Assessment in the One-Shot Session: Using Pre- and Post-tests to Measure Innovative Instructional Strategies among First-Year Students

Abstract

Many studies focus on the use of different assessment tools within information literacy instruction; however, there are very few that discuss how pre- and post-tests can be used to gauge student learning, and even fewer of those published deal with pre- and post-test assessment within the one-shot paradigm. This study explores the effectiveness of using nonlinguistic representations—kinesthetic, graphic, and physical models—in one-shot library sessions for first-year students in SLU 100 Introduction to the University Experience. As hypothesized, the findings suggest that the use of such representations can enhance student learning and assist in developing research skills that are essential to acquiring information literacy.