This panel, originally presented on March 25, 2017 in Baltimore, MD at ACRL shows three institutions leading direct assessment data collection and analysis projects at course, program, and institution level. Also included within the presentation are other sources of IL assessment data (indirect) that may already be collected at your institution. Description from ACRL site: Come join a conversation about how librarians can lead the way in assessing information literacy for their campuses. Three librarians will talk about their varied experiences in using the SAILS instrument, from pre- and post-testing in an IL course, to researching student success, to institutional assessment. Participate in guided discussion and activities to determine if and how this instrument (or others) can be used for positive effect at your institution.

1. Take the Helm, Ensign!
Becoming a Campus Leader
with Information Literacy
Assessment

2. Cynthia Kane
Emporia State University
Colleen Mullally
North Andover Public Schools
Carolyn Radcliff
Chapman University
… and You!

3. Project SAILS
● Standardized Assessment of Information Literacy Skills
● Information Literacy Competency Standards for Higher
Education
● Knowledge test with multiple choice questions
● Lower and higher order thinking
● Used by 200+ libraries
● 3 tests: Cohort, Individual Scores, Build Your Own Test
● Available for purchase from Carrick Enterprises

4. Course Level Assessments:
Purpose & Scope
UL 100:
Research Skills, Information, and Technology

5. Course Level Assessments:
Purpose & Scope
GSGS 198.02
Life Skills

6. Program Level Assessment:
Purpose & Scope
Program Review: Provide data and evidence to support
institutional planning, budgeting and decision-making.

7. Institution Level Assessment at Chapman:
Purpose & Scope
Direct evidence
How well do our students perform
at or near graduation?
Longitudinal study
WASC accreditation:

8. Institution Level Assessment at Pepperdine:
Purpose & Scope
Pepperdine Libraries
Strategic Plan
component includes
evaluation of library
programs and services
value add in improving
the IL program
Pepperdine Libraries
5 Year
Program Review
major component of
direct assessment data
needed for internal
self study
one element from the
assessment calendar
WASC Accreditation:
IL as a Core
Competency
University-wide
methodology supplied
by assessment librarian
coordinated by
librarians and OIE
data needs near/at the
point of graduation

9. What are your assessment needs?
Why are you conducting an assessment?
◦What questions are you trying to answer?
Consider the scope of the assessment:
◦Class-level: students in a single course section
◦Program-level: students in multiple courses in the same
program
◦Institution-level: students in multiple sections across multiple
programs

10. Campus Partner / Campus Leader

11. Who are your campus partners?
• Who has the expertise?
• Who has the funding?
• Who needs you?
• How can IL assessment benefit a class, a program, the
institution?

12. Working with SAILS Test Results
Cohort Test
• PDF of results by cohort
• Cross-institution comparisons
• Test questions
Individual Scores & Build Your Own Test
• Spreadsheet with every student's
results
• Cross-institution
comparisons
(not for BYOT)
• Test questions

13. Working with Testing Results at ESU

14. Working with the Pre-Test
Individual Test Results at Pepperdine

15. Using Pre-Test and Post-Test Results
at Pepperdine

16. Working with Results
• What will you do with the information?
• What are you hoping to get from the results?
• How will the results help you answer your questions?

17. Stakeholders

18. Who are your stakeholders?
Who wants to know about your results?
Who should be informed?

19. Options for Assessing IL
Direct assessment: What do students know? What can they do?
○ Tests
○ Standardized tests
○ Rubrics
Indirect assessment: Opinions, attitudes, perspectives
○ Surveys

20. Potential IL Data Sources:
Locate Instruments Used at Your Institution
Selection of surveys with IL-related questions for different campus
populations
 HERI Instruments
Undergraduate Students
 CIRP Your First College Year
 CIRP Freshman Survey
 CIRP Senior Survey
 CIRP Diverse Learning Environments
Faculty
 HERI Faculty Survey
 HEDS Instruments
Alumni
 Alumni Survey
 Noel-Levitz Instruments
Other Student Populations
 Adult Student Priorities Survey

21. Potential IL Data Sources:
Locate Questions on the Instrument
CIRP Your First College Year Survey asks …
 How often did students ...
•Evaluate information
•Locate articles and resources
 Student self evaluation of …
•Conducting research
•Thinking critically
 Indicate frequency of…
•Connecting to library resources electronically

22. Action!
Start work on a plan of action
What assessments are in place
What are your assessment options
Who are your collaborators

23. Librarians as Leaders
in Assessment
We are…
Multidisciplinary
Allegiance to all
Learning outcomes professionals
Assessment professionals

24. Questions, Ensign?
Ask us questions that are
broad and generalizable.
We’ll be happy to discuss
questions about your
specific situation after the
session.

25. Thank You!
Cynthia Kane
Emporia State University
ckane1@emporia.edu
Colleen Mullally
North Andover Public Schools
scanloncolleen@yahoo.com
Carolyn Radcliff
Chapman University
carolyn.radcliff@gmail.com