Jade Winn, Assistant Dean for Instruction, Assessment & Engagement at the University of Southern California Libraries, shares early results from a multi-institutional, longitudinal study of how information literacy instruction relates to student success at colleges and universities.

1. Multi-Institutional/Longitudinal Student
Success Research: The Next Wave for
Information Literacy Instruction Assessment:
The GWLA Study
Jade Winn
Assistant Dean for Instruction, Assessment &
Engagement
University of Southern California Libraries

2. GWLA
 Consortium of 37 Research Libraries
 Project Oriented Consortium
 Student Learning Outcome (Strategic
Collaborative Initiative)
 Identify and promote best practices for how
research libraries may support and
enhance student learning outcomes and
assessment practices.

3. Student Learning Outcomes Task Force
The intent of the multi-institutional task force is to research the
following questions in order to identify and share exemplary
practices:
• What effect does library instruction have on the retention of
college students?
• What effect does library instruction have on the academic
success of college students?
• What is the impact of specific library instruction methods on the
retention and academic success of college students?

4. Motivating Factors for Research
 Information Literacy (ALA & ACRL)
 IL Instruction Articulate Value
 Professional Discourse
 National Dataset
 Multi-Institutional, Longitudinal & Reproducible

5. GWLA Expected Outcomes
 Full evaluation of the data during and at the end of the study will
inform institutions how to better provide for student success
 Ensuring that professional discourse on curriculum development,
instructional practices, and student learning outcomes is
advanced
 Enhanced discussion across diverse institutions
 Improving instructional efforts and assessment for greater student
success

6. 47,012 first-year students
25,327 had library instruction

7. Scope of Project
• Largest study of its kind to date
• Diverse institutions across the west
• Diverse student population
• Includes all students instead of looking at only
students who had library instruction
• Longitudinal (6 Years)

8. Project Design
• GWLA Student Learning Outcomes Task Force developed research
questions which guided design
• Research Methods Design Committee refined questions
• What effect does library instruction have on the retention of
college students?
• What effect does library instruction have on the academic
success of college students?
• What is the impact of specific library instruction methods on the
retention and academic success of college students?

9. Challenges & Complexity
• Data collection process at each institution
• Data acquisition process
• Data cleaning and coding
• Merging datasets
• Data sharing agreement
• Planning first year data vs. longitudinal data
• IRB approval at each institution
• Security
• De-identifying data
• Data storage

10. • Pedagogy
• Active Learning
• Directed Practice
• Flipped Instruction
• Lecture
• Other
• Session level
• Co-designed Assignment
• Library Tour
• Time/Frequency Library Instruction
• Online Tutorial or Digital Learning Object
• Research Guide Used
Instruction/Course Level
Variables
Registrar/Student Level
Variables
• Grades
• Credit Hours Earned
• Retention
• Semester
• Year
• Graduation
• Demographics
• Gender
• Ethnicity
• ESL
• Admissions Data

11. Summary of Results From 2014-2015
Key findings include:
• Student retention rates are higher for those students whose courses include an
information literacy instruction component.
• On average, First-Year GPA for students whose courses included information literacy
instruction was higher than the GPA of students whose courses did not.
• Students exposed to library instruction interactions successfully completed 1.8 more
credit hours per year than their counterparts who did not participate in courses
containing information literacy instruction.
GWLA (2017). The Impact of Information Literacy Instruction on Student Success. Prepared by Joni Blake,
Melissa Bowles-Terry, Shirlene Pearson, and Zoltan Szentkiralyi. Kansas City: Greater Western Library
Alliance.

12. Institutional Implications
• Library instruction has a positive impact on student academic
success and speaks to the institution’s mission and goals
• Integration of Information Literacy Instruction for Multi-Disciplinary
and General Education Programming
• Accreditation
• Collaborations

13. Professional Implications
• Discourse for Information Literacy Pedagogy
• Evidence Based Research for Programmatic Planning
• Contributing to institutional value statements
(accreditation)
• Model for Multi-Institutional/Longitudinal Research
Reproduction
• Accreditation
• National Dataset

14. Impact
 Genesis of National Dataset
 Evaluates Student Success Measures Uses Higher Education
Variables
 Eliminates Institutional Biases
 Includes Students Without Information Literacy Instruction
 Model (challenges and complexities have been addressed stated)
 Informs Unintended Consequences (things to look forward to)
 Eloquent Value Statements That are Evidence Based