We built it, They came, Now what?

Lessons learned from creating a successful course integrated information literacy program

Margaret Fain Jamie Graham Lisa HartmanHead of Public Services Assistant Instruction Librarian Outreach Librarian

Kimbel LibraryCoastal Carolina University

Conway, SC

CCU FTE Fall Enrollment

0

1,000

2,000

3,000

4,000

5,000

6,000

7,000

8,000

FTE

1997

2007

No. of Instruction Sessions

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50

100

150

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300

350

Instruction Sessions

1997

2007

No. of students reached

0

1,000

2,000

3,000

4,000

5,000

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7,000

8,000

Students

1997

2007

1997-2007

Building a Program: Internal factors

• Supportive Library Administration• Continuing Education

• Personnel• Peer Mentoring• Creative Atmosphere

• Time • Flexibility• Responsiveness

Building a Program: External factors

• Respect• Authentic collaboration with faculty• Demonstrated student success

• Marketing• Partnerships

Defining Success:

• Inclusion of information literacy concepts in courses– First Year Experience course (FYE)

• Scope of disciplines participating in instruction– 18 disciplines, 88 sessions, 2006-07

• Measurable assessment– Statistically significant improvement on

pre/post test

2006 FYE Assessment Results

0.00%

20.00%

40.00%

60.00%

80.00%

100.00%

120.00%

Correct

Wrong

Correct

Wrong

2007 FYE Assessment Results

0.00%

20.00%

40.00%

60.00%

80.00%

100.00%

120.00%

Correct

Wrong

Correct

Wrong

Pre/Post Test comparisons

Defining Success:

• Constant evolution– Annual program review

• Positive growth of program– Increase in not just number of sessions, but

scope• Comparisons to peer institutions

– NCES data, other national measures– SAILS test

Source: 2004 Data http://nces.ed.gov/surveys/libraries/compare/index.asp?LibraryType=Academic

SAILS test: chart

Project SAILS Results

480500520540560580600620640660

Using Finding Tool Features

Retrieving Sources

Documenting Sources

Developing a Research Strategy

Evaluating Sources

Searching

Selecting Finding Tools

Understanding Economic, Legal & Social Issues

Skill Areas

To

tals

CCU

Peer

All Institutions

Challenges and Responses: External

• Strained campus resources: 24% increase in 1st year freshmen between 2004-2007.

– Proactive planning: space, resources, personnel must align with overall university needs.

Challenges and Responses: External

• Library: low priority of previous administrations– New administration is pro-library, work with

and respond to their ideas

• Campus disinterest in information literacy– Librarians serve on Core Revision

Committee, general concept incorporated into new Core Curriculum

– Continuing education of faculty, placed into context of discipline

Challenges and Responses: Internal

• Demand from multiple constituencies:– First Year Experience: all incoming first year

students– English 101/102: new place in core, desire

to tie library sessions to English assessment

– Upper level classes: faculty satisfaction with instruction increases requests

– Local schools want students exposed to college library resources: outreach CCU priority

Challenges and Responses: Internal

• Demand from multiple constituencies:– No more than two concurrent instruction

sessions– First come, first served, push early

scheduling– Online request system and calendar for

faculty to check availability– Non-CCU sessions offered only during

breaks

Challenges and Issues: Internal

• Prioritize resources– Laptops:

• Borrow laptops from circulation to make up shortages.

• Use instruction statistics to request additional laptops from CCU technology funds.

Increase in Instruction Laptops

24

36

48

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

2004 2006 2008

Year

Nu

mb

er o

f L

apto

ps

Challenges and Issues: Internal

• Prioritize resources– Librarians:

• Added two new faculty slotted positions between 2004-07

• Hire graduate students and interns to either teach or work reference desk

• Share teaching materials to reduce prep time

Library Instruction

total sessions: Fain12%total session:

Hartman9%

total sessions: Faix22%

total sessions: Ligas19%

total sessions: Hamilton

12%

total sessions: Hughes

18%

total sessions: MacDonald

5%

total sessions: Goodwin

3%

Challenges and Issues: Internal

• Prioritize resources– Space:

• Added 2nd classroom space in 2006• Leave laptops set up during semester• Teach large (45+) classes in wireless classrooms

with student laptops• Plan for increased instructional space in new

Learning Commons space

Challenges and Reponses: Internal

• Assessment and Accountability– No credit course, dependent on faculty

willing to administer pre/post tests in class.– New Core accountability means assessing

information literacy in multiple courses in multiple departments.

– Partner with departments to assess Core, working with English and FYE to create joint rubric for annotated bibliography.

Challenges and Reponses: Internal

• Burnout– Librarians, increase in workload,

expectations• Evenly distribute sessions, provide support,

lobby for additional positions.

– Students, attending multiple sessions leads to motivation issues

• Monitor focus of sessions.• Use a variety of teaching methods and

strategies.• Reinforce prior learning and use students as

peer teachers.

Future Challenges:

• How can we continue to grow with our current resources?

• When do we have to say no and refuse to accommodate all requests? Are we even willing to say no?

• Do we set priorities based on Library information literacy goals?

• Will the new Learning Commons address our needs for space or CCU’s need for space?

Assessing Your Program:

• What is going well?

• What isn’t going well?

• What can we do to create or manage growth?

Conclusion

• Set priorities of instructional program within mission of KL and CCU.

• Plan for future growth.

• Continue to build instructional quality of the program.

• Address new issues before they arise.

Questions?