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Information Literacy

Information literacy tools, aids, services for faculty.

Information Literacy Rubric

Information literacy is "the ability to know when there is a need for information, to be able to identify, locate, evalute, and effectively and responsibly use and share that information for the problem at hand."  (AACU).

Rubrics provide students and faculty with a means of accurate and fair assessment, allowing students to self-evaluate and improve their understanding of expectations.   This rubric was developed for LVC faculty, as an aid to assess student information literacy.  

Beginning Developing Accomplished Exemplary

Develop
Research  Strategy 
  • Unsure of how to find needed information for the assignment.
  • Uses simple keyword searches.
  • Search process is not well organized or developed. 
  • Generates some general keywords in relation to topic.
  • Shows an increased understanding of search process.
  • Employs some key concepts, phrases, and synonyms to search.
  
  • Effectively adapts search process to topic.
  • Effectively employs multiple key concepts, phrases, synonyms, subject terms to search.
Select Finding Tools
  • Googles.   Unaware of appropriate databases or information sources  for academic research.
  
  • Identifies and utilizes general databases (--i.e.  Academic Search Premier or Google Scholar) instead of subject-specific databases.
  • Selects appropriate discipline-specific tools for research.
  • Identifies and utilizes multiple discipline-specific databases; Utilizes non-traditional information sources.
Search

 

  • Uses no advanced search techniques.

 
  • Uses two of the four advanced search techniques to successfully retrieve information.
  • Effectively uses three of the four advanced search techniques to successfully retrieve information.
  
  • Effectively uses all four advanced search techniques (and/or/not connectors, field searches, subject searches, limiters) to successfully retrieve information.
Source Selection
  • Unable to differentiate between scholarly and general sources.
  • Selects inappropriate sources of information for academic research. 
  • Unable to differentiate between primary and secondary sources.
  • Understands the differences between scholarly and general sources.
  • Inconsistently selects sources appropriate for the assignment. 
  • Differentiates between primary and secondary sources inconsistently.
  • Understands the differences between scholarly and general sources.
  • Selects good sources of information for the assignment. 
  • Understands the difference between primary and secondary sources.
  
  • Clearly differentiates between scholarly, peer-reviewed, and general sources. 
  • Selects a wide variety of the most appropriate types of information for the assignment. 
  • Clearly understands the differences between primary and secondary sources; chooses the most appropriate sources.

 
Evaluate Sources
  • Does not evaluate sources.
  • Evaluates sources using three of the five CRAAP criteria.
  • Evaluates sources using four of the five CRAAP criteria.
  
  • Sources meet all five evaluative CRAAP criteria:  currency, relevancy, authority, accuracy, purpose.
Cite Sources
  • Does not cite sources or documentation of sources is incomplete and/or inconsistent.
  • No use of standard citation format.
  • No use of discipline-specific format.
  
  • Understands the need to cite sources, interprets citations, can locate required style guide. 
  • Inconsistent use of  citation format.
  • Uses discipline-specific citation format.
.
  • Sources are properly formatted using a  standard citation format. 
  • Few citation format mistakes.
  • Uses discipline-specific citation format.
  • Correctly utilizes discipline-specific citation format.
  • Sources are formatted with no errors.
  • Utilizes discipline-specific format, as well as citation management tools (Zotero, NoodleBib, Word citation tool).
Use Information Ethically and Legally  
  • Lacks knowledge of copyright laws and college policies on plagiarism and academic honesty.

 

  • Lacks knowledge of plagiarism or displays evidence of plagiarism.

 

  • No source attribution.
  
  • Incomplete knowledge of college laws and policies on plagiarism and academic honesty.
 
  • Understands plagiarism.
 
  • Inconsistent attribution of information sources. Inconsistent paraphrasing, summarizing, or quoting of sources.
  • Understands and follows laws, regulations, and college policies regarding access to and use of information. 
  • Demonstrates an understanding of plagiarism.
  • Attributes information sources and correctly paraphrases, summarizes, or quotes.
  • Understands and follows laws, regulations, and college policies regarding access to and use of information. Recognizes when to obtain copyright permission.
  • Demonstrates an in-depth understanding of plagiarism. 
  • Correctly attributes sources of information.  Correctly paraphrases, summarizes, or quotes.
Accomplish Purpose

 

  • Information from sources is not well communicated.

 

 

  • Intended purpose is not achieved.

 

  • Communicates information from sources.  Information is fragmented, used inappropriately or incorrectly paraphrased.

 

  • Information not fully synthesized; intended purpose not fully achieved.
  • Communicates and organizes information from sources.

 

 

 

  • Intended purpose is achieved.
  • Communicates clearly, organizes, and synthesizes information from sources.  Adds original ideas.

 

  • Fully achieves purpose with depth and clarity.

 

ACRL. Information Literacy Competency Standards for Higher Education. 2000.
Association of American Colleges and Universities.  Information Literacy Value Rubric.
Middle States Commission on Higher Education. Characteristics of Excellence in Higher Education. 2009.
University of Pittsburgh, Library System. ULS Information Literacy Rubric. 2012.  Adapted and used with permission.

 

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