Information literacy assessment of incoming students in an information studies graduate program
| Published date | 01 April 2019 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/GKMC-07-2018-0062 |
| Date | 01 April 2019 |
| Pages | 223-241 |
| Author | Charlene L. Al-Qallaf |
| Subject Matter | Library & information science,Information behaviour & retrieval,Information in society,Information literacy,Library & information services |
Information literacy assessment
of incoming students in an
information studies
graduate program
Charlene L. Al-Qallaf
Department of Information Studies, College of Social Sciences, Kuwait University,
Shuwaikh, Kuwait
Abstract
Purpose –This study aims to investigate the informationliteracy (IL) competencies of incoming graduate
studentsin the information studies masters’degree program at KuwaitUniversity.
Design/methodology/approach –Data were collected from 37 students through an IL assessment
containing 43 questionsassociated with four Association of College and ResearchLibraries’higher education
competency standards. Based on the assessment results and semi-structured interviews, a SWOT analysis
was performed.
Findings –After normalizing students’scores to 100 per cent, the average score was 44.46 per cent.
Students were unableto identify key concepts, construct effective search strategies,understand the scope and
purpose of information sources and determine the quality of sources; their knowledge about information
management systems was also weak. Bycontrast, students were better able to define an information need,
had a general understanding of plagiarismand had reasonable knowledge about a website’s credibility. The
SWOT analysis suggested that language difficulties and unfamiliarity with library conventions partly
contributeto students’lack of information knowledge and skills.
Originality/value –No study has tested the IL competenciesof library and information studies graduate
students in a Gulf Cooperation Council country. This study’s results provide a baseline assessment of
graduate students’ILneeds, based on realistic data and achievable outcomes, and aiming to increase student
learning. The findings will start a dialogue in relation to IL education within academic communities,
especially those in developing countries, leading to instructional programs that impact on educators,
administrators, informationprofessionals and (most importantly) students. In the global arena, thisresearch
is also of value and interest to educatorsand professionals who are responsible for creating and improving IL
instructionfor graduate students who are non-native English speakers. To completethe assessment, a second
study is underwaycovering standard four based on a written term paper.
Keywords Information literacy, Kuwait, Assessment, SWOT analysis, Graduate students,
Library education
Paper type Research paper
Introduction
Information is produced at an alarming rate. Some theorize that human knowledge is
doubling every 13 months (Schilling, 2017) and that the world’s information base could
someday be doubling in size every 11 hours (IBM,Global Technology Services, 2006). With
this exponentially growing body of information, diverse digital resources, and varied and
complex information retrieval systems, graduate students need to develop tools and
techniques for learning, academic achievement, and, ultimately, workplace productivity. In
this sea of information of the digital age, how do graduate students determine an
Studies
graduate
program
223
Received4 July 2018
Revised2 September 2018
Accepted25 October 2018
GlobalKnowledge, Memory and
Communication
Vol.68 No. 3, 2019
pp. 223-241
© Emerald Publishing Limited
2514-9342
DOI 10.1108/GKMC-07-2018-0062
The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available on Emerald Insight at:
www.emeraldinsight.com/2514-9342.htm
information need, distinguish what is relevant from what is not, conduct research, and use
information critically, ethically and legally in creating new knowledge? Per the Association
of College and Research Libraries (ACRL, 2000, p. 6), information literacy (IL) education
provides the framework for students to “gain control over how they interact with
information”in an ever-changing environment and increasingly complex knowledge-based
society.
Library and information studies(LIS) students are in a distinctive position regarding IL,
which serves a dual purpose. First, it provides them with the necessary tools to become
information fluent within their academic studies; second, as aspiring information
professionals, it imparts the necessarypedagogical knowledge that they will later deploy in
their work environment. However,information professionals are not born with information
superpowers (Lamb, 2016). Moreover, it is assumed that university students, including
graduate students, have become complacent as regards searching,locating, evaluating, and
ethically synthesizing information, and generally know very little about applying
scholarship in research. They want quick and convenient access to information with
immediate gratification, and consider Google, social media and Wikipedia to be solutions
(Head and Eisenberg, 2010;Rowlands et al.,2008). They are, thus, inclined to approach an
assignment, project, or research paper superficially (Porter, 2014;Taylor, 2012), with
underdevelopedanalytical skills.
At Kuwait University (KU), State of Kuwait, incoming students pursuing a Master’s
degree in Information Studies (MISt) are novices of IL knowledge and skills, with minimal
prior exposure to IL practices and no access to dedicated graduate-level skills courses,
workshops, or seminars.At best, students might receive an introduction or orientationto the
university library website, online public access catalog (OPAC), or citation formatting, but
these measures are inconsistent and merely one-shot exercises. In addition, these students
typically have English as their secondlanguage, are non-readers, have rarely (if at all) used
the library resources and services and have millennial tendencies; however, though
information-challenged,they are eager to pursue a graduate degree and are tech-savvy.
This study was motivated by frustration at teaching first-semester students lacking the
skills to function in an educational environment where they are expected to not only
consume but also actively participate in creating information and knowledge. It was also
prompted by troubling comments from many MISt students during their second and third
semesters: for example, “How do I search?”,“How do I use a database?”,“What’s an online
catalog?”,“I got my information from the Internet, what’s wrong with that?”,“I don’tknow
what to write”and “I don’t knowhow to start my research”. Furthermore, there is consensus
among KU faculty that graduate students exhibit deficiencies in academic writing, critical
thinking, and understanding the ethical, legal and social issues surrounding use of
information. However, with no tangible proof, these assumptions and observations remain
hypothetical.
This study investigates the IL abilitiesof incoming graduate students to determine what
they know, the gaps in their knowledge, and their weaknesses. The results will open
communication channels by providing a baseline assessment of their IL needs, based on
realistic data and achievable outcomes, and aiming to increase student learning. In the
broader context, this study will also add to the growing body of the literature to assist in
establishing morecomprehensive IL programs.
Literature review
This literature review covers works in three areas: IL standards in higher education, tests
assessing IL in higher education, and research investigating graduate students’IL
GKMC
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