Assessing and meeting the information literacy needs of incoming transfer students: Implementing ACRL’s assessment in action program

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to determine the information literacy skills and needs of incoming and current transfer students. Design/methodology/approach: Three studies are discussed, two of which were generated from ACRL’s Assessment in Action program. In the first, incoming transfer students were asked basic demographic questions and were tested on several basic information literacy skills. A combination of quantitative analysis and rubrics was used to assess results. A pre-test, post-test method was used in a basic introduction to campus life course for transfer students. Finally, the 2014 cohort of transfer student were resurveyed to test research skills and report interactions they had with reference librarians and library instruction during the previous year. Findings: Initial observations suggested older transfer students, and students transferring from community colleges were least knowledgeable about basic information literacy concepts, and that students who had attended library instruction sessions were more knowledgeable. In the pre-test, intervention and post-test study, students did not show significant improvements in knowledge, but did show a significantly improved comfort level with library research. In the follow-up survey, second year transfer students who had library instruction during the previous year were significantly more likely to have sought out their subject liaison for consultations. Originality/value: Research studies that focus on the information literacy needs and skills of transfer students and adult learners is somewhat scarce, compared to that of incoming freshmen. It is of use to both academic librarians in institutions that accept incoming transfer students, and to community college librarians who may be designing handoff library instruction

Incoming Transfer Students- Who are They, Where are They, How Can We Bridge the Gap? [Slides]

Slides from a presentation on library research instruction and incoming transfer students given at the ACRL Virtual Conference. (http://conference.acrl.org/virtual-conference-pages-161.php

Implementing ACRL’s Assessment in Action Program at UNCG Libraries to Meet the Information Literacy Needs of Incoming Transfer Students

In the fall of 2014, a team of librarians at University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG) Libraries surveyed incoming transfer students to determine their information literacy skills and needs. Based on demographic questions as well as questions designed to gauge information literacy skills, initial results indicated that older transfer students and students transferring from community colleges were least knowledgeable about basic information literacy concepts, and that students from all educational backgrounds who had attended library instruction sessions were more knowledgeable. Based on the results of this study, members of the UNCG Transfer Student Research Project submitted a proposal for further research on incoming transfer students to the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL)’s Assessment in Action: Academic Libraries and Student Success program. The team for this project included stakeholders from the libraries and other campus units. Two research studies were implemented in order to study the research skills and needs of incoming transfer students: a pre-test, intervention, and post-test assessment in a course designed for transfer and adult students and a follow-up survey of second year transfer students that assessed information literacy skills. The follow-up study compares students who had librarian interventions during their first year at UNCG with those who did not, and also compares the skills of students from a variety of transfer institutions, majors, age ranges, and time lapse between educational experiences. In the two Assessment in Action studies, there were fewer significant links between library instruction and information literacy skills, but both studies indicated a significant gain in comfort with library research and with contacting subject librarians for consultations

“I\u27m making a positive change in my life”: A mixed method evaluation of a well-being tertiary education unit

Issue Addressed: Mental health disorders (MHDs) are prevalent amongst university students with detrimental impacts on individual students, universities and the wider community. There is an urgent need for proactive and preventative strategies to address the mental health crisis in the university population. This study evaluated the efficacy of a 13-week unit developed to directly educate university students about ways to improve and maintain well-being. Methods: Fifty-eight university students from five disciplines participated in a 13-week elective undergraduate unit “Well-Being Fundamentals for Success” as part of their degree. The Act Belong Commit mental health promotion campaign framework formed the basis of teaching materials. Outcome well-being measures were self-assessed at weeks 1, 6 and 12 using four scales: (1) Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-being Scale (WEMWBS); (2) Perceived Stress Scale (PSS); (3) Brief Resilience Scale (BRS) and (4) Mindful Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS). Post-unit group interviews (n = 11) were analysed for key themes. Results: Linear mixed models demonstrated a significant improvement in BRS over the semester; well-being (WEMBS) and mindful attention (MAAS) did increase but not significantly. There was a significant increase in stress (PSS) over the semester. Key themes that emerged from the group interviews were that (1) University life contributes to well-being; (2) University life contributes to stress; (3) The well-being unit helped students see and do things differently; (4) An overall endorsement of the unit. Conclusion: University students’ resilience increased over the semester following participation in a curriculum focused on well-being which featured a combination of theoretical content and experiential workshops. So what? Incorporating mental well-being curriculum into tertiary education is proactive preventive health strategy which may assist with the increasing prevalence of MHD in Australia

Comparison of the effects of clay modeling & cat cadaver dissection on high school students’ outcomes & attitudes in a human anatomy course.

Increasing public concern for the use of animal dissection in education is driving development and testing of alternatives to animal use. Clay modeling has proven successful in achieving comparable or superior learning at post-secondary levels, but has not yet been tested at secondary levels. This study tested the effectiveness and appeal of clay models vs. cat cadaver dissection in teaching human anatomy to high school students. Student performance on a content knowledge assessment increased following both the model and dissection laboratories. The use of clay models produced better short-term learning outcomes in human anatomy for high school students when compared with cat dissection techniques, although this improvement was not retained in student final examination scores. No significant differences were found in student perceptions of enjoyment or usefulness between the two approaches. Students found the clay models both useful and enjoyable, but most students (in both clay model and cat dissection laboratories) still chose dissection as the preferred technique after the laboratory exercise. However, the proportion of students who chose dissection decreased after the laboratory, for both the clay model and dissection laboratories. </p