Integrate and Assess: Information Literacy as Quality Enhancement of Undergraduate Curriculum

This article is an account of how one small liberal arts university undertook a large scale curriculum integration and assessment project under the auspices of a Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP). After a review of relevant literature, the integration and assessment process is outlined, and the assessment data is analyzed and discussed. The integration used a tiered approach, attempting to engage students with significant IL experiences first at the lower general education level, then subsequently at the upper level in their disciplinary context. Assessment tools include widely used standardized tests and surveys as well as locally developed rubrics and surveys. While the plan satisfied the reaccreditation requirements, this is a case study and not a template; many factors would make it difficult to generalize the assessment results. More useful to IL advocates and other institutions may be the overall approach of this QEP, which aimed to be thorough enough to align with regional and national standards yet flexible enough to meet local needs.