What kind of test is suitable for measurement of Students’ Information Literacy skills at Payame-Noor University?

Subject Areas : Journal of Knowledge Studies

Fereidoon  Yazdani ¹ (Assistant professor at Payam-e-Nour University, branch of Nahavand-)

Received: 2012-02-07 Accepted : 2012-07-06 Published : 2014-02-20

Keywords: Reliability, validity, Higher Education, information literacy, the scale of information literacy skills, students of Paya,

Abstract :

Objective: the general aim of this research was to make a reliable and valid test for assessing the students’ information literacy at Payame-Noor University. Methodology: the method of this research was descriptive (survey) research, and statistical population of it included all students that enrolled in all branches of Payam-Noor University of Hamedan province. The total number of those were 28530 people. For sampling ofpopulation, a cluster sampling method was used. On the basis of this method, the 387 subjects were selected. For gathering of dada a research-made questionnaire was used. This questionnaire has made based on the Likert scale (very high, high, moderate, low, and very low). The component of scale (questionnaire) included 5 standard competency of ACRL. The questionnaire included  30 items in the form of self-report statements. For becoming suitable of items, the discriminative power method was used and formal, content and constructive (convergent validity and factor analysis) methods were used for validating of it. Based on the convergent validity, the correlation coefficient between my questionnaire and Asgharnia’s Questionnaire (2009) was 0.77. Also, results of explanatory factor analysis on the items of questionnaire lead to extraction of 6 factors with a total cumulative variance explained nearly 66/5%. Also, on the basis of confirmatory factor analysis, the 5 factors with a total cumulative variance explained nearly 63%, were extracted. For making items reliable, the Cronbach’s alpha was used (α=0.94). Findings: in general, results show that the research-made scale (information literacy questionnaire) is a suitable and reliable instrument for assessing the information literacy of distance learner. Also, other result of research shows that the level of students’ information literacy skills at Payam-e-Noor University is moderate. Conclusion: one of the results of this study was that the instrument (scale) is valid & reliable, so using this scale is proposed for assessing of Students’ Information Literacy at other branches of Payam-e-Noor University. Another result of research was that level of students’ information literacy in PNU isn’t desirable and there is a gap between status quo and desirable situation; therefore some interventions (such as: formal and informal instruction) for rising of students’ information literacy is proposed.  

References:

ACRL (2000). Information literacy competency standards for higher education. Chicago: Illinois. From: http://www.ala.org/ala/acrl/acrlstandards/standards.pdf. (Retrieved at: 30/September/2009).

Alinejad, M.; Sarmadi, M.R.; Zandi, B.; Shobeiri, S.M. (2011). Information literacy level and the role of it in the process of e-learning and teaching for students. Quarterly Journal of Scientific and Research of informing and public libraries, 17(2), 65: 337-371. [In Persian].

Asgharnia, F. (2009). Investigation about status of students’ information literacy of perfecting grade at University of AllamehTabatabaee, in terms of information literacy competent standards for higher education, acknowledged by Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL). Unpublished thesis. University of AllamehTabatabaee, college of psychology and education, Tehran [In Persian].

Bigdeli, z.; Momtazan, m. (2011). Comparing the students’ information literacy at International Unit University with nursing college of medical Sciences University of JondiShapoor, in Ahvaz, branch of Abadan. Health Information Management, 8(4): 524-537. [In Persian].

Chiang, Yu-Chen; Wang, Tien-Chian; Chen, Y           ing-Hsiu (2007). Study on Information Literacy of Elementary School Teachers. 6th WSEAS International Conference on EDUCATION and EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGY, Italy, November 21-23, 274.

Cobus L. (2008). Integrating information literacy into the education of public health professionals: roles for librarians and the library. J Med Libr Assoc 2008, 96(1): 28-33.

Critchfield, R. (2005). The development of an information literacy indicator for incoming college freshman. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, University of Nova Southeastern. from: ProQuets Databases (UMI). (Retrieved at: 30/September/2009).

Davarpanah, M.R; Siamak, M. (2009). Constructing and validating a questionnaire for assessing the students’ basic and real information literacy in bachelor degree. Librarianship and Informing, 12(1). [In Persian].

Ghasemi, Alihossein (2006). Investigation about status of students’ information literacy of perfecting grade and adapting it with information literacy standards (acknowledged by ACRL), and with four national development documents. MA Thesis, library and informing, University of Mashhad, college of education and psychology, Mahshad [In Persian].

Hashemzadeh, M.J.; Yari, Sh. (2010). Investigating about the effective factors upon students’ information literacy at perfecting grade, in the Universities of Birjand and Ferdousi. Library Studies and Information Sciences, 17 (5): 237-264. [In Persian].

Kerlinger, F.N., & Lee, H.B. (2000). Foundations of behavioural research (4^th ed.). Toronto: wadsworth Thomson learning.

Levy, Yair. (2006). Assessing the Value of E-learning Systems. USA: Infosci. First edition.

Neely, T. (2010). Information literacy assessment: standards-based tools and assignments. (A. A. Khaseh, and R. Alijani, Trans.). Tehran: Iran: Chapar Publication. (Original work published 2006). [In Persian].

O’Conner, L. G.; Radcliff, C. J. & Gedeon, J. A. (2001). Assessing information literacy skills: developing a standardized instrument for institutional and longitudinal measurement. From: http://www.ala.org/content/NavigationMenu/ACRL/Events_and_Conferences/oconnor.pdf. (Retrieved at: 21/September/2011).

Pandpazir, M.; CheshmehSohrabi, M. (2010). Investigation about the students’ information literacy of perfecting grade at University of medical sciences of Kermanshah based on Isenberg and Bercuits’s six great skills. Infuriating Researches and Public Libraries, 16(2): 115-137. [In Persian].

Poornaghi, R.; Abazari, Z. (2008). Comparative investigating about the level of Liberians’ information literacy at libraries of Iranians’ Universities (Shahid Beheshti’s medical sciences, Tarbiat Modares, Tehran and Shahid Behesti). Quarterly Journal of Scientific and Research of Health Management 11(31). [In Persian].

Rezvan, A.; Kokabi, M.; Bigdeli, Z. (2009). Investigating about the level of Liberians’ information literacy at public libraries of Khozestan province, in order to recognizing the strengths and weaknesses points of them. Library Message, (11). [In Persian].

Seifoori, V. (2011). Investigating about the level of senior students’ information literacy in bachelor degree, at the University of Razi, in Kermanshah. electronic journal of Shamseh, (1-3) From: http://www.aqlibrary.org/index.php?module=TWArticles&file=index&func=view_pubarticles&did=851&pid=11. (Retrieved at: 12/July/ 2012). [In Persian]

Straub, D. (1989).  Validating instrument in MIS research. MIS Quarterly, 13(2), 147-170.

Tayebnia, V. (2006). Investigation about of students’ information literacy of perfecting grade at economic college of AllamehTabatabaee University MA Thesis, Library and Information, Islamic Azad University, branch of Sciences and Researches Unit, Tehran . [In Persian].

Tylor, T.; Arth, J.; Solomon, A.; & Williamson, N. (2007). 100% Information Literacy Success. New York: Thomson Delmar Learning.

ZahedeBabolan, A.; Rajabi, S. (2011). Investigation about status of students’ information literacy of students at University of MohaghegheArdabili. Technology of Education, 5(4); 309-317. [In Persian]