1. Accreditation: An Opportunity to Promote Information Technology Fluency NLII Annual Meeting San Diego, CA January 26, 2004 Joan K. Lippincott CNI

2. Overview Confluence of accreditation, transformative assessment, and information fluency Interest of accrediting agencies Guidelines of national groups Opportunities and barriers Operationalizing information fluency

3. Terminology Computer Literacy Information Literacy Fluency with Information Technology (FITness)

4. Technology and Learning: The Tool Approach Improving student learning Improving retention Improving sense of community

5. Learning about Technology: The Content Approach How to use technology as a tool in a discipline How to think critically about information How to consider technology policy issues in a democratic society

6. A good fit Mandate of accrediting agencies Conceptual framework of transformative assessment Need to promote fluency with information technology

7. Accrediting Agencies Middle States General education: demonstrate college-level proficiency in technological competency and information literacy

8. Accrediting Agencies North Central Association “The organization assesses the usefulness of its curricula to students who will live and work in a global, diverse, and technological society.”

9. Accrediting Agencies WASC “Evidence should cover knowledge and skills taught throughout the program’s curriculum.”

10. Transformative Assessment Align activities with institutional goals Use institution-wide assessment in an integrated way Transform teaching and learning through the use of technology

11. Convergence Prepare students for tech society Evidence throughout curriculum Demonstrate usefulness of curricula Align with goals Integrate at all levels Transform teaching and learning Accreditation Transformative Assessment

12. Fluency in Information Technology National Research Council CSTB report in 1999 Calls for a “deeper understanding” of technology than implied in the term “computer literacy”

13. FITness Skills, e.g. use a computer to communicate with others Foundational concepts, e.g. societal impact of information and information technology Intellectual capabilities, e.g. organize and navigate information structures and evaluate information

14. Information Literacy ALA ACRL Standards for Information Literacy A “tool for developing instruction and for assessing learning” Includes standards, performance indicators, and learning outcomes

15. Information Literacy Know, e.g. determine nature and extent of information needed Access, e.g. access needed information effectively and efficiently Evaluate, e.g. choose information critically and incorporate appropriately

16. Information Literacy Use, e.g. use information effectively to accompish a purpose Ethical/legal, e.g. understand economic, legal and social issues surrounding use of information

17. Convergence Encourage fluency in information technology as an institutional goal (align) Reform the curriculum to incorporate FITness (transform) Assess programmatically and institutionally the difference FITness makes to student learning (assess)

18. What about the real world? 80% of campuses surveyed in an ACRL/AAHE study were not implementing IL standards NRC: fundamental FITness concepts and capabilities are not essential in most curricula in any meaningful way

19. Barriers Faculty –No need –It’s a library or computer center thing –No time in their course, especially for “skills” –Students should already know this Information professionals –Lack of time –Lack of teaching skills

20. Can we persuade faculty? Focus on higher level and discipline concerns Address information policy issues Address ethical issues Integrate, not separate

21. Operationalizing FITness NRC: Implement through a series of well-chosen projects in each discipline Information literacy - Project SAILS: Kent State and ARL

22. Demonstrate results Think through assessment at outset Assess student learning throughout the curriculum and beyond

23. Leverage the Convergence Accreditation Transformative Assessment Fluency in Information Technology