This document summarizes a study examining how information literacy is addressed in accreditation standards for nursing, social work, and engineering programs in Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. The study found limited or no mentions of "information literacy" in the standards. However, it identified connections between the intended outcomes in the standards and the ACRL information literacy competency standards. It concludes that librarians can help their institutions meet accreditation requirements by familiarizing themselves with the standards, collaborating with faculty, and explicitly linking information literacy initiatives to the language and goals in the accreditation criteria.

1. Information Literacy in the
Programmatic University
Accreditation Standards of Select
Professions in Canada, the United
States, the United Kingdom, and
Australia
Cara Bradley
University of Regina
Saskatchewan, Canada

2. Accreditation
Official certification that a school,
course, etc., has met standards
established by external regulators; a
professional endorsement or
qualification of this kind.
– Oxford English Dictionary

3. Why Accreditation?
• Quality control
• Student employability
• Workforce mobility
• Public safety
• Continuous improvement

4. Accreditation—The Process
Data
gatherin
g
Self- Self-
reflectio study
n report
Accredit-
ation Site visit
report

5. Accreditation Levels
Institutional
Accreditatio
n
Programmati
Programmati
c
c
Accreditation
Accreditation
i.e. Nursing
i.e.
Engineering

6. Information Literacy and
Accreditation
• Limited literature about libraries and
institutional accreditation
– Dalrymple (2001); Gratch-Lindauer (2002)
• Even less on information literacy and
institutional accreditation
– Saunders (2007, 2008, 2011)

7. But what about IL in programmatic
accreditation?
• Saunders notes her ―focus is . . . on
information literacy and assessment
requirements at the institutional level, not
the program or course level, which is also
relevant‖ (2007, p. 320).
• Ruediger & Jung 2007; Milne & Thomas
2008; Oxnam 2003; Murphy & Saleh 2009

8. Social Work Nursing Engineering
Canada Standards for accreditation. Accreditation program Accreditation criteria and procedures.
information. Canadian Engineering Accreditation
Canadian Association for Social
Board
Work Education Canadian Association of Schools
of Nursing
United Educational policy and NLNAC accreditation manual Criteria for accrediting engineering
States accreditation standards. including the 2008 standards and programs: effective for reviews during
criteria. the 2012-2013 accreditation cycle.
Council on Social Work Education
National League for Nursing Engineering Accreditation
Accrediting Commission, Inc. Commission. Accreditation Board for
Engineering and Technology
United Standards of education and Standards for pre-registration The accreditation of higher education
Kingdom training. nursing education. programmes: UK standard for
professional engineering competence.
Health & Care Professions Council Nursing & Midwifery Council
Engineering Council
Australia Australian social work education Registered nurses: standards and Accreditation criteria guidelines.
and accreditation standards. criteria for the accreditation of
Engineers Australia. Accreditation
nursing and midwifery courses
Australian Association of Social Board
leading to registration,
Workers
enrolment, endorsement and
authorisation in Australia—with
evidence guide.
Australian Nursing and Midwifery
Council

9. Guiding Principles
• Undergraduate only
• Version in use December 2012
• Main accreditation document
• Supplemental documents excluded

10. Methodology
• Content analysis
– Macro-level for key terms
– Nuanced qualitative analysis
• Deductive category application
– ACRL standards formed basis of categories

11. Objective 1
• Determine if, and in what context, the
terms library and information literacy (or
equivalent language) are used in nursing,
social work, and engineering accreditation
criteria.

12. Findings
• Outcomes rather than inputs
– Except in (rare) references to the library
• Complete absence of term ―information
literacy‖

13. Findings, continued
• Terminology varies within the professions
themselves
Nursing Social Work
Canada ―evidence‖ ―social work
research‖
US ―evidence‖ ―evidence‖
―research
based
knowledge‖
UK “evidence”
“evidence
based”
Australia ―nursing ―evidence‖
inquiry‖ ―research‖

14. Findings, continued
• Engineering terminology closest to LIS
language:
– ―information‖
– ―sources‖
– ―technical literature‖
– ―materials and resources‖

15. Findings, continued
LIFELONG LEARNING!

16. Objective 2
• Map the connections between
requirements outlined in nursing, social
work, and engineering accreditation
standards of four countries: Canada, the
United States, the United Kingdom, and
Australia, to the Association of College
and Research Libraries’ Information
Literacy Competency Standards for Higher
Education.

17. Standard 1: Determines the nature
and extent of the information
needed
“frame
appropriate
questions”
―seeking
information
―Appreciate “seek out “use appropriate
from the
the value of relevant knowledge and
widest
evidence‖ research” skills to identify,
practicable
formulate . .
“understand “seek . . . current range of
complex
the value of evidence” sources‖
―using engineering
research” research‖ problems”
Nursin Social Work Engineering
g

18. Standard 2: Accesses needed
information effectively and
efficiently
“an ability to
create, select,
―ability to
apply, adapt,
systematicall
and extend
y and
appropriate
“Accesses ―distinguish . . effectively
techniques,
commonly . multiple source . . .
resources, and
used evidence sources of relevant
modern
based sources” knowledge, information‖
“information engineering
including retrieval tools to a range
research- skills” of engineering
based activities “
knowledge‖
Nursin Social Work Engineering
g

19. Standard 3: Evaluates information and its
sources critically and incorporates selected
information into his or her knowledge base and
value system
“critically evaluate
―acquire arguments,
knowledge and assumptions, abstract
skills to critique concepts and data”
―be able to . . . . . social work
. appraise “to assess the
research”
research‖ ―think critically . . . accuracy, ―synthesis of
“Learners identifying the reliability and information in
acquire and knowledge used‖ authenticity of order to
apply critical information” reach valid
“appraise . . . multiple
appraisal skills” sources of knowledge” conclusions‖
Nursin Social Work Engineering
g

20. Standard 4: Individually or as a member of a
group, uses information effectively to
accomplish a specific purpose
―All practice should be ―communicate
“apply social work information, ideas,
informed by the best
knowledge, as well as problems and solutions
available evidence”
knowledge from other to both specialist and
―an understanding of all disciplines, to advance non-specialist
aspects of nursing “ability to use and apply
professional practice, policy audiences‖
inquiry and skills in information from the technical
development, research, and
“use research literature”
“developing a propensity
applying research to serviceevidence to inform
provision”
their practice‖ practice” to . . . apply new
information”
Nursin Social Work Engineering
g

21. Standard 5: Understands many of the economic,
legal, and social issues surrounding the use of
information and accesses and uses information
ethically and legally
―an
understandin
“Understanding
g of
of and
professional
“develop an ―use of process commitment to
and ethical
recordings, ethical and
understanding of responsibility‖
the ethics of audio and “awareness of professional
research and of videotapes and the nature of responsibilities
applying research social media, intellectual
to practice” and clearly property”
identifying
ownership of
such material.‖
Nursin Social Work Engineering
g

22. Objective 3
• Identify possible entry points for librarians
looking to advance information literacy
efforts through alignment with
programmatic accreditation criteria, and
raise awareness of the potential for
librarian/faculty collaboration in meeting
accreditation requirements.

23. Findings
• Librarians should:
– Familiarise themselves with accreditation
bodies and standards for their liaison areas
– Become active partnership in the
accreditation process
– Approach academic departments to offer
assistance
– Use language of accreditation documents
rather than LIS terminology

24. Findings, continued
– Make explicit connections between their skills
and requirements of accreditation
– Focus on student learning outcomes rather
than inputs
– Continually emphasise library contribution to
accreditation, not just in months leading up to
review
– Document, assess, and report on IL initiatives
on an ongoing basis

25. Findings, continued
• Over the longer term:
– Librarians and their professional associations
engaged in development/revision of
accreditation standards
– Involve non-librarian academics and
professionals in future revisions to
librarianship’s information literacy standards

26. Conclusions
• Programmatic accreditation is highly valued
by faculty and administrators.
• There are many outcomes of common
concern between the accreditation
documents and the library profession’s
information literacy standards, helping
libraries make explicit connections between
their skills and services and accreditation
requirements.
• Librarians can meaningfully advance
information literacy on their campuses
through clearly connecting their work with the
requirements, and language, of programmatic

28. Photo credits
All photos are from flickr. com, and have a Creative Commons
license:
• Slide 1: University of Regina, jimmywayne [Jimmy Emerson]
• Slide 2: Foggy, computer_saskboy
• Slide 3: Huskies at Rams Playoffs, Huskies Outsider [Huskies
Football]
• Slide 9: Mosaic Regina - First Nations Pavillion, courosa [Alec
Couros]
• Slide 10: URegina Interior, dexotaku [Derek Gunnlaugson]
• Slide 11: University of Regina, Bipro Ranjan Dhar
• Slide 12: University of Regina, courosa [Alec Couros]
• Slide 14: Library, jimmywayne [Jimmy Emerson]
• Slide 15: College Campus, ahhhh [Ahmad van der Breggen]
• Slide 22: University of Regina [360 pano], dexotaku [Derek
Gunnlaugson]
• Slide 25: Mosaic Regina – First Nations Pavillion, courosa