AN INFORMAL HISTORY OF CREATING AN INFORMATION LITERACY COMPETENCY EXAM FOR COCC (by Cat Finney, Fall  2004)

A brief history (or perhaps not so brief) of the process of creating this exam:: 

 

Fall 2002: I organized a meeting with David, Tina, and COCC Writing instructors about ways of coordinating our efforts with theirs.  It was agreed upon by all involved that an information competency exam (along the lines of the computer competency exam) would be a valuable tool.  I had been interested in this idea after the advent of the original computer competency exam, and I had talked to both Bart Queary and Peter Casey about the design and implementation of that exam some time before.

 

After database searching, reading numerous articles, and gathering information and model exams and questions from the web and talking to librarian colleagues by phone and e-mail I established version one of the exam by the end of Fall term.  I thought to develop a concrete version of the exam using Lib 127 outcomes as a guideline, then work with everyone to establish a bank of questions that would be rotated through the exam process.  I sent the exam to Writing faculty and fellow librarians for perusal.

 

Winter 2003: more articles, more websites, more model exams.  E-mailed a slew of additional folks asking about the process of creating an exam and requesting sample questions.   Got feedback from Writing faculty and librarians on my first version of the exam.  Created second version of the exam and sent it out again for feedback. 

 

Spring 2003: attended conference in Walla Walla, Washington on evaluating information competency.  Talked at length with several presenters that were in the process of creating information literacy competency exams.  Revised my sample exam according to those comments and from COCC faculty feedback.  In addition, after discussion with AIM, Humanities faculty and Social Sciences faculty, I incorporated the exam within our Department Accessment plan for Library Instruction  During this term I also talked with Kelly Smith about the pragmatic details required by the Computer Literacy Exam and took the computer literacy exam myself.  The testing mechanism for that exam seemed very faulty, and I began looking for alternative testing mechanisms, including FrontPage and Blackboard.

 

Summer 2003: I established the third version of the exam, incorporating more praxis based questions (as suggested by Humanities faculty colleagues and based on a few sample questions I had acquired from the conference).  Again, after sending this version around for feedback, I created the exam in Blackboard and FrontPage.  Right before Fall term, Synchronize software was loaded into  Lib 117 and I re-typed the exam using that software so that it was available as an automated quiz in the classroom. 

 

Fall 2003: asked that Lib 127 instructors test the quiz by giving it their students at the beginning and end of the term.  Generally, students scored around 50% at the beginning of the term and 70% at the end of the term.  I am still in the process of corelating data with student course grades in order to better evaluate the exam.

 

Winter 2004: Created fourth version of exam and tested within Lib 127 classes.

Spring 2004: Implemented several revisions to exam.  Loaded exam on to Blackboard platform.  Informed Writing, Humanities and Social Sciences faculty of exam on Blackboard.  Put exam on the agenda for curriculum committee.  Heard from Jon Bouknight (Chair, COCC Academic Affairs 03-4) vis a vis Celeste Brody that it was not necessary for  the Info. Lit. Competency exam to be reviewed as it was a 'qualifying' exam.

Spring and Summer 2004: Finalize exam.  Establish testing process with Testing/Tutoring Center. Schedule  Lib 117 for exams.  Begin outreach to advising, admissions, and CAP staff, and students.

Fall 2004: Offer exam to students. Hear from Deans and current AA chair regarding need for AA to review exam after all.