Project SAILS Information Literacy Assessment
What is it and how does it work?
The Standardized Assessment of Information Literacy Skills (SAILS) is a multiple-choice test developed and validated with undergraduate students to assess information literacy knowledge and skills. Educators are able to choose between an individual test, cohort test, or build your own test option, all of which provide results and benchmark comparisons with peers and other institutions in regard to eight skill sets: Developing a research strategy, Selecting finding tools, Searching, Using finding tool features, Retrieving sources, Evaluating sources, Documenting sources, and Understanding economic, legal, and social issues (O'Connor, Radcliff, & Gedeon, 2001).
Project SAILS recommends that the assessment be administered using a pre-post methodology with at least one semester between testing periods.
Which skill(s) are targeted?
The Project SAILS Information Literacy Assessment can be used to collect data regarding students’ knowledge and skills in the following competency domains:
- Identify, define, and navigate the data and information landscape
- Critically evaluate data and information
- Analyze data and engage with information in and across communities of practice
- Manage the data and information ecosystem consistent with laws, policies, and ethical practices
Who else has used it?
- University Libraries
- 99-101: Core@CMU
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Educator time commitment
Approximately 15 minutes
Student time commitment
CMU has curated a Build Your Own Test option so that the questions are more closely aligned with the Core Competencies. This version takes approximately 10 minutes. Instructors also have the option to use the individual and cohort tests designed by SAILS which are estimated to take between 35-45 minutes.
Contact eberly-assist@andrew.cmu.edu for help with incorporating this resource.
Educator how-to steps
- Contact eberly-assist@andrew.cmu.edu to request access to review the instrument. NOTE: The Core Competencies Initiative has an institutional license so individual instructors and units do not have to pay for use of the instrument.
- Decide when students should complete the Project SAILS Information Literacy Assessment and then include this in the corresponding assignments/instructions to students.
- Set up the assignment in Canvas (or as you normally would). NOTE: If the Project SAILS instrument aligns with your assessment needs, email eberly-assist@andrew.cmu.edu to initiate the process to generate the necessary student keys for administration.
References
O'Connor, L. G., Radcliff, C. J., & Gedeon, J. A. (2001). Assessing information literacy skills: Developing a standardized instrument for institutional and longitudinal measurement.
Radcliff, Carolyn J., Joseph A Salem, Jr., Lisa G. O’Connor, and Julie A. Gedeon. 2007. “Project SAILS Skill Sets for the 2018-2019 Academic Year.” https://www.projectsails.org/site/project-sails-skill-sets.