Student Research & Intrinsic Motivation: Effects of Formative Assessment and the Two-Session Model of Information Literacy Instruction

• Main Author: Maria R. Barefoot
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: University Library System, University of Pittsburgh 2017-05-01
• Series: Pennsylvania Libraries: Research & Practice
• Online Access: https://palrap.org/ojs/index.php/palrap/article/view/140

Formative assessment is a well-established practice within education. However, the traditionally brief format of information literacy instruction has not lent itself well to this important exchange during the learning process.  At the same time, there has been increasing focus within the library literature on affective measures of information literacy instruction, such as motivation and instruction formats that incorporate multiple sessions.  This study seeks to examine the relationship between these concepts by comparing scores from the Intrinsic Motivation Inventory (IMI) across two groups of Research Writing students: a control group receiving one session of information literacy instruction and an intervention group receiving written formative assessment and two sessions of information literacy instruction.  Statistical significance analyses indicate that the addition of formative assessment and a second instruction session significantly increased motivation for conducting research in the intervention group when compared to students receiving only one session of instruction and no formative assessment.  These findings indicate that librarians can significantly increase students’ intrinsic motivation to conduct research by incorporating formative assessment strategies into a two session model of information literacy instruction.