Assessing college students' information literacy competencies using a librarian role-playing method

Exploring benefits and drawbacks of using a librarian role-playing method to assess student information literacy competencies enables researchers to move beyond existing methods that tend to rely on self-reports of attitude, confidence, and behavior. Two empirical studies are presented in which a librarian role-playing activity was employed along with card-sorting exercises and interviews. Thirty-two first- and second year undergraduate students participated in these two studies, during which they were instructed to imagine themselves as librarians and demonstrate how they would assist users in searching for information (Study 1) and evaluating particular sources (Study 2). Findings indicate that college students are able to use the role-playing method to perform, demonstrate, and explain their search behavior and source evaluation strategies without difficulty or discomfort. Results show that this method is effective for eliciting student reflections on and understandings of their own information literacy competencies.