GOING THE DISTANCE FOR INFORMATION LITERACY: A RESEARCH PROPOSAL

EVA CAUDILLHEATHER HEALYCARLA HEIDEMAN

OVERVIEW Research Goal

Examine how academic libraries can increase information literacy in undergraduate distance education learners at Emporia State University Distant learners live at least an hour’s drive from

campus Three unique challenges to distance learners

Frequently nontraditional students with work/family obligations

Cannot physically visit the library May feel excluded or cut off from the library

Use of learning management system (LMS) and virtual reference to increase information literacy Incorporation of library resources into an LMS

RESEARCH AIM Research Aim

Determine whether library materials and services within Blackboard and the virtual reference services provided at ESU are meeting students’ needs and whether these systems and services successfully teach distance learners information literacy skills

RESEARCH AIM Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL)

Information Literacy Competency Standards for Higher Education

http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/acrl/standards/informationliteracycompetency.cfm Five Competencies:

1. Determine the nature and extent of the information needed.

2. Access the needed information effectively and efficiently.

3. Evaluate information and its sources critically and incorporate selected information into his or her knowledge base

4. Use information effectively to accomplish a specific purpose.

5. Understand many of the economic, legal, and social issues surrounding the use of information and access and use of information ethically and legally.

RESEARCH QUESTIONS 1. Are instructors incorporating the library through

Blackboard? If so, at what level are they doing so? Do they collaborate with and incorporate librarians?

  2. Do distance-learning students use virtual reference

transactions? If so, are the transactions helpful?

3. Do distance learning students feel they are information literate (as set forth in the ACRL guidelines) and do they use information seeking behavior that demonstrates information literacy?

DATA COLLECTION Quantitative and Qualitative Data and

Analysis Self-completion questionnaire on Survey Monkey Learn how instructors incorporate library

resources within their course Instructors who agree to allow their students to

be surveyed and will provide a link to the student self-completion questionnaire survey on Survey Monkey through Blackboard

Learn if students use virtual reference and if they are information literate

Primarily quantitative research but student survey includes open-ended questions too

INSTRUCTOR SURVEY

35 instructors teaching online undergraduate courses at ESU in Fall 2011 (Due Fri. Sept. 30)

Initial letter explaining research (Mon. Sept. 12) Self-completion questionnaire- Survey Monkeyhttp://www.surveymonkey.com/s/LGYJ3R7. Reminder letter (Mon. Sept. 26) Timing - classes are underway and instructors’

schedules set Survey – inexpensive, minimal time

commitment for instructors

STUDENT SURVEY Students in online classes from instructors who

participated in initial survey – Instructors post to Blackboard (Mon. Nov. 14)

Survey Monkey – Self completion questionnaire http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/VGNHSRM and

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/VGF269G (Due Fri., Dec. 2)

Instructors will post reminder on Blackboard (Mon. Nov. 28)

Timing – Students have had a chance to use virtual reference and library resources in Blackboard; before finals week

Survey – inexpensive and voluntary; non invasive

PILOT STUDY

To address issues of reliability and validity, the survey will be pretested by sending it in late July to five instructors teaching undergraduate online courses this summer (not included in list of 35 instructors for Fall 2011)

Student pilot study with students from two of the five classes whose instructors participated in the pretest for the instructor’s survey

ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS Use of human participants

ESU Institutional Research Ethics Board Participation is strictly voluntary Encode instructor names/course numbers so

data is not associated with names Store codes separately from data Contact information will be disposed of

properly after the drawing Participants must be over the age of 18 Participants will have access to final research

paper

LIMITATIONS Adequate population size

35 instructors teaching online classes Fall 2011 Assume each online class would have need

to use information literacy skills Number of students who are truly online

distance learners Not a longitudinal study

SIGNIFICANCE OF RESEARCH Help information professionals and

instructors in the future on how to better include library resources into learning management systems so that students will feel more competent with their information literacy skills, especially as online course enrollment expands.

FOR FURTHER READING

Bryman, A. (2008). Social Research Methods. (Third ed.). Oxford, England: Oxford University

Press. Gandhi, S. (2003). Academic librarians and

distance education. Reference & User Services Quarterly, 43(2), 138-154. Retrieved from

Library Lit & Inf Full Text database. Jackson, P.A. (2007). Integrating information

literacy into Blackboard: Building campus partnerships for successful student learning.

The Journal of Academic Librarianship, 33(4), 454- 461.

QUESTIONS??