But are they learning anything? Outcomes assessment of information literacy instruction

This paper reports on data collected during an ongoing SSHRC-funded study of information literacy instruction in Canadian academic libraries. The goals of the study are: 1) to identify the outcomes of information literacy instruction (including, for students, cognitive, behavioral, and affective outcomes; and for universities and colleges, higher student achievement and program completion rates); 2) to characterize "success" in achieving those outcomes from the viewpoints of instructional librarians and from the perspectives of clients (i.e., students); and 3) to identify those institutional and pedagogical factors which promote successful outcomes. The theoretical frameworks supporting this study include a phenomenological approach to exploring people's personal meanings of information literacy, and educational assessment theory, highlighting the importance of evaluating outcomes (summative) with the goal of instructional improvement (formative). The data collection is progressing in three phases. In phase one, interviews were conducted at three case study sites (two universities and one college in different regions of Canada) with instructional librarians and with library administrators, and instructional documentation from each site was analyzed. The results of phase one included analysis of instructional goals, pedagogical approaches, institutional support, instructional evaluation, and instructional challenges. Phase two of the study included pre- and post-tests (developed collaboratively with instructional librarians, and based on existing instructional objectives) of students' information literacy skills, and interviews with students focusing on their experiences of information literacy. This paper focuses on the outcomes of information literacy instruction from the student perspective, as shown through analysis of the pre-and post-test results. Those data are enriched by preliminary analyses of interviews with students exploring their experiences of information literacy (from a phenomenological perspective). When combined with the institutional perspectives explored in phase one, a full picture of instructional outcomes and success factors will emerge. This description will provide a basis on which to advance instruction toward identifiable, positive outcomes for students in post-secondary institutions. The value of information literacy skills is widely recognized. However, analysis of effective means of developing information literacy skills has not yet been thorough, nor is our understanding informed by sufficient data on the quality of existing instruction in this area. This study seeks to address that gap.