The Campaign for Information 
Literacy: 
Politics, Personalities, & Perseverance 
Elisa Slater Acosta 
Library Instruction Coordinator 
Loyola Marymount University
What is Information Literacy?
Definitions 
“Information literacy is a set of 
abilities requiring individuals to 
recognize when information is 
needed and have the ability to 
locate, evaluate, and use effectively 
the needed information” (ACRL) 
“Information literacy empowers 
people in all walks of life to seek, 
evaluate, use, and create 
information effectively to achieve 
their personal, social, occupational 
and educational goals” (UNESCO) 
Image courtesy of Beloit College Library http://www.beloit.edu/library/infolit/
Association of Colleges & Research 
Libraries Info. Lit. Standards 
Need 
Access 
Use Evaluate 
Ethics 
http://www.ala.org/acrl/standards/informationliteracycompetency
Why Do Students Need 
Information Literacy?
ERIAL Project Findings 
• Inability to correctly 
read citation 
• Little or no 
understanding of 
cataloging systems 
• No organized search 
strategies beyond 
Google style 
• Poor abilities in 
locating & evaluating 
resources 
http://www.erialproject.org/
PIL 
Findings 
http://projectinfolit.org/
Citation Project Findings 
• Don’t understand their 
sources or read deeply 
• Don’t know how to 
analyze sources 
• Instead of summarizing, 
students paraphrased, 
copied from, or 
patchwrote from 
individual sentences in 
their sources 
• Inadvertently plagiarizing 
http://site.citationproject.net/
“If we can't find the information we need for the 
topic we are truly interested in, we'll just switch 
to a new topic of less interest but requiring less 
work…” 
“The blame for our lack of research skills does 
not lie solely in our lack of zeal…. this problem 
stems from the lack of training in good research 
habits” 
– Kim Tran, Opinion Editor, Loyolan “Feeling Lucky Doesn’t Always Work Out So Well” in 
10/6/11 issue
THE WHITE HOUSE 
Office of the Press Secretary 
_____________________________________________ 
For Immediate Release October 1, 2009 
NATIONAL INFORMATION LITERACY AWARENESS MONTH, 2009 
BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA 
A PROCLAMATION 
“The ability to seek, find, and decipher information can be applied to countless 
life decisions, whether financial, medical, educational, or technical.” 
“This month, we dedicate ourselves to increasing information literacy awareness 
so that all citizens understand its vital importance. An informed and educated 
citizenry is essential to the functioning of our modern democratic society, and I 
encourage educational and community institutions across the country to help 
Americans find and evaluate the information they seek, in all its forms.” 
http://www.whitehouse.gov/the_press_office/Presidential-Proclamation-National-Information-Literacy-Awareness-Month
WASC Accreditation 
CORE 
COMPETENCIES 
WRITTEN 
COMMUNICATION 
ORAL 
COMMUNICATION 
QUANTITATIVE 
REASONING 
INFORMATION 
LITERACY 
CRITICAL 
THINKING 
WASC 2013 Handbook of Accreditation, CFR 2.2a
Loyola Marymount University 
• Private Jesuit and 
Marymount university 
in Los Angeles, CA 
• 5,962 Undergraduate 
• 2,129 Graduate
Strategies to Promote 
Information Literacy 
To embed information literacy into your curriculum today!
High Impact Practices 
• First-Year Seminars & Experience* 
• Common Intellectual Experiences* 
• Learning Communities 
• Writing Intensive Courses* 
• Collaborative Assignments & projects 
• Undergraduate Research* 
• Diversity/Global Learning 
• Service Learning 
• Internships 
• Capstones* 
High Impact Practices http://www.aacu.org/leap/documents/hip_tables.pdf
“Personalities” 
• Director of Freshman English 
Program 
• Academic Resource Center 
• Office of Assessment 
• Center for Teaching 
Excellence (CTE) 
• Faculty Library Liaisons 
• Faculty super-library-users 
Future possibilities… 
• Director of the Core 
• FYS Faculty Development 
Working Group 
• FYS Writing Instructor Working 
Group 
• Faculty Learning Communities
“Politics” 
• Deans Council (1 Librarian) 
• Associate Deans Council (1) 
• Assessment Advisory Committee (1) 
• APRC (1) 
• Faculty Senate (2) 
• New Core Curriculum Committee (1) 
o Course Criteria Working Groups (2) 
o Course Approval Subcommittee – IL 
Flag (1) 
Info Lit
Assessment
LMU Undergraduate Learning Goals and Outcomes (2010) 
Information literacy: 
Students will be able to identify information needs, 
locate and access relevant information and critically 
evaluate a diverse array of sources 
http://www.lmu.edu/about/services/academicplanning/assessment/Undergraduate_Learning_Goals_and_Outcomes.htm
Sources of Evidence 
• Direct Measure: Looks at student work products or 
performances that demonstrate learning 
• iSkills Testing 
• Indirect Measure: Captures students’ perceptions of their 
learning and the educational environment that supports 
learning 
• National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) 
• 2012 Alumni Outcomes Survey 
7
Standardized Tests 
The Information Literacy Test (ILT) 
Blevens, C. (2012). Catching up with information literacy assessment. College & Research Libraries News, 73(4), 202-206. http://crln.acrl.org/content/73/4/202.full
iSkills Test 
• Spring 2012 
• Library E-classroom 
• 7 test dates 
• 60-70 minute test 
• 75 Seniors 
• Incentives: $20 cash 
Poster created by McKenzie Sweeney from LMU Office of Assessment
Seven iSkills Task Types 
(aligned with the ACRL Standards) 
- the ability to understand the scope of an information problem to 
facilitate the search for information. 
- the ability to collect information in digital environments. 
- the ability to judge whether information satisfies an 
information problem. 
– the ability to organize information in such a way that it is 
easy to locate later. 
- the ability to interpret and represent information. 
- the ability to adapt, apply, design or construct information. 
- the ability to disseminate information tailored to a 
particular audience.
http://www.ets.org/iskills/scores_reports/reports/
http://www.ets.org/iskills/scores_reports/reports/
National Survey of Student Engagement 
• The NSSE assesses the 
extent to which students 
engage in educational 
practices associated with 
high levels of learning 
and development. 
• Spring 2012 
• All Freshmen and Seniors 
invited 
• Incentives: 16 gift cards, 
$50 
Poster created by McKenzie Sweeney from LMU Office of Assessment
The following NSSE items relate 
to Information Literacy: 
To what extent has your experience at this institution 
contributed to your knowledge, skills, and personal 
development in using computing and information 
technology? 
In your experience at your institution during the current 
school year, about how often have you used an electronic 
medium to discuss or complete an assignment?
2012 Alumni Outcomes Survey 
Image from http://alumni.lmu.edu/
2012 Alumni Outcomes Survey 
In January 2012 members of the classes of 
2004 and 2009 were invited to participate in 
an Alumni Outcomes Survey. Alumni were 
asked to rate their abilities, knowledge, and 
skills (referred to as ‘Self-Rating’) and indicate 
the extent to which LMU contributed to their 
development in these areas (referred to as 
‘LMU’s Impact’).
2012 Alumni Outcomes Survey 
Undergraduate Version 
Survey image courtesy of LMU Office of Assessment
LMU Assessment Cycle 
for information literacy outcome 
2012 
iSkills Testing 
2013 
Evidence 
Report 
2014 
Actions for 
Improvement
Spring 2014 Department Survey 
(Actions for Improvement) 
• For which components of Information Literacy do you feel students 
demonstrated satisfactory levels of achievement? 
• For which components of Information Literacy do you feel students 
are in need of improvement? 
• Does your program’s curriculum contain an information literacy 
component? If so, what kinds of pedagogies and assignments are 
used to develop students’ abilities to identify information needs, 
locate and access information, and critically evaluate sources? 
• What modifications to your program’s approach to integrating 
information literacy into the curriculum might help students to 
improve on the components you identified as needing improvement? 
• What contributions might your program make to help students 
achieve the related information literacy outcome through the new 
University Core Curriculum?
“Perseverance”
Librarians can help… 
• Designing & Revising IL 
assignments 
• Instruction - teaching search strategy, 
how to evaluate sources 
• Custom Research guides/Online 
tutorials 
• Assessment - rubrics & testing 
• Get Help - research consultation 
appointments, chat or text-a-librarian, in-person 
or phone help 
Image created by Jamie Hazlitt, Outreach Librarian
Additional Information 
• PPT Slides: 
http://works.bepress.com/elisa_acosta/3 
• Contact Information: 
Elisa Slater Acosta 
elisa.acosta@lmu.edu 
All images are from Microsoft Office clip art unless noted.
WASC Academic Resource Conference (ARC) 2013 
California Association of Research Librarians (CARL): Information Literacy 101: From Building Campus 
Awareness to Assessment for Accreditation 
April 10, 2:00 pm - 4:00 pm 
Convener: Les Kong, CARL Executive Board member and Coordinator, Media Services, California State 
University, San Bernardino 
This SIG gathering, sponsored by the California Academic and Research Libraries (CARL) is designed for 
librarians, teaching faculty, and academic administrators who wish to learn more about what distinguishes 
information literacy from other core competencies and how to promote its use on campuses. We will discuss 
strategies for developing effective avenues and working relationships with specific groups and/or units at 
academic institutions. Assessment instruments and methodologies will be reviewed, and examples provided of 
implementation of information literacy assessment at different levels. The gathering will conclude with 
implications for accreditation. 
Contributors: 
Elisa Slater Acosta, Coordinator, Library Instruction, Loyola Marymount University: The Campaign for 
Information Literacy: Politics, Personalities, & Perseverance 
Susan Gardner Archambault, Head, Reference and Instruction, Loyola Marymount University: The Great 
Race: Embedding Information Literacy into LMU's Core Curriculum 
Henri Mondschein, Manager, Information Literacy, Pearson Library, California Lutheran University: A Recipe for 
Accreditation Success: Faculty, Librarians and Program Reviews 
Katy French, Instruction/Information Literacy Librarian, Palomar College: An Information Literacy Assessment 
Story

The Campaign for Information Literacy: Politics, Personalities, & Perseverance

  • 1.
    The Campaign forInformation Literacy: Politics, Personalities, & Perseverance Elisa Slater Acosta Library Instruction Coordinator Loyola Marymount University
  • 2.
  • 3.
    Definitions “Information literacyis a set of abilities requiring individuals to recognize when information is needed and have the ability to locate, evaluate, and use effectively the needed information” (ACRL) “Information literacy empowers people in all walks of life to seek, evaluate, use, and create information effectively to achieve their personal, social, occupational and educational goals” (UNESCO) Image courtesy of Beloit College Library http://www.beloit.edu/library/infolit/
  • 4.
    Association of Colleges& Research Libraries Info. Lit. Standards Need Access Use Evaluate Ethics http://www.ala.org/acrl/standards/informationliteracycompetency
  • 5.
    Why Do StudentsNeed Information Literacy?
  • 6.
    ERIAL Project Findings • Inability to correctly read citation • Little or no understanding of cataloging systems • No organized search strategies beyond Google style • Poor abilities in locating & evaluating resources http://www.erialproject.org/
  • 7.
  • 8.
    Citation Project Findings • Don’t understand their sources or read deeply • Don’t know how to analyze sources • Instead of summarizing, students paraphrased, copied from, or patchwrote from individual sentences in their sources • Inadvertently plagiarizing http://site.citationproject.net/
  • 9.
    “If we can'tfind the information we need for the topic we are truly interested in, we'll just switch to a new topic of less interest but requiring less work…” “The blame for our lack of research skills does not lie solely in our lack of zeal…. this problem stems from the lack of training in good research habits” – Kim Tran, Opinion Editor, Loyolan “Feeling Lucky Doesn’t Always Work Out So Well” in 10/6/11 issue
  • 10.
    THE WHITE HOUSE Office of the Press Secretary _____________________________________________ For Immediate Release October 1, 2009 NATIONAL INFORMATION LITERACY AWARENESS MONTH, 2009 BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA A PROCLAMATION “The ability to seek, find, and decipher information can be applied to countless life decisions, whether financial, medical, educational, or technical.” “This month, we dedicate ourselves to increasing information literacy awareness so that all citizens understand its vital importance. An informed and educated citizenry is essential to the functioning of our modern democratic society, and I encourage educational and community institutions across the country to help Americans find and evaluate the information they seek, in all its forms.” http://www.whitehouse.gov/the_press_office/Presidential-Proclamation-National-Information-Literacy-Awareness-Month
  • 11.
    WASC Accreditation CORE COMPETENCIES WRITTEN COMMUNICATION ORAL COMMUNICATION QUANTITATIVE REASONING INFORMATION LITERACY CRITICAL THINKING WASC 2013 Handbook of Accreditation, CFR 2.2a
  • 12.
    Loyola Marymount University • Private Jesuit and Marymount university in Los Angeles, CA • 5,962 Undergraduate • 2,129 Graduate
  • 13.
    Strategies to Promote Information Literacy To embed information literacy into your curriculum today!
  • 14.
    High Impact Practices • First-Year Seminars & Experience* • Common Intellectual Experiences* • Learning Communities • Writing Intensive Courses* • Collaborative Assignments & projects • Undergraduate Research* • Diversity/Global Learning • Service Learning • Internships • Capstones* High Impact Practices http://www.aacu.org/leap/documents/hip_tables.pdf
  • 15.
    “Personalities” • Directorof Freshman English Program • Academic Resource Center • Office of Assessment • Center for Teaching Excellence (CTE) • Faculty Library Liaisons • Faculty super-library-users Future possibilities… • Director of the Core • FYS Faculty Development Working Group • FYS Writing Instructor Working Group • Faculty Learning Communities
  • 16.
    “Politics” • DeansCouncil (1 Librarian) • Associate Deans Council (1) • Assessment Advisory Committee (1) • APRC (1) • Faculty Senate (2) • New Core Curriculum Committee (1) o Course Criteria Working Groups (2) o Course Approval Subcommittee – IL Flag (1) Info Lit
  • 17.
  • 18.
    LMU Undergraduate LearningGoals and Outcomes (2010) Information literacy: Students will be able to identify information needs, locate and access relevant information and critically evaluate a diverse array of sources http://www.lmu.edu/about/services/academicplanning/assessment/Undergraduate_Learning_Goals_and_Outcomes.htm
  • 19.
    Sources of Evidence • Direct Measure: Looks at student work products or performances that demonstrate learning • iSkills Testing • Indirect Measure: Captures students’ perceptions of their learning and the educational environment that supports learning • National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) • 2012 Alumni Outcomes Survey 7
  • 20.
    Standardized Tests TheInformation Literacy Test (ILT) Blevens, C. (2012). Catching up with information literacy assessment. College & Research Libraries News, 73(4), 202-206. http://crln.acrl.org/content/73/4/202.full
  • 21.
    iSkills Test •Spring 2012 • Library E-classroom • 7 test dates • 60-70 minute test • 75 Seniors • Incentives: $20 cash Poster created by McKenzie Sweeney from LMU Office of Assessment
  • 22.
    Seven iSkills TaskTypes (aligned with the ACRL Standards) - the ability to understand the scope of an information problem to facilitate the search for information. - the ability to collect information in digital environments. - the ability to judge whether information satisfies an information problem. – the ability to organize information in such a way that it is easy to locate later. - the ability to interpret and represent information. - the ability to adapt, apply, design or construct information. - the ability to disseminate information tailored to a particular audience.
  • 23.
  • 24.
  • 25.
    National Survey ofStudent Engagement • The NSSE assesses the extent to which students engage in educational practices associated with high levels of learning and development. • Spring 2012 • All Freshmen and Seniors invited • Incentives: 16 gift cards, $50 Poster created by McKenzie Sweeney from LMU Office of Assessment
  • 26.
    The following NSSEitems relate to Information Literacy: To what extent has your experience at this institution contributed to your knowledge, skills, and personal development in using computing and information technology? In your experience at your institution during the current school year, about how often have you used an electronic medium to discuss or complete an assignment?
  • 27.
    2012 Alumni OutcomesSurvey Image from http://alumni.lmu.edu/
  • 28.
    2012 Alumni OutcomesSurvey In January 2012 members of the classes of 2004 and 2009 were invited to participate in an Alumni Outcomes Survey. Alumni were asked to rate their abilities, knowledge, and skills (referred to as ‘Self-Rating’) and indicate the extent to which LMU contributed to their development in these areas (referred to as ‘LMU’s Impact’).
  • 29.
    2012 Alumni OutcomesSurvey Undergraduate Version Survey image courtesy of LMU Office of Assessment
  • 30.
    LMU Assessment Cycle for information literacy outcome 2012 iSkills Testing 2013 Evidence Report 2014 Actions for Improvement
  • 31.
    Spring 2014 DepartmentSurvey (Actions for Improvement) • For which components of Information Literacy do you feel students demonstrated satisfactory levels of achievement? • For which components of Information Literacy do you feel students are in need of improvement? • Does your program’s curriculum contain an information literacy component? If so, what kinds of pedagogies and assignments are used to develop students’ abilities to identify information needs, locate and access information, and critically evaluate sources? • What modifications to your program’s approach to integrating information literacy into the curriculum might help students to improve on the components you identified as needing improvement? • What contributions might your program make to help students achieve the related information literacy outcome through the new University Core Curriculum?
  • 32.
  • 33.
    Librarians can help… • Designing & Revising IL assignments • Instruction - teaching search strategy, how to evaluate sources • Custom Research guides/Online tutorials • Assessment - rubrics & testing • Get Help - research consultation appointments, chat or text-a-librarian, in-person or phone help Image created by Jamie Hazlitt, Outreach Librarian
  • 34.
    Additional Information •PPT Slides: http://works.bepress.com/elisa_acosta/3 • Contact Information: Elisa Slater Acosta [email protected] All images are from Microsoft Office clip art unless noted.
  • 35.
    WASC Academic ResourceConference (ARC) 2013 California Association of Research Librarians (CARL): Information Literacy 101: From Building Campus Awareness to Assessment for Accreditation April 10, 2:00 pm - 4:00 pm Convener: Les Kong, CARL Executive Board member and Coordinator, Media Services, California State University, San Bernardino This SIG gathering, sponsored by the California Academic and Research Libraries (CARL) is designed for librarians, teaching faculty, and academic administrators who wish to learn more about what distinguishes information literacy from other core competencies and how to promote its use on campuses. We will discuss strategies for developing effective avenues and working relationships with specific groups and/or units at academic institutions. Assessment instruments and methodologies will be reviewed, and examples provided of implementation of information literacy assessment at different levels. The gathering will conclude with implications for accreditation. Contributors: Elisa Slater Acosta, Coordinator, Library Instruction, Loyola Marymount University: The Campaign for Information Literacy: Politics, Personalities, & Perseverance Susan Gardner Archambault, Head, Reference and Instruction, Loyola Marymount University: The Great Race: Embedding Information Literacy into LMU's Core Curriculum Henri Mondschein, Manager, Information Literacy, Pearson Library, California Lutheran University: A Recipe for Accreditation Success: Faculty, Librarians and Program Reviews Katy French, Instruction/Information Literacy Librarian, Palomar College: An Information Literacy Assessment Story

Editor's Notes