Measuring the Impact of Information Literacy Instruction on Assignment-Level Learning Outcomes

Abstract

This study uses a rubric-based analysis to evaluate the impact of information literacy instruction on assignment-level learning outcomes. Student assignments were rated on how well they demonstrated four areas of information literacy skill development. These ratings were then used to compare the skill levels of students that had participated in information literacy instruction during their course of study to those that had not. The results of these comparisons demonstrated statistically significant positive differences with large effect sizes in the rubric scores for students who participated in instruction. However, regression models suggested that much of the observed differences were associated principally with student experience (measured by accumulated credits) rather than library instruction.