Accreditation: An Opportunity to Promote Information Technology Fluency NLII Annual Meeting San Diego, CA January 26, 2004 Joan K. Lippincott CNI.

Accreditation: An Opportunity to Promote Information Technology

Fluency

NLII Annual MeetingSan Diego, CA

January 26, 2004Joan K. Lippincott

CNI

Overview

• Confluence of accreditation, transformative assessment, and information fluency

• Interest of accrediting agencies• Guidelines of national groups• Opportunities and barriers• Operationalizing information

fluency

Terminology

• Computer Literacy • Information Literacy• Fluency with Information

Technology (FITness)

Technology and Learning: The Tool Approach

• Improving student learning• Improving retention• Improving sense of community

Learning about Technology: The Content Approach

• How to use technology as a tool in a discipline

• How to think critically about information

• How to consider technology policy issues in a democratic society

A good fit

• Mandate of accrediting agencies• Conceptual framework of

transformative assessment• Need to promote fluency with

information technology

Accrediting Agencies

• Middle States• General education: demonstrate

college-level proficiency in technological competency and information literacy

Accrediting Agencies

• North Central Association• “The organization assesses the

usefulness of its curricula to students who will live and work in a global, diverse, and technological society.”

Accrediting Agencies

• WASC• “Evidence should cover

knowledge and skills taught throughout the program’s curriculum.”

Transformative Assessment

• Align activities with institutional goals

• Use institution-wide assessment in an integrated way

• Transform teaching and learning through the use of technology

Convergence

• Prepare students for tech society

• Evidence throughout curriculum

• Demonstrate usefulness of curricula

• Align with goals

• Integrate at all levels

• Transform teaching and learning

Accreditation Transformative Assessment

Fluency in Information Technology

• National Research Council CSTB report in 1999

• Calls for a “deeper understanding” of technology than implied in the term “computer literacy”

FITness

• Skills, e.g. use a computer to communicate with others

• Foundational concepts, e.g. societal impact of information and information technology

• Intellectual capabilities, e.g. organize and navigate information structures and evaluate information

Information Literacy

• ALA ACRL Standards for Information Literacy

• A “tool for developing instruction and for assessing learning”

• Includes standards, performance indicators, and learning outcomes

Information Literacy

• Know, e.g. determine nature and extent of information needed

• Access, e.g. access needed information effectively and efficiently

• Evaluate, e.g. choose information critically and incorporate appropriately

Information Literacy

• Use, e.g. use information effectively to accompish a purpose

• Ethical/legal, e.g. understand economic, legal and social issues surrounding use of information

Convergence

• Encourage fluency in information technology as an institutional goal (align)

• Reform the curriculum to incorporate FITness (transform)

• Assess programmatically and institutionally the difference FITness makes to student learning (assess)

What about the real world?

• 80% of campuses surveyed in an ACRL/AAHE study were not implementing IL standards

• NRC: fundamental FITness concepts and capabilities are not essential in most curricula in any meaningful way

Barriers

• Faculty– No need– It’s a library or computer center

thing– No time in their course, especially

for “skills”– Students should already know this

• Information professionals– Lack of time– Lack of teaching skills

Can we persuade faculty?

• Focus on higher level and discipline concerns

• Address information policy issues • Address ethical issues• Integrate, not separate

Operationalizing FITness

• NRC: Implement through a series of well-chosen projects in each discipline

• Information literacy - Project SAILS: Kent State and ARL

Demonstrate results

• Think through assessment at outset

• Assess student learning throughout the curriculum and beyond

Leverage the Convergence

• Accreditation• Transformative Assessment• Fluency in Information

Technology