Spiderman and Ironman Join Forces: Super-Powerful College Library Instruction to Better Prepare Transfer Students for University Success Peggy L. Nuhn, M.L.I.S. Connect Librarian University of Central Florida Karen F. Kaufmann, M.L.I.S. Faculty and Instruction Librarian Seminole State College Images from : news.marvel.com
Definitions • University of Central Florida – UCF – “the University” • Seminole State College of Florida – SSC – “the College” • Articulation Agreements – Florida ‘2+2’ and nationwide • UCF Articulation Agreement: DirectConnect ™ • UCF Foundations of Excellence (FoE)Transfer Initiative • Information Literacy Instruction • The Modules – UCF’s Canvas Course and Info Lit Module
Transfer student success is important at UCF because transfer students make up more than half of our undergraduates. Images from : news.marvel.com
And in 2017-2018 more than half of UCF’s transfer students came from our partner colleges via DirectConnect ™ • College of Central Florida • Daytona State College • Eastern Florida State College • Lake-Sumter State College • Seminole State College • Valencia College From UCF’s Foundations of Excellence Initiative
2017-2018 Top UCF DirectConnect ™ Transfer Institutions - -- 37.5 percent -- 11.2 percent -- 6.1 percent -- 4.4 percent -- 2.5 percent Data from UCF’s Foundations of Excellence Initiative
Transfer student success is important in Florida because of our Statewide ‘2 + 2’ articulation agreement between the State University System (SUS) and the Florida College System (FCS).
“Established in 1971 as the nation’s first legislatively mandated articulation policy , Florida’s ‘2+2’ transfer pathway represents a bold idea – to provide students access to a seamless path toward a bachelor’s degree no matter where in the state the student lives….Florida’s 2+2 articulation model has been replicated across the country and has received national attention and praise .” Report from Florida College Access Network ). From transfer to tar http://floridacollegeaccess.org/research-and-data/new-fcan-brief-highlights-floridas-efforts-get-transfer-students-finish-line/
Transfer student success is also important in at least 32 other states with statewide Articulation Agreements between colleges and universities
Information obtained from the Education Commission of the States: Individual State Profile http://ecs.force.com/mbdata/mbprofallRT?Rep=TA14A Map created by P . Nuhn, March, 2018
Our first question: How does UCF provide Information Literacy Instruction For ‘native’ undergraduates?
UCF offers F2F Information Literacy instruction in 2016-17 285 F2F classes were taught – almost half of those were for lower-division undergraduates and primarily for ENC1102 classes
UCF also offers online Information Literacy instruction via two online modules. The modules reach even more students. In fact…
In 2016-17 20 percent or one of every five ‘native’ UCF students received instruction via one of the two information literacy modules
We started by reviewing what is included in these two modules : “Introduction to Library Research Strategies” -- a Canvas web course -- and the “Information Literacy Modules” -- a UCF proprietary program --
… and determined which major elements of Information Literacy instruction were covered in these two modules . Then, we aligned those major elements with the ACRL Framework
* Note: The UCF Information Literacy Module was designed ‘pre - Framework’ – and is presently being revamped – but it still includes all of the concepts from the ACRL Framework
We then designed a survey of DirectConnect ™ partner college librarians to inquire what module content was typically included in their Information Literacy Instruction both (F2F and online) for Fall, 2017
Our Preliminary Findings (or, when our “Spidey Sense” began tingling)
Survey Highlights: Where Alignment is Good Elements of Information Literacy included: How to use General databases: 100 percent How to use Subject Specific databases: 100 percent How to contact a librarian for help: 96 percent Creating a search strategy: 91 percent Navigating library homepage: 83 percent
Survey: Where Alignment is Lacking Caution when using database-generated citations 78 percent MLA/APA citation resources 78 percent Identifying parts of a citation 70 percent Recognizing a research study 65 percent Avoiding plagiarism 48 percent Understanding the information cycle 35 percent Literature review 9 percent
How much does this difference matter ? We already know that for 2017-2018 UCF’s incoming transfer • students had an average GPA of 3.06 Their average first term GPA was 2.87 and their average second • term GPA was 2.91 . Data and graphic from UCF’s Foundations of Excellence Initiative
While so-called ‘transfer shock’ can be attributed to a multitude of factors, the one area where librarians can help offset that impact is in our Information Literacy instruction.
“… students who receive library instruction, on average, have a higher grade point average than those who do not, thus lending support to the hypothesis that library instruction does have an impact on student performance …a student enrolled in a course that received library instruction should have a GPA that is, on average, 0.09 higher than a student who was not in a course that received library instruction, holding everything else constant.” Vance, J.M., Kirk, R. and Gardner, J.G. (2012). Measuring the impact of library instruction on freshman success and persistence: A quantitative analysis. Communications in Information Literacy, 6 (12). 49-58.
A GPA which is 0.09 percent higher, may seem insignificant, but added to the average GPAs of the 2017-2018 incoming class of UCF transfer students, it translates as follows: 2.91 + 0.09 = 3.00 2.87 + 0.09 = 2.96
Implication: 1 Implications This research informs UCF Libraries Teaching & Engagement Article from Karen – Measuring impact – GPA paragraph p 56 of specific current gaps between what is presently covered in Information Literacy Instruction at the colleges and what native UCF students are learning
Implication: 2 This research informs partner colleges of areas of the Framework which might need greater emphasis, and where anticipated DirectConnect ™ students may be underprepared
Implication: 3 Although developed ‘pre - Framework’, this research confirms that the existing UCF modules align to the Framework, therefore the Framework represents a fluid and easily scaffolded set of Information Literacy competencies
Implication: 4 This research supports that taken together the elements of the Framework are a valid and fundamental means of structuring effective college Information Literacy instruction thereby supporting student academic success
Framing Information Literacy Instruction Information Has Value Information Scholarship as Creation as a Conversation Process Searching as Research as Strategic Inquiry Exploration Authority is Constructed and Contextual
LIS2004 Research Strategies for College Students Information Has Value Plagiarism Information Creation as a Process Information Timeline Searching as Strategic Exploration Topic/Keywords/Thesis Authority is Constructed & Contextual Evaluating Sources Understanding Research as Inquiry Databases MLA/APA Annotated Scholarship as Conversation Bibliography
Acknowledgements Brad Ward, Executive Director, North East Florida Library Information Network, thank you for supporting our enrollment in the 2018 NEFLIN Assessment Project which mentored us in developing our concept into a research project. The amazing faculty of the 2018 NEFLIN Assessment Project : • Megan Oakleaf , Associate Professor of Library and Information Science, iSchool, Syracuse University • Martha Kyrillidou , Research Associate, iSchool, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign • Kristine Brancolini , Dean of the Library, Loyola Marymount University • Amanda B. Albert , Information Literacy Coordinator, Washington University And warm thanks to our bosses and colleagues, for support, ideas, encouragement and data Cynthia Kisby , Head, Connect Campus Libraries, UCF Libraries Rachel Mulvihill , Department Head, Teaching & Engagement, UCF Libraries Michael Schau , Librarian, Seminole State College for his vast knowledge of comics and the superhero hierarchy Jennifer Sumner , Director, Online Connect Center & Strategic Initiatives UCF and Foundations of Excellence Morgan Tracy , Library Director, Seminole State College Christina Wray , Associate Librarian, Teaching & Engagement, UCF Libraries
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