Structured AbstractPurpose -The purpose of this paper is to report the results of a case study evaluating the revision of the assessment methods of an information literacy module.The revised assessment method took the form of a portfolio.
Methodology/approach -During 2004, all 6 credit modules at the University ofTeesside had to be reviewed and restructured into 10 credit modules. FollowingBiggs" principles of constructive alignment, the tutors looked at the existing module aims and learning outcomes. A review of the literature and previous experience informed the selection of the new assessment method by portfolio. An evaluation of 2 the assessment method was undertaken after the module had run.Findings -The paper finds that the assessment method had real strengths especially in terms of validity. It was also economical and efficient. Students knew what they were expected to do and where they needed to put in effort.Research limitations/implications -The assessment by a portfolio method has been carried out once with a relatively small cohort of students, so the findings can only be regarded as interim.Practical implications -The tutors believe that they have created a very useful module with an aligned assessment method which would be of benefit to a much greater number of students Originality/value -There is a shortage of publications that report the results of the use of portfolios for the assessment of information literacy.
KeywordsPortfolio; information literacy; assessment Classification Case study
IntroductionWhat is the most effective way of assessing students" information literacy?Librarians devote a considerable amount of time to teaching students how to search and evaluate sources of information, but how can we know that they"ve grasped these skills? Assessment by portfolio of evidence is increasingly being used in higher 3 education (Akar, 2001). Would this method bring benefits for information literacy assessment? This article reports on a case study undertaken on an information literacy module by four colleagues from the Library and Information Services department at the University of Teesside in the United Kingdom.The literature on information literacy tends to concentrate on ""discrete" activities which are not part of a credit-bearing curriculum" (Johnston and Webber, 2003) so there is little collective knowledge available about effective assessment methods for information literacy. Therefore, this case study also drew upon the literature from education and set out to put theory into practice.
Assessment in higher educationThe research literature of higher education broadly agrees that assessment, the process of measuring and judging student learning, is pivotal to the learning process Consequently, changes to assessment methods can radically alter what and how students learn, and, if well planned, can encourage a deep approach to learning. A firm understanding of assessment issues, and current "evolutionary shifts in assessment approaches" (Van Deventer quoted in Fourie, 2001) is therefore ess...