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Information Literacy Assessment

This guide is to assist in the development of tools to assess information literacy

Searching as Strategic Exploration

Searching as Strategic Exploration

Searching for information is often nonlinear and iterative, requiring the evaluation of a range of information sources and the mental flexibility to pursue alternate avenues as new understanding develops.

The act of searching often begins with a question that directs the act of finding needed information. Encompassing inquiry, discovery, and serendipity, searching identifies both possible relevant sources as well as the means to access those sources. Experts realize that information searching is a contextualized, complex experience that affects, and is affected by, the cognitive, affective, and social dimensions of the searcher. Novice learners may search a limited set of resources, while experts may search more broadly and deeply to determine the most appropriate information within the project scope. Likewise, novice learners tend to use few search strategies, while experts select from various search strategies, depending on the sources, scope, and context of the information need.

Knowledge Practices

Learners who are developing their information literate abilities

  • determine the initial scope of the task required to meet their information needs;
  • identify interested parties, such as scholars, organizations, governments, and industries, who might produce information about a topic and then determine how to access that information;
  • utilize divergent (e.g., brainstorming) and convergent (e.g., selecting the best source) thinking when searching;
  • match information needs and search strategies to appropriate search tools;
  • design and refine needs and search strategies as necessary, based on search results;
  • understand how information systems (i.e., collections of recorded information) are organized in order to access relevant information;
  • use different types of searching language (e.g., controlled vocabulary, keywords, natural language) appropriately;
  • manage searching processes and results effectively.

Dispositions

Learners who are developing their information literate abilities

  • exhibit mental flexibility and creativity
  • understand that first attempts at searching do not always produce adequate results
  • realize that information sources vary greatly in content and format and have varying relevance and value, depending on the needs and nature of the search
  • seek guidance from experts, such as librarians, researchers, and professionals
  • recognize the value of browsing and other serendipitous methods of information gathering
  • persist in the face of search challenges, and know when they have enough information to complete the information task

Copyright ACRL from http://www.ala.org/acrl/standards/ilframework#exploration​

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  • Students will be able to find items in the catalog if given the author, title, or keywords and locate the item on the shelf.
  • Students will be able to identify keywords from a given topic and use appropriate search commands.
  • Students will be able to implement searches in a multipurpose database and on the web and understand the difference between web and database.
  • Students will be able to identify keywords and synonyms and construct a search strategy using appropriate commands for different interfaces.
  • Students will determine if retrieved information satisfied need and will refine search if necessary.
  • Students will be able to construct a search strategy using Boolean and subject headings or database-specific thesaurus terms.
  • Make connections between the importance of matching information needs and search strategies to appropriate search tools
  • Implement more advanced searching skills to respond to a discipline-based information need
  • Reflect on the usefulness of making mistakes in the search process and how searching is not solely transactional
  • Students will use discovery tool facets in order to find relevant info.
  • Teaching students how to understand and analyze scholarly peer-reviewed articles and understand statistics.
  • Students will be able to break down their research question in order to develop an effective database search.
  • Students will develop a topic and a list of terms in order to search sources databases effectively, efficiently, with confidence
  • Students will be able to brainstorm and discover search terms in order to find information about their topic.
    Search discovery layer to find scholarly articles to complete an assignment
  • Students will be able to demonstrate the use of indexes and advanced search techniques in order to retrieve relevant articles for their class project.
  • Students will be able to construct search terms and refine terms based on results to reduce frustration around information gathering.
  • Students will be able to break their search into core concepts and brainstorm additional steps for each concept. Students will be able to apply search strategies using keywords to reduce research frustration.
  • Pharmacy students will be able to select the correct and appropriate resource (print or electronic) based upon the question asked in order to correctly answer the drug information question.
  • Students will be able to identify and describe 3 boolean operators and their proper uses in order to conduct an effective first round search.
  • Students will be able to select an appropriate source/database in order to locate relevant government content/sources of information for their [local] topics
  • Students will be able to explain the triangle concept in order to explore a topic before focusing.

from the Private Academic Library Network of Indiana. "Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education: Frame: Searching as Strategic Exploration."  Apr 11, 2018

Standard One: The information literate student determines the nature and extent of the information needed.
 
*Standard Two (primary): The information literate student accesses needed information effectively and efficiently.
 
Standard Three: The information literate student evaluates information and its sources critically and incorporates selected information into his or her knowledge base and value system.

From: Hovious, Amanda. “Alignment Charts for ACRL Standards and Proposed Framework.” Google Docs, January 23, 2015.