1. Walking Backwards Into Information Literacy Learning
Jim Nichols
SUNY Oswego
SUNYLA Conference, Potsdam NY
June 12, 2008
“Backward Design” for Instructional Programs
Establish learning outcomes and goals
Design and/or identify means of assessment
Design and re-design the learning systems and processes

2. We Don’t and We Do We DON’T . . . Believe in “skills”
Care what students learn “about”
We DO . . .
Believe in big conceptual tools as guideposts to continuing practice
Believe in “Meaningful Learning”
Care what students learn “to be”
LEARNING GOALS
HANDOUT: matrix to show learning goals
What are the Big Ideas or Tools that students can use thru the rest of their lives?
What is stable and prevalent enough to be useful or at least a foundation for learning into the future?
How can we move past the transmission of information and isolated skills to including many kinds of learning?
On the Matrix: First Year
Learn to be a college student
More general and formal
Librarians open the doors from the outside
On the Matrix: Capstone
Learn to be a [scholar or practitioner in a specific field]
Integrated in the practice of a particular discipline
Instructors open the doors from the inside

3. Program Assessments at Oswego
First year: Rubric applied to worksheets
Sample in three year GEAR cycle
Capstone: Discipline-specific rubrics applied to Capstone project
Integrated into five year Program Review cycle
Both levels: Information literacy items in NSSE
ASSESSMENT
HANDOUTS: rubrics from each level; relevant NSSE items
Two Principles of Program Assessment
1. The only point to assessment is to improve the program—primarily a local concern
Not accountability
Not comparison
2. Program assessment is a non-science using science-like tools
No generalization to population
No generalization to global theory
Authentic Assessment
Units of analysis: Instances in which student does information literacy
Information-related actions and behaviors in context of practice
Relevant to community of practice
Draws out interests and passions of student
REDESIGN INSTRUCTION
First year assessments have been very useful in the redesign of our basic level tutorial.
Capstone assessments are still in the planning. Our strategy is to let the assessments prompt improvements

4. Bibliography
Bosch, W. C., Hester, J.L., MacEntee, V.M., MacKenzie, J.A., Morey, T.M., Nichols, J.T., et al. “Beyond lip-service: An operational definition of "learning-centered" college.” Innovative Higher Education 33, no. 2 (2008). In press. doi: /s
Fink, L. Dee. Creating Significant Learning Experiences: An Integrated Approach to Designing College Courses. Jossey-Bass higher and adult education series;. San Francisco, Calif.: Jossey-Bass,
Fink, L. Dee. “A Self-Directed Guide to Designing Courses for Significant Learning.”
Gratch-Lindauer, Bonnie. “Information literacy-related student behaviors: Results from the NSSE items.” College and Research Libraries News 68, no. 7 (August 2007).
Nichols, James T. “Books are for use: We Don't Believe in "Skills"--We Don't Care What Students Learn "About".”