INFORMATION LITERACY: A PATHWAY TO SUCCESS FOR FLORIDA COLLEGE LEARNERS

Information literacy is an extracurricular area that continues to grow in its impact on college learners in Florida today. Colleges with large English learner populations face additional challenges to equip their students with the tools and mindset needed to successfully complete college assignments. This quantitative study used responses to questionnaires to examine learner beliefs. Learner volunteers who were entry level college composition students participated by answering two questionnaires. Data were gathered from those responses and tested statistically to observe learner beliefs chosen on a Likert-type scale. Tests of symmetry and t-tests looking at pre and post information literacy instruction belief choices indicated small measures of learner anxiety. Further, anxiety indicators were more pronounced for U.S. native learners than for non-natives. This is likely due to U.S. native familiarity with libraries and information literary skills and practices commonly used in their U.S. environment. Library anxiety reduction strategies recommended in the literature reviewed include collaboration between content instructors and faculty librarians along with layering or specializing library instruction sessions. Additionally, scaffolding devices such as readily available electronic resource use guides and relationships with faculty and faculty librarians are suggested. Overall, learners anticipate research tasks with a bit of anxiety but largely they expect to be successful. Noting the growth of skills needed to verify and vet information, it is a positive point to note measurable learner-voiced confidence.