Connecting information literacy instruction with transfer student success

Abstract

Purpose This paper aims to investigate the academic library’s role in supporting transfer student success, specifically by providing information literacy (IL) instruction. This paper examines whether IL instruction contributes to a transfer student’s sense of academic integration. Design/methodology/approach The author designed and distributed a survey to incoming undergraduate transfer students at Valparaiso University, gathering information about students’ IL instruction experiences, their attitudes and their preferences for receiving information about the library at their new university. Inferential statistics were used to test correlations between IL instruction and students’ attitudes. Findings In all, 38 students completed the survey. The t-test results show significantly higher levels of confidence among those students who had participated in formal IL instruction. IL instruction is shown neither to contribute to transfer students’ sense of academic integration nor to benefit students during the transfer process. Respondents believed that transfer students do need information about their new library. They preferred small group settings or private communications for receiving this information, and the critical window is the period from when they arrive on campus through the second week of class. Practical implications This study provides guidance into librarians’ outreach efforts to transfer students, including the desirability, format and timing of this information. Originality/value This paper is the first to situate IL instruction as a factor in transfer success.

Embracing the Spiral: An Action Research Assessment of a Library-Honors First Year Collaboration

“…Librarians frequently provide information literacy instruction to special student populations. Librarians have explored the value of library instruction for populations such as transfer students (Robison, 2017) and international students (Avery, 2017). Another unique population explored in the literature on information literacy instruction is honors students.…”

Use of Transfer Student Capital in Engineering and STEM Education: A Systematic Literature Review

“…The definitions primarily focused on Lanaan, Starobin, and Eggleston's [1] original definition revolving around how students accumulate knowledge and skills to navigate the transfer process. Throughout various articles additional elements were added which included background characteristics and perceptions of the transfer process [20], cumulative higher education experiences [21], and prior academic performance [22]. Lannan et al [1] also included aspects such as understanding credit transfer agreements between colleges, grade requirements for admission into a desired major, and course prerequisites which were included in multiple definitions.…”

“…In Laanan & Jain [23], transfer student capital is presented as part of a conceptual model for "studying diverse transfer students and organizational contexts." In addition to the individual elements identified here, several articles also acknowledge the organizational and institutional factor aspects of transfer student capital [21], [24]- [26].…”