This poster presentation summarizes a research project conducted by an academic library team to assess the impact of information literacy (IL) instruction on student critical thinking skills. The team used pre- and post-tests as well as a rubric to analyze student work. They found that IL instruction led to significant gains in students' abilities to develop topics, evaluate sources and information, with over 85% of students improving on these skills. The presentation concludes that embedding IL instruction across disciplines could further benefit student learning and success.

1. Assessment in Action:
Academic Libraries &
Student Success
CRITICAL THINKING & INFORMATION LITERACY
Poster Presentation: American Library Association Annual Conference, San Francisco, 2015 Sherry Tinerella

3. ACRL: Value of Academic Libraries Initiative
Association of
College &
Research
Libraries
Initiative is the result of
Summits –

4. Themes
Accountability Unified
Approach
Student
learning/success
Evidence-based

5. AiA
Institution of Museum & Library Services (IMLS)
Collaborative Planning Grant
Assessment in
Action: Academic
Libraries &
Student Success
Goal 1
• Develop professional competencies of librarians to document &
communicate the value of the library in relation to institutional goals
for learning & student success.
Goal 2
• Build & strengthen collaborative partnerships with stakeholders in
higher ed.
Goal 3
• Contribute to higher ed assessment work by creating approaches,
strategies & practices that document library’s contribution.

6. Overview
2013-2014
75
institutions
2014-2015
73
institutions
2015-2016
55
institutions
• Application process
• 14 month commitment
• Attend 2 full day
workshops at ALA annual
& midwinter
• Moodle learning
management system
meetings & assignments
• Group discussions
• Poster Session Each librarian is a team leader on their campus who is to create a community of
practice. Teams should consist of librarians, administration, & faculty. The
purpose is to design, implement, and present research that provides evidence of
the library’s value & contribution to student learning or success.

7. To demonstrate the impact of information literacy
(IL) through library instruction on critical thinking
and to create a sustainable IL program to ensure
student success.

8. Arkansas Tech Team
Sherry Tinerella – Team Leader
Monica Varner – Director of Institutional Effectiveness
Rebecca Callaway – Professor of Education & Instructional Designer for eTech
Regina St. John - Associate Professor of English
Hanna Norton – Assistant VP for Academic Affairs

9. Research Question: How does information literacy
contribute to critical thinking in undergraduate students?
• Use 2 sections of Introduction to Library
Resources LBMD 2001
• Use TRAILS Assessment, pre and post
tests
• Rubric for Final Project

12. TRAILS
Assessment
Alignment
To Standards
Number of
Questions on
Assessment
Data Used to
Assess Prior
Knowledge
Develop Topic 6 5 most relevant
1 point each
Identify Sources 6
Search Strategies 6
Evaluate
Information
6 5 most relevant
1 point each
Use Information 6
Prior Knowledge Post
This
score
Average of these four skills

13. 0
1
2
3
4
5
6
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45
SCORE
STUDENTS
Develop a Topic
Pre-test Post-test Final
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45
SCORE
STUDENTS
Evaluating Sources & Information
Pre-test Post-test Final Project
Students Pre & Final Rubric
85.5% Increase
12.5% No Change
.05% Decrease
Students Pre & Final Rubric
56.5% Increase
17.5% No Change
25% Decrease

14. Students would benefit from IL instruction
embedded into relevant courses within
their majors. Library faculty can provide a
strategy to implement IL instruction into
these courses. Librarians can collaborate
with faculty to create authentic learning
activities that teach IL and subject specific
research methods together.
Critical thinking & information literacy have
been examined together in library science for
at least 25 years when Sonia Bodi published a
paper about the connection between
bibliographic instruction & critical thinking.
More recent literature indicates that campus-wide
programs exist based on this correlation. (Johnson,
Lindsay, & Walter 2008).
Studies examine the critical thinking aspect of IL
instruction within specific disciplines. (Van Loon & Lai,
2014)
Information literate college graduates are desirable in the
workplace as well as academe. (Bell, 2014).

15. Benefits of AiA
• Created relationships with campus administrators and
faculty
• Invaluable professional development and networking
• Education in assessment, research, and communication
• Basis for expanding Information Literacy education through
library instruction

16. • ACRL (2000). Information Literacy Competency Standards for Higher
Education. Retrieved from
http://www.ala.org/acrl/standards/informationliteracycompetency
• Bell, S. (2014, March 19). Employers want workplace-ready grads, but
can higher ed deliver?/from the Bell Tower. Library Journal: Academic
Newswire. Retrieved from
http://lj.libraryjournal.com/2014/03/opinion/steven-bell/employers-
want-workplace-ready-grads-but-can-higher-ed-deliver-from-the-bell-
tower/#_
• Johnson, C., Lindsay, E.B., and Walter, S. (2008). Learning more about how
they think: Information literacy instruction in campus-wide critical
thinking project. College and Undergraduate Libraries, 15(1/2).
• Kent State University Libraries. TRAILS: Tools for real-time assessment of
information literacy skills. Retrieved from www.trails-9.org
• Van Loon, J.E., Lai, H.L. (2014) Information literacy skills as critical thinking
framework in the undergraduate engineering curriculum. Library Scholarly
Publications 80. Retrieved from
http://digitalcommons.wayne.edu/libsp/80