A Content Analysis of Information Literacy Courses in Mater's Degree Programs of Library and Information Studies

Abstract

A content analysis of textbooks used for instruction of information literacy courses in Masters in Library and Information Studies programs was conducted. The hypotheses was that these courses identified specific competencies of information literacy at various stages of learning and differentiated between lower-level basic skills from upper-level more sophisticated skills. This paradigm was exemplified by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (2003). Chi-square (χ2) analyses of the frequencies with which educational levels starting from K-12 through graduate school occurred were conducted. Textbooks that contained any of the following information literacy themes met the selection criteria: (a) determining information needed, (b) accessing the information, (c) critically evaluating and synthesizing retrieved information, (d) integrating and applying knowledge, and (e) understanding the economic, legal, and social implications of information production and dissemination. Contrary to the hypotheses, the results revealed that emphases were on grouped competencies such as K-12 or undergraduate, rather than on graded incremental proficiencies. Educational levels K-12 were found to have significantly more citations than expected. Frequencies of references to college levels decreased as the learning levels advanced. There was no mention of the junior level. Emphases on lower-level basic information literacy skills were revealed by higher frequencies of references to sophomore than those of senior. Moreover, graduate level had only eight mentions out of a total of 361 observations. Taken as a whole, these courses fell short of the scholarly expectations of clearly identifying between lower-level basic skills from upper-level more sophisticated skills.