assessment in practice

• Common factors

• Modes of assessmentexpressed by

• Tasks, activities and products of assessment: individual and group


4 Common factors1. Assessment should address a blend of

purposes– Diagnosis– Formative feedback for improvement– Summative feedback for judgement– Course evaluation, quality audit

(but you may need to address different purposes through different exercises)


2. Assessment regime should display certain conditions e.g.– relevance, consistency, authenticity,

practicality

N.B it might be "practical" but meaningless!


4 aspects of authentic assessment1. "Assessments sample the actual knowledge, skills, and

dispositions desired of teachers [professionals] as they are used in teaching and learning contexts, rather than relying on more remote proxies.

2. "Assessments require the integration of multiple kinds of knowledge and skill as they are used in practice.

3. "Multiple sources of evidence are collected over time and in diverse contexts.

4. "Assessment evidence is evaluated by individuals with relevant expertise against criteria that matter for performance in the field."

Darling-Hammond & Snyder, cited by: Elton, M & Johnston, B (2002) Assessment in universities: a critical review of research. York: Learning and Teaching Support Network. http://www.ltsn.ac.uk/embedded_object.asp?id=17161&prompt=yes&filename=ASS013


3. Recording of assessment should take variety of forms e.g.– transcripts of test results, portfolios, learning

diaries

4. Assessment should address the learner’s concept of, & approach to, learning e.g.– Quantitative/qualitative; Surface/deep


“Be suspicious of the objectivity and accuracy of all measures of student ability and conscious that human judgment is the most important

element in every indicator of human achievement”

Ramsden, quoted in: Biggs, J. (1999, p159).


Modes of assessment

• Expert assessment

• Self assessment

• Peer assessment

Need to develop self-critical and reflective capacity in the student to be able to engage in self and peer

assessment through life


"Critical self-evaluation and self-assessment of performance is an essential quality of the lifelong learner. Unless students are encouraged to take at

least some responsibility for their own assessment they are unlikely to reach their full potential as creative, productive learners in the

workplace or community”Candy, P.C., Crebert, G. and O‘Leary, J. (1994, p154)


Example

• Module taken by students on BSc Information Management - 25 this year

• Level 1 semester 1

• 20 credits (i.e. a third of what they do in this semester)

• 3 hours most weeks: 1 hr lecture followed by 2 hours in computer lab

• WebCT to support class


SCONUL 7 pillars of information literacy

Recognise information need

Distinguish ways of addressing gap

Construct strategies for locating

Synthesise and create

Organise, apply and communicate

Compare and evaluate

Locate and access

Inform

ation L

iteracy

Basic Library Skills

&

IT Skills

http://www.sconul.ac.uk/


1. (10%) Review of a website, article or book

2. (50%) Reflection on achievement in each of SCONUL 7 pillars (1,500-1,750 words) plus portfolio of evidence including

– Before/after mindmaps *– Bibliography produced for student client *– Presentations– Feedback from student client– Anything else (e.g. other classes)

3. (40%) Examination


Reflection/ portfolio• Aims

– To reflect on your understanding of information literacy

– To improve your information searching skills by carrying out and evaluating a search for a real-life client

– To provide the client with relevant information – To familiarise yourself with specific information

sources • Standard coursework feedback sheet +

individual comments


• What they don't get marks for includes– Feedback on ppt presentation on infolit strengths/

weaknesses in week 2 (from teaching staff & peers)– Feedback on ppt presentation of group search task in

week 6 (from teaching staff)– Feedback from peer and lecturer on reference

interview in week 5/6– Feedback on "bibliography" from student client in

week 10

• It can be used as evidence in their portfolio


Group exercise searching & evaluating information on MMR vaccine

Further material on evaluating, including "Internet Detective"

Exercises identifying & evaluating websites in pairs

ppts of evaluations posted to discussion list, some presented

Short talk about evaluating information

1

2Short review of a website, article or book on information literacy (marked)

3

etc. etc.

Examining how other people evaluate or review

4


Tutorial: Interview a fellow student "client" to find out what information the client wants

Further reading on interviewing given

I and a colleague play 2 scenes in which a librarian and information scientist do poor interviews

Students asked for feedback on what went well/badly

Short lecture on interviewing techniques

After each interview, interviewer, interviewee & tutor write down comments, then give verbal feedbackWritten comments copied to interviewer

1

2

Student reflects on interview in portfolio (marked)

3


Over to you! (1)

• 10 minutes to think individually about an assessment or assessment task you currently use, or would like to use. Fill out as much of the form as is helpful


Over to you! (2)

• 20 minutes in groups. Choose a theme for your group presentation e.g.: – Ideas for using peer, self and expert assessment– Bringing more variety into assessment - your

ideas for particular assessments you have used or would like to use

– Collaborating (with teachers, students, administrators, IT experts…) for changes in assessment


Over to you! (3)

• 20 minutes for (some?) groups to feedback to everyone


Contacts

• Sheila Webber [email protected]

• http://ciquest.shef.ac.uk/infolit/ - weblog

• http://dis.shef.ac.uk/literacy/

I nformation literacy a ssessment

Documents

Transcript of I nformation literacy a ssessment