Assessment Criteria for ACRL/AASL Information Literacy Competencies
Competency
Assessment Criteria
Novice
Developing
Proficient
ACRL Standard 1: The information literate student determines the nature and extent of the information needed
(AASL Standard 1)
1. The information
Does not formulate
Barely formulates
Formulates questions,
literate student defines questions, develop thesis,
questions, develops thesis, develops thesis, explores
and articulates the need explore info sources, identify explores info sources,
info sources, identifies
for information
key concepts or recognize
identifies key concepts or
key concepts and
AASL 1.1.1, 1.1.3
that existing info can be
recognizes that existing
recognizes that existing
combined with original
info can be combined with info can be combined
thought, experimentation,
original thought,
with original thought,
analysis
experimentation, analysis
experimentation, analysis
Accomplished
Fully formulates
questions, develops
thesis, explores info
sources, identifies key
concepts and recognizes
that existing info can be
combined with original
thought, experimentation,
analysis
2. The information
literate student
identifies a variety of
types and formats of
potential sources for
information
AASL 1.1.4. 1.1.6
Does not know how info is
produced, organized,
disseminated; cannot identify
potential resources in a
variety of formats or
differentiate between
primary and secondary
sources
Limited knowledge of
how info is produced,
organized, disseminated;
barely identifying potential
resources in a variety of
formats or differentiating
between primary and
secondary sources
Knowledge of
how info is produced,
organized, disseminated;
identifies potential
resources in a variety of
formats and differentiates
between primary and
secondary sources
Fully aware of
how info is produced,
organized, disseminated;
fully identifies potential
resources in a variety of
formats and differentiates
between primary and
secondary sources
3. The information
literate student
considers the costs and
benefits of acquiring
the needed information
AASL 1.1.5
Does not consider
availability of various
resources or importance of
acquiring new language or
skills to gather needed
information
Limited consideration of
availability of various
resources or importance of
acquiring new language or
skills to gather needed
information
Considers availability of
various resources beyond
local resources and
feasibility of acquiring
new language or skills to
gather needed
information
Fully considers
broadening the
information seeking
process beyond local
resources and feasibility
of acquiring new
language or skills to
gather needed
information
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Assessment Criteria for ACRL/AASL Information Literacy Competencies
Competency
Assessment Criteria
Developing
Proficient
Limited review of initial
Reviews initial
information need to refine
information need to
question or describe
refine question and
criteria used to make
describes criteria used to
information decisions and
make information
choices
decisions and choices
Accomplished
Fully reviews initial
information need to
refine question and
describes criteria used to
make information
decisions and choices
ACRL Standard 2: The information literate student accesses the needed information effectively and efficiently
(AASL Standard 1, 2)
1. The information
Does not identify or
Barely identifies or
Identifies the
literate student selects
investigate the applicability
investigates the
applicability of
the most appropriate
of appropriate investigative
applicability of
appropriate investigative
investigative methods
methods or IRS
appropriate investigative
methods or IRS and
or information retrieval
methods or IRS
selects efficient and
systems for accessing
effective approaches for
the needed information
accessing needed
AASL 1.1.4, 1.1.8
information
Fully identifies the
applicability of
appropriate investigative
methods or IRS and
selects efficient and
effective approaches for
accessing needed
information
4. The information
literate student
reevaluates the nature
and extent of the
information needed
AASL 1.1.4, 1.1.5
2. The information
literate student
constructs and
implements effectively
designed search
strategies
AASL 1.1.1, 1.1.3,
1.1.8
Novice
Does not review initial
information need to refine
question or describe criteria
used to make information
decisions and choices
Does not construct
appropriate investigative
strategies for information
retrieval
Barely constructs
appropriate investigative
strategies for information
retrieval
Constructs appropriate
investigative strategies
for information retrieval
Fully constructs
appropriate investigative
strategies for information
retrieval
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Assessment Criteria for ACRL/AASL Information Literacy Competencies
Competency
3. The information
literate student
retrieves information
online or in person
using a variety of
methods
AASL 1.1.8
4. The information
literate student refines
the search strategy if
necessary
AASL 1.1.3, 1.1.4
5. The information
literate student extracts,
records and manages
the information and its
sources
AASL 1.1.8, 2.1.2,
2.1.4
Novice
Does not use a variety of
search systems to retrieve
information in any format
Assessment Criteria
Developing
Proficient
Uses a small variety of
Uses a variety of search
search systems to retrieve
systems to retrieve
information in a limited
information in a variety
variety of formats
of formats
Does not assess the quantity,
quality, relevance of results
to determine if search
strategy revision is needed
Barely assesses the
quantity, quality, relevance
of results to determine if
search strategy revision is
needed
Assesses the quantity,
quality, relevance of
results to determine if
search strategy revision
is needed
Does not select among
various technologies, create a
system for organizing
information or differentiate
between types of sources
Barely selects among
various technologies,
creates a system for
organizing information or
differentiates between
types of sources
Selects among various
technologies, creates a
system for organizing
information and
differentiates between
types of sources
Accomplished
Fully uses a variety of
search systems to retrieve
information in a variety
of formats
Fully assesses the
quantity, quality,
relevance of results to
determine if search
strategy revision is
needed
Fully selects among
various technologies,
creates a system for
organizing information
and differentiates
between types of sources
ACRL Standard 3: The information literate student evaluates information and its sources critically and incorporates selected information into
his/her knowledge base and value system
(AASL Standard 1, 2, 4)
1. The information
Does not select main ideas,
Barely selects main ideas,
Selects main ideas,
Fully selects main ideas,
literate student
restate concepts in his/her
restates concepts in his/her restates concepts in
restates concepts in
summarizes the main
own words, identify material own words, identifies
his/her own words,
his/her own words,
ideas to be extracted
to be quoted
material to be quoted
identifies material to be
identifies material to be
from the information
quoted
quoted
gathered
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Assessment Criteria for ACRL/AASL Information Literacy Competencies
AASL 1.1.7
Competency
Novice
Does not examine or
compare information,
analyze arguments,
recognize prejudice or the
context within which the
information was created
Assessment Criteria
Developing
Proficient
Barely examines or
Examines or compares
compares information,
information, analyzes
analyzes arguments,
arguments, recognizes
recognizes prejudice or the prejudice or the context
context within which the
within which the
information was created
information was created
3. The information
literate student
synthesizes main ideas
to construct new
concepts
AASL 1.1.2, 1.1.6,
1.1.8, 2.1.1, 2.1.4
Does not recognize
interrelationships among
concepts, synthesize
constructs or utilize
computer or other
technologies for studying the
interaction of ideas
Barely recognizes
interrelationships among
concepts, synthesizes
constructs or utilizes
computer or other
technologies for studying
the interaction of ideas
Recognizes
interrelationships among
concepts, synthesizes
constructs and utilizes
computer or other
technologies for studying
the interaction of ideas
Fully recognizes
interrelationships among
concepts, synthesizes
constructs and utilizes
computer or other
technologies for studying
the interaction of ideas
4. The information
literate student
compares new
knowledge with prior
knowledge to
determine the value
added, contradictions,
or other unique
characteristics of the
information
AASL 1.1.2, 1.1.5,
1.1.7, 2.1.1, 4.1.5
Does not determine whether
information satisfies info
needed, draw conclusions or
integrate new info with
previous knowledge
Barely determines whether
information satisfies info
needed, draws conclusions
or integrates new info with
previous knowledge
Determines whether
information satisfies info
needed, draws
conclusions and
integrates new info with
previous knowledge
Fully determines whether
information satisfies info
needed, draws
conclusions and
integrates new info with
previous knowledge
2. The information
literate student
articulates and applies
initial criteria for
evaluating both the
information and its
sources
AASL 1.1.4, 1.1.5
Accomplished
Fully examines or
compares information,
analyzes arguments,
recognizes prejudice or
the context within which
the information was
created
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Assessment Criteria for ACRL/AASL Information Literacy Competencies
Competency
5. The information
literate student
determines whether the
new knowledge has an
impact on the
individual’s value
system and takes steps
to reconcile differences
AASL 1.1.7, 2.1.3,
4.1.4, 4.1.5,
Novice
Does not investigate
different viewpoints or
determine whether to
incorporate or reject
viewpoints encountered
Assessment Criteria
Developing
Proficient
Barely investigates
Investigates different
different viewpoints or
viewpoints and
determines whether to
determines whether to
incorporate or reject
incorporate or reject
viewpoints encountered
viewpoints encountered
Accomplished
Fully investigates
different viewpoints and
determines whether to
incorporate or reject
viewpoints encountered
6. The information
literate student
validates understanding
and interpretation of
the information through
disclosure with other
individuals, subjectarea experts, and/or
practitioners
AASL 1.1.9, 2.1.5,
4.1.7
Does not participate in
classroom and other
discussions, electronic
communication forums or
seek expert opinion through
various mechanisms
Barely participates in
classroom and other
discussions, electronic
communication forums or
seeks expert opinion
through various
mechanisms
Participates in classroom
and other discussions,
electronic
communication forums
and seeks expert opinion
through various
mechanisms
Fully participates in
classroom and other
discussions, electronic
communication forums
and seeks expert opinion
through various
mechanisms
7. The information
literate student
determines whether the
initial query should be
revised
AASL 1.1.1, 1.1.3,
2.1.1
Does not determine if
original info satisfies need or
review IRS used
Barely determines if
original info satisfies need
or reviews IRS used
Determines if original
info satisfies need and
reviews IRS used
Fully determines if
original info satisfies
need and reviews IRS
used
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Assessment Criteria for ACRL/AASL Information Literacy Competencies
Competency
Assessment Criteria
Novice
Developing
Proficient
Accomplished
ACRL Standard 4: The information literate student, individually or as a member of a group, uses information effectively to accomplish a
specific purpose
(AASL Standard 2, 3, 4)
1. The information
Does not organize the
Barely organizes the
Organizes the content
Fully organizes the content to
literate student applies
content to support purpose, content to support
to support purpose,
support purpose, articulates
new and prior
articulate knowledge and
purpose, articulates
articulates knowledge
knowledge and skills transferred
information to the
skills transferred from prior knowledge and skills
and skills transferred
from prior experiences and
planning and creation
experiences or integrate
transferred from prior
from prior experiences integrates new and prior
of a particular product
new and prior knowledge
experiences or
and integrates new and knowledge
or performance
integrates new and
prior knowledge
AASL 1.1.2, 2.1.3
prior knowledge
2. The information
Does not maintain
Barely maintains
Maintains journal/log
Fully maintains journal/log of
literate student revises
journal/log of activities
journal/log of activities of activities related to
activities related to information
the development
related to information
related to information
information seeking,
seeking, evaluating and
process for the product seeking, evaluating and
seeking, evaluating and evaluating and
communicating process and
or performance
communicating process or communicating process communicating process reflects on past successes,
AASL 2.1.1, 2.1.3
reflect on past successes,
or reflects on past
and reflects on past
failures
failures
successes, failures
successes, failures
3. The information
Does not choose a
Barely chooses a
Chooses a
Fully chooses a communication
literate student
communication
communication
communication
medium/format that best
communicates the
medium/format that best
medium/format that
medium/format that
supports purposes of
product or performance supports purposes of
best supports purposes best supports purposes product/performance, uses a
effectively to others
product/performance, use a of
of
range of technology and
AASL 3.1.1, 3.1.2,
range of technology or
product/performance,
product/performance,
communicates clearly and with a
3.1.3, 3.1.4
communicate clearly and
uses a range of
uses a range of
style that supports purpose
with a style that supports
technology or
technology and
purpose
communicates clearly
communicates clearly
and with a style that
and with a style that
supports purpose
supports purpose
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Assessment Criteria for ACRL/AASL Information Literacy Competencies
Competency
Assessment Criteria
Novice
Developing
Proficient
Accomplished
ACRL Standard 5: The information literate student understands many of the economic, legal, and social issues surrounding the use of
information and accesses and uses information ethically and legally (AASL Standard 3)
1. The information
Does not identify or
Barely identifies or
Identifies and discusses Fully identifies and discusses
literate student
discuss issues related to
discusses issues related issues related to
issues related to privacy,
understands many of the privacy, security, free vs. to privacy, security,
privacy, security, free
security, free vs. free-based
ethical, legal and sociofree-based access to
free vs. free-based
vs. free-based access to access to information and issues
economic issues
information or issues
access to information
information and issues related to censorship, freedom of
surrounding information related to censorship,
or issues related to
related to censorship,
speech and demonstrates
and information
freedom of speech or
censorship, freedom of freedom of speech and understanding of intellectual
technology
demonstrate
speech or demonstrates demonstrates
property, copyright, fair use of
AALS 3.1.5, 3.1.6
understanding of
understanding of
understanding of
copyrighted material
intellectual property,
intellectual property,
intellectual property,
copyright, fair use of
copyright, fair use of
copyright, fair use of
copyrighted material
copyrighted material
copyrighted material
2. The information
Does not practice proper Barely practices proper Practices proper
Fully practices proper netiquette,
literate student follows
netiquette, use approved
netiquette, uses
netiquette, uses
uses approved passwords,
laws, regulations,
passwords, comply with
approved passwords,
approved passwords,
complies with institutional
institutional policies, and institutional policies,
complies with
complies with
policies, legally obtains text,
etiquette related to the
legally obtain text, data,
institutional policies,
institutional policies,
data, images or sound, and
access and use of
images or sound, or
legally obtains text,
legally obtains text,
demonstrates understanding of
information resources
demonstrate
data, images or sound,
data, images or sound,
what constitutes plagiarism
AASL 3.1.6
understanding of what
or demonstrates
and demonstrates
constitutes plagiarism
understanding of what
understanding of what
constitutes plagiarism
constitutes plagiarism
3. The information
Does not select
Barely selects
Selects appropriate
Fully selects appropriate
literate student
appropriate
appropriate
documentation style
documentation style and uses it
acknowledges the use of documentation style and documentation style
and uses it consistently consistently and gets permission
information sources in
use it consistently or get
and uses it consistently and gets permission for for copyrighted material
communicating the
permission for
or gets permission for
copyrighted material
product or performance
copyrighted material
copyrighted material
AASL 3.1.4, 3.1.6
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Assessment Criteria for ACRL/AASL Information Literacy Competencies
3/6/2016
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