“Measuring Value: the impact of information literacy and its evaluation” Birmingham City University, May 4, 2016

1. Supporting the Development & Assessment of
Critical Skills in a New Undergraduate Curriculum
“Measuring Value: the impact of information literacy and its evaluation”
Birmingham City University, May 4, 2016
Lorna Dodd
Senior Librarian, Maynooth University, lorna.dodd@nuim.ie, Tel: 01 708 6447, @LornaDodd

2. A new curriculum with a key focus on
critical skills

3. Information
Literacy
Problem Solving
Independent
Learning
Critical Thinking
Analysis
Reflection
Communication
Skills
Understand
academic
standards
Ethical
Responsibility
Critical Skills in the new Curriculum

4. Maynooth University
Graduate Attributes
“…graduates are expected to
be… capable of gathering and
critiquing information from a
variety of sources”
(Maynooth University, 2014)

5. Deep
Knowledge &
Critical
intellectual
skills
Autonomous
and
responsible
learners
Breadth of
perspective
Skills for life
and work
A Maynooth Education

6. An opportunity for the Library
to be heard….

7. Respond
to
Requests
Out of context
with students’
learning
Frequent
Overlap with no
Evaluation
Deliver
Everything in
One Hour
What we do now…

8. Underpin instructional activities
Inform our practice
Meet recognised international standards
Cater for all students
Align with the new undergraduate curriculum
Why develop a framework?

9. Designing a Framework
Graduate Attributes and Critical skills
need to be central to the design,
delivery and assessment of
Information Literacy

10. Choosing a Framework
- SCONUL 7 Pillars
- ACRL Framework for Information
Literacy
- Australia & New Zealand
Information Literacy Standards
- A new Curriculum for Information
Literacy (ANCIL)

11. 7 Pillars
PROS:
Easily
identifiable
aims/objectives
& outcomes.
CONS
Prescriptive,
inflexible, often
out of date with
current
educational
trends?
ANZIL
PROS:
Comprehensive
plan.
Framework of
choice in 4 of
the 7 Irish
Universities.
CONS
Prescriptive.
Out of date.
Doesn’t
consider current
student needs &
changing
technology
landscape.
ANCIL
PROS:
Comprehensive.
Holistic, modular,
embedded,
active, assessed
&
transformative.
CONS
Prescriptive.
Favours face to
face as preferred
method of
delivery. Could
be problematic
as student
numbers grow.
ACRL
PROS:
Flexible. Not
prescriptive.
Takes into
account
changing
information
landscape.
Collaborative.
CONS
Lack of learning
outcomes may
be difficult for
those used to a
prescriptive
method.
ACRL
PROS:
Flexible. Not
prescriptive.
Takes into
account
changing
information
landscape.
Collaborative.
CONS
Lack of learning
outcomes may
be difficult for
those used to a
prescriptive
method.

12. ANCIL has stated outcomes, is therefore
more prescriptive and prefers face to face
delivery over online.
ACRL relies on concepts rather than
outcomes, allowing for greater flexibility.
Choosing a Framework
ANCIL and ACRL stood out. Both models are
dynamic and can align with core graduate
attributes.

13. A blended approach

14. 1. Managing the transition and becoming an
independent learner
2. Mapping and evaluating the information
landscape
3. Researching within the disciplines
4. Managing and presenting information
5. Understanding the ethical and social
dimensions of information
Five Key Competencies

15. • Mapping &
evaluating the
information
landscape
• Managing &
presenting
information
• Managing the
transition
• Understanding ethical
& social dimensions
of information
• Researching within
the disciplines
Deep
Knowledge &
Critical
intellectual
skills
Autonomous
and
responsible
learners
Breadth of
perspective
Skills for life
and work
Information Literacy Framework for
‘A Maynooth Education’

16. sustainable
integrated
embedded

17. Train the trainer – master classes for
teaching staff
Guides and supports illustrating how
information literacy can be integrated with
other critical skills and embedded into
content
Tutorials and quizzes that can be
customised and embedded into Moodle
Instructional videos and online guides
Examples of how to embed information
literacy evaluation into assessment
New Resources

18. The new framework opened up a conversation
with the critical skills coordinator about
connecting Information Literacy
to other critical skills and embedding
IL into curriculum content and
assessment

19. How do we measure success?

20. Assessment Rubric
Managing the transition and
becoming an independent learner
Managing and presenting information
Mapping and evaluating the
information landscape
Researching within the disciplines
Understanding the ethical and social
dimensions of information

21. Assessing Information Literacy
“I’m trying to constantly embed and reinforce
information literacy in the exercises… [it] is found
throughout”
Dr Brian McKenzie, Critical Skills Coordinator

22. Building relationships

23. Information Literacy Rubric

24. Where are we trying to get to?

25. Association of College and Research Libraries (2014) ‘ACRL Framework for Information Literacy’
http://www.ala.org/acrl/standards/ilframework [Accessed June 5, 2015]
Bowles-Terry, M. (2012) ’Library Instruction and Academic Success: A Mixed-Methods Assessment of a
Library Instruction Program’. Evidence Based Library and Information Practice, 7 (1), pp. 82-95
Keleher, P et al (2011) ‘The challenge of embedding Information Literacy as a graduate attribute into
engineering and technology courses’ Frontiers in Education Conference (FIE) 12-15 Oct
Maynooth University (2014), ‘Maynooth University Graduate Attributes’
https://www.maynoothuniversity.ie/sites/default/files/assets/document/Graduate%20Attributes%20Fi
nal%20version_0.pdf [Accessed June 8, 2015]
Maynooth University (2012) ‘Maynooth University Strategic Plan 2012-2017’
https://www.maynoothuniversity.ie/sites/default/files/assets/document/strategicplan20122017.pdf
[Accessed June 16, 2015]
Secker, J & Connan, E (2011) ‘A New Curriculum for Information Literacy’, ARCADIA University of
Cambridge http://ccfil.pbworks.com/f/ANCIL_final.pdf [Accessed June 5, 2015]
References