The evolution of a testing tool for measuring undergraduate information literacy skills in the online environment

Abstract

The construction and validity of an assessment tool mapped to objectives in a high enrollment creditbearing information literacy course delivered primarily online is the focus of this article. An open book and non-proctored objective test can be a reliable measure for assessing student competencies in basic information literacy skills, both at the course level and for reporting to national accrediting bodies and state agencies. An analysis of overall student performance on test items that are mapped to information literacy outcomes helps to identify competencies that need improvement in a course, as well as provide a baseline for informing the process of assessing student learning outcomes in an undergraduate curriculum.