Research in Action: Using Rubrics to Assess Information Literacy Skills in Business Education

Abstract

INTRODUCTIONHigher education is facing an unprecedented challenge. It used to be that students were hampered by a scarcity of information. Now with current technology and a constant connection to the Internet, the opposite is true. Information overload seems to be the norm. To effectively sift through the millions of gigabits of information created every minute around the world and to use that information productively is a skill that students need in order to compete in the global business environment (Varga-Atkins & Ashcroft, 2004). It is part of the educator's responsibility to ensure that students, particularly those in the business field, develop the skills they need to be information literate.According to the Association of American Colleges and Universities (n.d.), students who are information literate are able to:* Determine the nature and extent of information needed* Access the needed information effectively and efficiently* Evaluate information and its sources critically and incorporate selected information into his or her knowledge base and value system* Use information effectively to accomplish a specific purpose* Access and use information ethically and legallyA 2013 poll conducted by the National Association of Colleges and Employers found that the ability to obtain and process information ranked in the top five of important skills/qualities employers looked for in new hires (NACE, 2013), and a survey of new college graduates that had been recently hired showed that [almost] all of the participants agreed that a primary part of their jobs required them to find, evaluate, and use information to solve problems (Head, 2012, p. 16).Students today are digital natives who learned their alphabet from touch-screen devices even before they started any form of formal education (Sheesley, 2002). For many students, finding information is not a problem. A study of undergraduate students by the EDUCAUSE Center for Applied Research shows that 60% of those surveyed use smart phones to get information from the Internet outside of class and 40% to look up information on the Internet in class (Dahlstrom, Walker & Dziuban, 2013). Students have constant access to data. However, their ability to discern which types of information are relevant; to use these practically and effectively in specified situations; and to analyze the implications of this information still needs to be developed (Calzada & Marzal, 2013). Although students have continual access to information, there is a need to learn how to discern what is relevant and valid (Catts, 2012).In the business world, information literacy is a set of skills that needs to be developed and honed through constant application (Varga-Atkins & Ashcroft, 2004). Educators can use coursework such as case studies, projects, and other assignments to let students practice and master these sets of skills. Librarians are also in a perfect position to strengthen students' information-handling abilities. In fact, there is a long history of librarians working together with teachers and professors in developing information literacy skills (Hylen, 2005; Merchant, 2007).This paper explores how library research sessions and carefully designed class assignments were used to strengthen students' information literacy skills. It also demonstrates the effectiveness of analytic rubrics in assessing the students' learning outcomes in this very important area of their education.RESEARCH PURPOSE AND SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDYThis article presents the results of the assessment of students' competency levels in three information literacy skills through the use of analytic rubrics with measurable outcomes. Through these means, instructors can help business students develop the information literacy abilities they need to bring value to their workplaces when they become professionals.This study also presents analytic rubrics as a valid and credible instrument for the assessment of competency levels in information literacy learning outcomes as a result of a combined library instruction and implementation in actual coursework in business courses. …

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