IL Self-assessment Tool for Students

Research Readiness Self-Assessment (RRSA-HK) questionnaire instrument

The goal of this part of the UGC T&L Project on Information Literacy is to establish an Information Literacy self-assessment tool for students of the UGC-funded institutions. The development and testing process will be done in collaboration with Dr Lana Ivanitaskaya of Central Michigan University, who lead the development of the Research Readiness Self-Assessment (RRSA), a validated instrument used by over fifty higher educations instructions in the U.S. The sub-project core team will work closely with Dr Ivanitskaya’s team to customize the US-based RRSA for Hong Kong students (RRSA-HK) based on the local information literacy educational needs. A pilot test of the tool will be conducted to fine tune the instrument. For a broad understanding of the students’ information behaviors, RRSA-HK will be administrated to students in different years of study with systematic sampling from the eight participating institutions.

Implementation Timetable for RRSA-HK

RRSA-HK core team: Chris Chan (HKBU), Angela Wong (HKBU), Phoebe Leung (LU), Johnny Yuen (PolyU), Carol Ma (PolyU)

Goal:

  • To gather real world feedback on the design of the RRSA-HK (item design, wordings, time duration)
  • To obtain students' performance data and conduct statistical explorations to inform the design of data analysis of the RRSA-HK pre-and post-study
Date Task Responsible Team(s)
Dec-Jan 2016 Modify RRSA based on data collected to build the RRSA-HK. RRSA-HK core team
  To Collect comments on modified RRSA-HK items fr om participating libraries and finalize test ite ms.

An online space will be set up for participating libraries to post comments on the RRSA-HK proposed items. A trial version of the RRSA-HK will be ready by end of March 2016 and will be piloted in Apr 2016.

RRSA-HK core team
Apr - Jun 2016

Pilot test RRSA-HK.

HKBU and LU have to recruite 50 students in total to participate the pilot test.

Student participants who have participated in phase 1 IL needs assessment task is preferred (but not a must). At least one local student from each year of study is also preferred.

Students have to come to library to complete the RRSA-HK pilot instrument in person, and answer a few questions (verbally) to share their impressions and difficulties encountered in using the instrument at a focus group session.

Each participating student would receive  incentives. Students need to sign consent forms, as well as a receipt upon receive of the incentive (Similar to IL Needs Assessment Task).

RRSA-HK core team and task team from HKBU and LU
Sep - Oct 2016

Refine and administer RRSA-HK to year 1 students across faculties, and institutions.

Each JULAC library has to recruit 200 students from all faculties to participate in the RRSA-HK pre-test.

Each participating student would receive incentives.

RRSA-HK core team and task team from each JULAC library
Nov 2016 – Feb 2017

Analyse RRSA-HK data.

Conduct cross tabulation analysis to summarize categorical data and discover interrelation and interactions between variables.

Prepare reports on information behaviour patterns and specific IL educational needs identified.

RRSA-HK core team
Jan-Mar 2018

Administration of the post test of the RRSA-HK to year 2 students across faculties, and institutions.

Each JULAC library has to recruit year 2 students (number of students TBC) from all faculties to participate in the RRSA-HK post-test. Ideally these should be the same students that took the test in Sep-Oct 2016.

Each participating student would receive incentives.

RRSA-HK core team and task team from each JULAC library

Last update: 23 Nov 2016