Longwood University Logo
Greenwood Library, Celebrate Curiosity logo with link to homepage

Faculty Services

INFORMATION LITERACY IN CIVITAE

Information Literacy is an outcome within the Civitae Core Curriculum. 

A librarian serves on the Civitae Core Curriulum Committee as the Information Literacy Leader. 

Perspectives Student Learning Outcome (PSLO) 1 states, students will be able to “locate, evaluate, and organize information from multiple disciplines to develop, refine, and address questions.”

TATIL ASSESSMENT

 What

Two modules of TATIL are used: Evaluating Process & Authority and Research & Scholarship. Each module includes performance indicators mapped to the verbs in PSLO1.

 When

Testing occurs every Fall in all CTZN 410 sections. These students have completed most or all of their Perspectives Level courses.

The Information Literacy (IL) Leader sets the testing window, typically lasting 2–3 weeks.

 How

  • CTZN 410 sections are evenly split between the two modules by the IL Leader.
  • The IL Leader contacts instructors with a test key and timeline.
  • Students log in using their test key and L Number.
  • Instructors offer extra credit for completing the test outside of class within the assigned window.
  • The test takes approximately 50 minutes and provides a completion certificate.
  • Testing is not reopened after the window closes under any circumstances.

INFORMATION LITERACY GOALS

The TATIL gives overall knowledge results based on perfomance levels of conditionally ready, college ready, and research ready. Longwood’s goal is to have 75% of CTZN 410 students score at college ready or the higher level of research ready.

Students who are "college ready:"

  • understand how sources fit into the information cycle
  • make basic distinctions among information sources in order to select the more authoritative and appropriate source for their need
  • follow clear and detailed assignment instructions about types of information they are expected to use for their college assignments
  • recognize that scholars who study a problem might arrive at different conclusions because knowledge changes over time as new information is discovered and analyzed
  • understand that expertise in a field comes not from merely knowing things but through using established methods to perform research
  • identify the value of applying a systematic research process for deepening their understanding
  • approach college-level research with a goal of developing meaningful research questions and proposing credible interpretations or answers

PERFORMANCE INDICATORS

The TATIL ranks 30 total performance indicators and dispositions. The following chart outlines 19 indicators (mapped to the verbs in PSLO1) in which Longwood students show consistent strength and a consistent need for improvement over the four testing years 2020–2024.

TATIL Performance Indicators: Consistent Strengths and Areas for Improvement (2020–2024)
PSLO1 ✅ Consistent Strength ⚠️ Need for Improvement
Locate Information
  • Match an information need to the most authoritative source types (e.g., news agency, government website, scholarly article).
  • Internalize how their own research practices are part of a bigger system of knowledge building.
Evaluate Information
  • Identify factors that would compromise the authority of the peer review process.
  • Recognize the pitfalls of using the superficial indicator "peer review" when evaluating sources for authority.
  • Categorize common source types by whether the authors are expected to list their cited sources.
  • Evaluate an emerging scholar's likelihood of being accepted into the scholarly conversation.
  • Match the source type with the amount of time it usually takes to publish it.
  • Identify relevant elements of an author's expertise.
  • Recognize that scholars bring their own perspectives to the study of a research topic.
Organize Information
  • Evaluate the effectiveness of an author's use of different source types (e.g., news, research articles, blogs) to support arguments.
  • Match descriptions of popular, polemic, and primary documents to scenarios where it would be appropriate to use them.
Develop Questions
  • Order the stages of the research process when writing a research paper.
  • Identify the appropriate relationship between a research question and a thesis statement.
  • Given text with conflicting perspectives, formulate suitable research questions.
Refine Questions
  • Classify descriptions of specific actions taken during the research process by the stage in the research process when they are most likely to happen.
  • Given a description of scholarly disagreement, select the interpretation that acknowledges the value of disagreement for moving knowledge forward.
Address Questions
  • Appreciate how the academic community values, creates, and uses sources, and are thus likely to incorporate these sources into their own work.
  • Identify information directly relevant to an argument.
  • Explain why research inquiry can be appropriate for personal information needs in addition to academic needs.

ADDRESSING AREAS FOR IMPROVEMENT

Faculty can

  • use the information presented in this guide to address the concerns with their students (updated yearly with new test results).
  • attend the annual IL and/or Perspectives session at Undergraduate Faculty Professional Development Day in August 
  • contact the IL Leader or your liaison librarian at any time for help with teaching information literacy. 

Student Preparedness After Library Instruction

The chart below displays the percentage of students who reported feeling more prepared following library instruction sessions for each semester.

Fall 2023 – 90.15%
 
Spring 2024 – 91.32%
 
Fall 2024 – 88.72%
 
Spring 2025 – 93.27%
 

Bars represent the percentage of students who responded "Yes, I feel more prepared" among those who indicated a "Prepared" status in post-instruction surveys.

Library Instruction Feedback

Key Takeaways from Student Feedback

What Students Found Most Useful

  1. Mastering Search Terms and Operators for Precision: Students valued learning how to use keywords, Boolean operators (AND, OR, NOT), and quotation marks to narrow or broaden searches.
    "I learned how to narrow my searches in the library"
  2. Strategic Database Navigation and Selection: Guidance on choosing the right databases and navigating them efficiently helped students discover more relevant resources.
    "I learned which databases are best for which subject"
  3. Critical Source Evaluation and Credibility Assessment: Students gained skills in determining the reliability and bias of sources, including using techniques like lateral reading.
    "I learned how to determine if something is considered a reliable source when researching"
  4. Practical Citation and Permalink Management: Learning about citation styles and how to use permalinks was seen as highly beneficial.
    "I learned why is there a need for a permalink"
  5. Leveraging Librarian Expertise and Support Services: Students found value in asking librarians for help, using chat services, and understanding interlibrary loan processes.
    "I learned I can ask any of the librarians for help"

What Students Still Need Help With

  1. Persistent Challenges with Search Term Optimization: Some students continue to struggle with using Boolean operators, quotation marks, and narrowing or broadening searches effectively.
    "I'm still confused about how to arrange keywords to get more options"
  2. Ongoing Confusion with Citation Practices: Citation formats remain confusing for many students, especially citing non-traditional sources.
    "I'm still confused about how to correctly format and cite certain articles"
  3. Need for More Nuanced Source Evaluation: Students want practical ways to determine source credibility, including bias detection and vetting news or scholarly sources.
    "I'm still confused about how to better vet scholarly sources"
  4. Optimizing Database Use and Research Management: Practical issues like link saving, document organization, and advanced tools are recurring themes.
    "I'm still confused about how to properly link downloaded PDF files"
  5. Clarifying Librarian Roles and Tailoring Instruction: Students seek more clarity on librarian expertise, and more advanced or differentiated instruction over time.
    "I'm still confused about why I have to sit through this every semester"