Oklahoma Literacy Skills Initiative (OK-LSI)
Type of Presentation
Individual paper/presentation (20 minute presentation)
Target Audience
Higher Education
Location
Room 212
Abstract
This lightening talk will share the development of a collaborative project among a number of Oklahoma regional universities to teach and assess information literacy skills of students.
Many students attending Oklahoma regional universities are first generation college students from small, rural school districts. While face-to-face classes are still prevalent, universities are also migrating to an online or blended classroom experience. To meet the needs of all students, several Oklahoma regional universities collaborated to develop information literacy instruction in a format that was easily accessible and portable.
With a 2007 AT&T planning grant, the Oklahoma Literacy Skills Initiative (OK-LSI) administered the SAILS test to freshman at seven universities, developed a web-based tutorial template, created design standards and instructional guidelines and established a web-based space to share resources. The SAILS results helped each institution identify skill deficiencies and prioritize areas for instruction. Given this information, the institutions were able to begin the process of developing on-line tutorials.
In a related grant project, AMIGOS funded an initiative for OK-LSI to increase interaction in instruction. Again the group used the collective space to share interactive teaching strategies. In 2013, OK-LSI received a two-year IMLS grant designed to increase the skills of librarians in assessment. In this project, the group had a two-pronged focus: 1) sustainability of the project and 2) developing the assessment skills of the librarians. To sustain the development of web-based information literacy tutorials, each library hosted face-to-face training on Captivate software and the established template. Additionally, web-based training modules were created and stored on the shared server space. Now, even with staff turnover, each participating library has access to training materials, as well as the design standards and instructional guidelines, to develop information literacy tutorials. All tutorials created are based on the ACRL standards and shared so each participating library can incorporate them into their instruction programs. Each tutorial includes information specific to the creating institution; however, participating libraries can slightly modify tutorials appropriate for their students.
The second focus of the grant is to develop the assessment skills of participating librarians. To that end, Lisa Janicke Hincliffe conducted a two-day workshop during which librarians practiced hands-on assessment skills. After the workshop, at least one librarian from each institution implemented an assessment technique and distributed their technique and experiences on the shared space. A follow up workshop is planned for Summer 2014.
Future projects are planned in which participating regional university libraries will work with local community colleges and high schools to share information literacy tutorials so that students learn these skills early and are reinforced at each step of their educational journey.
The unifying themes of these past, current and future projects are to increase the information literacy skills of students, increase the teaching and assessment skills of librarians, and create a sustainable information literacy programs.
Presentation Description
The presentation will describe a multi-year, collaborative approach to increasing the information literacy skills of students, while increasing the teaching and assessment skills of librarians.
Keywords
information literacy, assessment, on-line tutorials
Publication Type and Release Option
Presentation (Open Access)
Recommended Citation
Morrison, Sharon and Lancaster, Adrianna, "Oklahoma Literacy Skills Initiative (OK-LSI)" (2014). Georgia International Conference on Information Literacy. 5.
https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/gaintlit/2014/2014/5
Oklahoma Literacy Skills Initiative (OK-LSI)
Room 212
This lightening talk will share the development of a collaborative project among a number of Oklahoma regional universities to teach and assess information literacy skills of students.
Many students attending Oklahoma regional universities are first generation college students from small, rural school districts. While face-to-face classes are still prevalent, universities are also migrating to an online or blended classroom experience. To meet the needs of all students, several Oklahoma regional universities collaborated to develop information literacy instruction in a format that was easily accessible and portable.
With a 2007 AT&T planning grant, the Oklahoma Literacy Skills Initiative (OK-LSI) administered the SAILS test to freshman at seven universities, developed a web-based tutorial template, created design standards and instructional guidelines and established a web-based space to share resources. The SAILS results helped each institution identify skill deficiencies and prioritize areas for instruction. Given this information, the institutions were able to begin the process of developing on-line tutorials.
In a related grant project, AMIGOS funded an initiative for OK-LSI to increase interaction in instruction. Again the group used the collective space to share interactive teaching strategies. In 2013, OK-LSI received a two-year IMLS grant designed to increase the skills of librarians in assessment. In this project, the group had a two-pronged focus: 1) sustainability of the project and 2) developing the assessment skills of the librarians. To sustain the development of web-based information literacy tutorials, each library hosted face-to-face training on Captivate software and the established template. Additionally, web-based training modules were created and stored on the shared server space. Now, even with staff turnover, each participating library has access to training materials, as well as the design standards and instructional guidelines, to develop information literacy tutorials. All tutorials created are based on the ACRL standards and shared so each participating library can incorporate them into their instruction programs. Each tutorial includes information specific to the creating institution; however, participating libraries can slightly modify tutorials appropriate for their students.
The second focus of the grant is to develop the assessment skills of participating librarians. To that end, Lisa Janicke Hincliffe conducted a two-day workshop during which librarians practiced hands-on assessment skills. After the workshop, at least one librarian from each institution implemented an assessment technique and distributed their technique and experiences on the shared space. A follow up workshop is planned for Summer 2014.
Future projects are planned in which participating regional university libraries will work with local community colleges and high schools to share information literacy tutorials so that students learn these skills early and are reinforced at each step of their educational journey.
The unifying themes of these past, current and future projects are to increase the information literacy skills of students, increase the teaching and assessment skills of librarians, and create a sustainable information literacy programs.
