Measuring information searching competence

Abstract

A taxonomy of instructional objectives for search behavior was used to develop a quiz that measures skills in three domains of search behavior (affective, cognitive, sensorimotor) at three levels of competence (basic, intermediate, advanced). A computer-based education system known as PLATO was used to test an online interactive measure of information searching competence on three populations of university students (n = 69). A rationale is presented for measuring these three domains of search behavior by means of three corresponding types of quiz items (true/false, multiple choice, and fill-in). Implications for bibliographic instruction are explored, including the desirability of tailoring teaching activities to build up three corresponding types of memory for search behavior: affective memory, cognitive memory, and sensorimotor memory.