(via Macanda Myers, HEDS Consortium)
Teaching information literacy is complicated and measuring it even more so. However, the basic building blocks all students need are knowing how to find, evaluate, and cite sources.
The HEDS (Higher Education Data Sharing) Research Practices Survey can be used to find gaps in your students’ research skills and experiences and to measure your students’ growth over time. Various administration options allow you to customize how you use this survey. A spring administration would allow you to see the following.
- your first-year students’ research skills and experiences after one year of college.
- your senior students’ research skills and experiences after four years of college.
- your students’ research skills and experiences compared with those of students at other institutions.
One assessment strategy is to first administer the HEDS Research Practices Survey in the spring to get a baseline of where your first-year and senior students stand as a result of your current instructional practices. Second, administer the survey again this fall to evaluate what skills your incoming first-year students are lacking so that you can adjust your current practices and programs. Finally, follow up with an administration in the winter or spring to see how your changes impacted your students’ results.
This is just one assessment strategy libraries employ with this survey. If it doesn’t sound right for your institution, I am happy to set up a call to help you find a strategy that better fits your campus. HEDS administers this survey for you, and I provide one-on-one support to you through the whole process. The survey is affordable, customizable, and you will receive ready-to-share reports of your results with helpful comparison data for sharing with administrators, faculty, and your accrediting body.
Please visit our website to learn more and to download the survey instrument for review.