13th Annual Library and Information Association of South Africa Conference

The evaluation of a digital information literacy program

Not scheduled

East London International Convention Centre

Speaker

Mrs Aneé Sieberhagen (Nampak R&D)

Description

The evaluation of a digital information literacy program Aneé Sieberhagen Business Information Manager Nampak R&D Tel: 021 590 5843 e-mail: anee.sieberhagen@za.nampak.com and Dr Linda Cloete Freelance courseware development; External moderator and supervisor of postgraduate students (Unisa) INFOBUZZ CC Tel: (011) 475-4937 e-mail: lcloete@iafrica.com Abstract The paper will report on the evaluation of a digital information literacy program (DILP) to determine the program’s effectiveness in enhancing students’ digital information literacy skills. The program was originally designed and developed for the South African student, as member of Generation Y, but was adapted after identifying the demographics and characteristics of Generation Z. This information was incorporated in the existing DILP, therefore making the DILP applicable to and useful for both Generations Y and Z. New learning technologies were also identified and incorporated in the existing DILP to enhance students’ learning experience. An analysis of reported research indicated that there is a lack in the evaluation of programs, such as the DILP, to determine their effectiveness in enhancing the digital information literacy skills of students by using an outcomes assessment instrument. This paper will therefore highlight the lack of research which includes meaningful assessment of students’ acquisition of digital information literacy skills, using outcomes assessment, with special reference to South Africa. The development of an outcomes assessment instrument, which is based on internationally benchmarked information literacy competency standards and their outcomes, will be presented. The paper will further show how the outcomes assessment instrument was designed to ensure validity and reliability of the instrument. The quasi-experimental design and the combined research approach will also be discussed. The testing of the DILP using the outcomes assessment instrument will be presented. The presentation will also include an overview of the analysis of the quantitative and qualitative data, in order to determine the effectiveness of the program. Finally, evidence will be provided of the effectiveness of the program in order to evaluate the DILP and prove its worth as an educational program. Recommendations are made on how digital information literacy programs may be improved to be more effective in enhancing students’ digital information literacy skills.