Background
In February 2013 a team from Stonehill College attended the
Council of Independent Colleges’ Information Fluency in the Disciplines
workshop. There, they, along with teams from more than a dozen other
institutions, crafted plans for incorporating information fluency instruction
into the foreign language curriculum.
In the spring of 2013 Stonehill was one of 75 institutions
selected to take part in the inaugural year of the Association of College and
Research Libraries’ Assessment in ActionProgram. Stonehill’s Assessment in Action program builds on the work
college representatives began in the Information Fluency in the Disciplines workshop.
Our Question
Does information literacy instruction and access to library
resources and services help novice Spanish language learners meet the ACTFL
Standards for Foreign Language Learning?
When attempting to answer our question, we considered
students ability to meet both discipline- specific and institution-specific
standards. Those standards included the following:
ACTFL Standards for Foreign Language Learning
1.1 (Communication) – Students understand and interpret
written and spoken language on a variety of topics.
2.1 (Cultures) Students demonstrate and understanding of the
relationship between the practices and perspectives of the culture studied.
3.2 (Connections) Students acquire information and recognize
the distinctive viewpoints that are only available through the foreign language
and its cultures.
4.2 (Comparisons) Students demonstrate and understanding to
the concept of culture through the comparisons of the cultures studied and
their own.
Above and Beyond: The Plan for Stonehill College 2011-2015
Strategy 4. Enhancing Diversity – Develop an inclusive environment
and build in students the cosmopolitan skills of global awareness, respect,
cross-cultural communication and empathy. Stated objectives for achieving that strategy include: "Promote diversity as an integral part of the College culture by linking the curriculum with heightened intercultural and international competency."
"The Department
of Foreign Languages fulfills its mission by teaching foreign languages,
cultures and literatures, by promoting cross-cultural understanding, and by
presenting models of effective pedagogy. Members of the Department also serve
the College and wider community in areas pertaining to foreign languages."Stonehill College Department of Foreign Languages Mission Statement
The Timeline
June, 2014
- Assessment in Action meetings at ALA Annual in Chicago
July - August 2014
- AiA team leader and Director of Collections, Assessment, and User Engagement compiled recommended outcomes and criteria
- AiA team leader and faculty member met to determine frequency of librarian's in-class instruction and communication with student via the college's learning management system
- AiA team leader developed course specific LibGuide
- AiA team devised pre-and post assessments of student's cultural learning and library skills
- Submitted application and received approval for study from Stonehill's IRB
September 5, 2013
- Obtained informed consent from students in each section
- Administered pre-assessment in each section
- Taught library instruction session for each section
October 7, 2013
- Students received first of three cultural assignments
- Students required to meet with librarian for assistance with cultural assignment
- Librarian contacted students via the learning management system with reminders of due dates and offers of additional assistance
October - December, 2013
- Students required to complete two additional cultural assignments and receive assistance from librarian from each
- Students required to complete learning reflection piece at conclusion of each cultural assignment
- Librarian maintained contact with students through learning management system
December 3, 2013
- Director of Center for Teaching and Learning conducted in-class assessments in each of the two elementary Spanish sections
- Collected quantitative data pertaining to usefulness of specific library tools
- Collected qualitative data pertaining to effectiveness of library support and services
December 11, 2013
- Librarian administered post-assessment
December, 2013 - June, 2014
- Data analysis and reporting
June 28, 2014
- Results of study presented at American Library Association annual conference, Las Vegas, NV
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