The Standardized Assessment of Information Literacy Skills (SAILS) is an objective knowledge test that maps to the ACRL Information Literacy Competency Standards for Higher Education. This type of assessment requires students to demonstrate their conceptual understanding of what they have learned. They are not designed to quantify student attitudes, behaviors, or skills. One of their strengths is their familiarity to all students. There are two types of SAILS tests, one tailored to assessing a cohort- and one for the individual student. The Leatherby Libraries has experience with both types of test and has been using SAILS since the fall of 2007. During that time, SAILS has been the primary instrument of the libraries' assessment, and it is used to document skill levels for groups of students and to pinpoint areas for improvement.
SAILS is a fifty-five question, online, multiple-choice test that was designed to be completed by students in fifty minutes.
Potential program learning outcomes can be gleaned from the ACRL Standards Document which is described in detail on this guide.
The Psychology Department uses SAILS as a part of their annual ALOAR report.
SAY MOAR.
The following brief reading list: describes how SAILS has been used at Chapman University (1), addresses the design of the SAILS assessment (2), and contextualizes SAILS (and knowledge tests in general) in the larger universe of assessment techniques (3).