This document summarizes an assessment of information literacy skills in South Africa. It discusses the importance of assessing whether students have learned information literacy skills. Surveys from 1993, 2001, and 2010 show that while more South African institutions are assessing information literacy, there is still room for improvement. Few courses are accredited and follow educational models. Assessment data is often not used to improve instruction programs. The document advocates for institutions to gather and use assessment data to enhance training programs and collaborate more with academic departments on content and assessment. It also suggests librarians become more skilled in assessment practices.

1. 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

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

3. 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

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

5. How do students play ball?

6. 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

7. 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

8. Deflate/inflate
librarians

9. 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. 2008.

10. 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!

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

12. 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

14. 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
www.meganoakleaf.info

15. 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

16. 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

17. 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.2010. Assessing the assessment: How institutions administered, interpreted and used SAILS.
Reference Services Review, Vol 38,no1, p169
?

18. Information literacy assessment standards
• ISKILLS (ICT skills)
Comprehensive test for information and communication
technology proficiency. Educational Testing Service (ETS)
http://www.ets.org.iSkills
• 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.www.projectsails.org
.

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

20. Information literacy assessment in
South Africa

21. 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

22. 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

23. The 2010 Survey

24. 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?
?

25. Results of the 2010 survey
• Seventeen of the twenty three institutions responded
• Thirteen (76%)confirmed that they do assess (2001-58%)
• 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

26. 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

27. Keep the assessment ball rolling
Close the loop

28. Thank you