Reflection as a Means to Assess Information Literacy Instruction

Yesterday there was an update on the project at the University of Houston, USA, on using reflection in information literacy education. The original paper was:
Kapacinskas, N., Lopez, E., Warren M. & Douglas, V.A. (2025). Reflection as a means to assess information literacy instruction. Journal of Information Literacy, 19(2), 93–103. http://dx.doi.org/10.11645/19.2.781 ("This project report outlines the development of a qualitative, reflection-based evaluative process and toolkit for our Libraries’ instruction programme that centres two critical domains: teacher-librarian self-efficacy and student learning.") The update is:
Kapacinskas, N., Douglas, V.A., Lopez, E. & Warren M. (2026, February 26). Project Report Update: Reflection as a Means to Assess Information Literacy Instruction. https://infolit.org.uk/project-report-update-reflection-as-a-means-to-assess-information-literacy-instruction/
Photo by Sheila Webber: snowdrops, February 2026

Not so recent articles: Information behaviour; Reflective journals; Embedding digital citizenship

A few articles I missed first time round (all open access):
- Steinerová, J. (2016). Information literacy studies and human information behaviour. Paper presented at NASIV Visegrád-V4 information education workshop in Brno. http://hdl.handle.net/11222.digilib/135935 (a useful review)
- Dunne, S. and Sheridan, V. (2012). Developing First Year Student Information Literacy: Reflections On The Learning Process. AISHE-J, 4(1). https://ojs.aishe.org/index.php/aishe-j/article/view/72 "This article evaluates first year student’s engagement with information literacy as they make the transition to third level education. For part of their assessment for a core module, students maintained reflective journals. These journals have provided the data for a qualitative, grounded theory study which has been analysed by the academic and librarian who delivered the module. Results demonstrate that students find transition problematic and spend their first semester in a state of uncertainty but the reflective journals aid them in thinking about their achievements in relation to their developing academic skills, including information literacy, during their first semester.
- Cooney, C., Nugent, K. and Howard, K. (2018). Embedding Digital Citizenship In A Higher Education Institute. AISHE-J, 10(2). https://ojs.aishe.org/index.php/aishe-j/article/view/360 "This paper presents an account of the genesis, rationale and implementation of an initiative to promote responsible Digital Citizenship in Higher Education settings. The genesis was concern about the negative impacts of inappropriate online activity within the DkIT community. The norms of virtual interaction appeared to be different to those which shape our face to face, physical interactions. Therefore, our rationale was to create a dialogue within our HE setting that sought to challenge this false division. The initiative's theoretical underpinning synthesised literature from Community Development, Republican Citizenship and the Social Psychology of online communications. We implemented a two strand response: firstly an awareness raising, train-the-trainer model of peer-led workshops, which is now embedded as part of the first year students’ formal induction. Secondly, a proposed mediation process based on Restorative Justice principles to allow those harmed by the Social Media actions of others to be heard and their concerns addressed. The evaluation of our initiative indicates the emergence of cultural change within our institution in relation to online behaviour. Furthermore this knowledge and experience will contribute to and inform discussions about how best to shape the norms of online interaction within and across our HE communities."
Photo by Sheila Webber: Wreaths of Kelham Island 2, December 2019

Reflection toolkit

A really useful resource from the University of Edinburgh: a Reflection toolkit with material both for those doing the reflection and for those facilitating or assessing reflection. Additionally there is a literature review on reflection, and a substantial bibliography. The material was mostly published December 2018/ January 2019
https://www.ed.ac.uk/reflection/
Photo by Sheila Webber: Sculpture (Lisa Slade: the life of stars), Adelaide, July 2019

Recent articles: Apps for IL teaching; #ACRLframework use; Reflection; Collaboration

Recent articles from the open access journal College & Research Libraries News:
- Basile, A. & Matis, S. (2018). Is there an app for that? A review of mobile apps for information literacy classes. College & Research Libraries News, 79(10). https://crln.acrl.org/index.php/crlnews/article/view/17433/19241 They discuss the pros and cons of Padlet (which sadly now only allows a few padlets for new users, but I find it a very useful tool in teaching); Socrative; Mindomo; and AnswerGarden.
- Green, E. (2018) Meet them in the proximal zone: Introducing framework concepts to “novice learners” using reference sources. College & Research Libraries News, 79(10). https://crln.acrl.org/index.php/crlnews/article/view/17432
- Pullman, E. (2018). Applying the Framework as a reflective tool: A teacher learner perspective.College & Research Libraries News, 79(8). https://crln.acrl.org/index.php/crlnews/article/view/17243
- Chen, Y-H. (2018) Faculty/librarian collaborations enhance doctoral student success: Strategies for retention and graduation. College & Research Libraries News, 79(10). https://crln.acrl.org/index.php/crlnews/article/view/17436
- Vine, R. (2018) Realigning liaison with university priorities: Observations from ARL Liaison Institutes 2015–18. College & Research Libraries News, 79(8). https://crln.acrl.org/index.php/crlnews/article/view/17244 Their 3 concluding recommendations are: "Foster more frequent and deeper communication between librarians and faculty to understand their research and teaching challenges","Find ways to help librarians use internal teaming and collaborations to solve university challenges","Increase liaison activity with non-departmentalized units on campus, which are often drivers of institutional initiatives and university priorities."

Photo by Sheila Webber: little library in Kaunas, Lithiania (it just had one rather damp paperback in it), October 2018

Teaching the next generation of IL educators: reflection for learning #lilac18

Last week at the LILAC (UK information literacy) conference in Liverpool, UK, my colleague Pamela McKinney gave a presentation we had co-authored, focusing particularly on reflective activities that we have designed into the compulsory Information Literacy modules taken by students on our on-campus and distance learning Masters courses (MA Librarianship and MA Library and Information Services Management). In both modules the two strands are information literacy, and teaching information literacy. Below are the slides.

Teaching the next generation of IL educators: reflection for learning from Sheila Webber

Recent articles: public libraries and infolit; how well do librarians cite

Reference and User Services Quarterly is now open access, and volume 57 number 1, 2017 includes:
- For Your Enrichment: Developing a Reflective Practice Template for Citation Management Software Instruction - Steven D. Milewski, Jeanine M. Williamson
- Information Literacy and Instruction: For Your Information: Using Information Literacy in Public Libraries - Sonnet Ireland
- Giving Credit: How Well Do Librarians Cite and Quote Their Sources? - Peter Genzinger, Deborah Wills [the answer is - not perfectly well!]
https://journals.ala.org/index.php/rusq/issue/view/657
Photo by Sheila Webber: autumn rose, November 2017

New articles: information literacy; #ACRLframework; metacognition; values; critical approaches

The latest issue of the Open access journal Communications in Information Literacy (volume 11, no. 1, 2017) is accessible at http://www.comminfolit.org/index.php?journal=cil&page=issue&op=view&path%5B%5D=21&path%5B%5D=showToc
A focus is the ACRL Framework for Information Literacy. It includes:
- Frame Works: Using Metaphor in Theory and Practice in Information Literacy by Wendy Holliday, pages 4-20
- Revisiting Metacognition and Metaliteracy in the ACRL Framework by Diane M. Fulkerson, Susan Andriette Ariew, Trudi E. Jacobson, 21-41
- Reorienting an Information Literacy Program Toward Social Justice: Mapping the Core Values of Librarianship to the ACRL Framework by Lua Gregory, Shana Higgins, 42-54
- Connecting Information Literacy and Social Justice: Why and How by Laura Saunders, 55-75
- A Kairos of the Critical: Teaching Critically in a Time of Compliance by Emily Drabinski, 76-94
- Teaching and Un-Teaching Source Evaluation: Questioning Authority in Information Literacy Instruction by Katelyn Angell, Eamon Tewell, 95-121
- In Bed with the Library: A Critical Exploration of Embedded Librarianship at the City University of New York by Nora Almeida, Julia Pollack, 122-146
- Creative Approaches to Information Literacy for Creative Arts Students by Leo Appleton, Gustavo Grandal Montero, Abigail Jones, 147-167
- Using the ACRL Framework to Develop a Student-Centered Model for Program-Level Assessment by Rachel Wilder Gammons, Lindsay Taylor Inge, 168-184
- Asking Questions in the Classroom: An Exploration of Tools and Techniques Used in the Library Instruction Classroom by Sara Maurice Whitver, Leo S. Lo, 185-203
- Guided Resource Inquiries: Integrating Archives into Course Learning and Information Literacy Objectives by Ellen E. Jarosz, Stephen Kutay, 204-220
- Embracing Challenges in Times of Change: A Survey of the Readiness of Academic Librarians in New Jersey for Transition to the ACRL Framework by Leslin H. Charles
Photo by Sheila Webber: alium heads, July 2017

Using reflection to develop meta cognitive skills for IL #lilac17

The final post today from Pam McKinney at the LILAC conference and many thanks to her for these!
"Shirley Yearwood-Jackman from the University of Liverpool presented on using reflection to develop meta cognitive skills for IL. Shirley asked the question "are student self-assessments of their information literacy ability accurate?" i.e. Do they know what they don't know? Cognitive theories would suggest that students who are not information literate are not competent to judge whether or not they are information literate. Shirley showed part of this video https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=f-4N7OxSMok (embedded below) which was an entertaining presentation on meta cognition.
"Students wrote a reflective journal about the IL challenges they faced while on placement, and were given guidance on how to write reflectively. A feedback session was held where the reflective writing was discussed in groups, and Shirley gave tutor feedback on the writing. It was clear from the writing that students felt challenged by being on placement, they identified gaps in their own knowledge."