The Threshold Achievement Test for Information Literacy is a new tool for librarians and other test administrators who are gathering evidence of learners’ progression toward information literacy proficiency. TATIL was inspired by the following elements of the ACRL Framework for Information Literacy:
- its description of the development of learners from novices to experts
- the interconnections among the frames that capture the complexity of information literacy
- the definition of knowledge practices as well as dispositions that educators can observe and cultivate among learners
- its responsiveness to evolving standards and practices in the information environment
- how it stretches us to ensure students develop metacognitive connections and a deeper engagement with information
The themes that run throughout the ACRL Framework — the importance of community, critical thinking, curiosity, and perseverance — shaped the approach taken by the librarians and other educators who developed TATIL. Because of the inspiration from the Framework, TATIL tests facets of information literacy that have not been measured before and that will lead to new conversations among librarians and their colleagues throughout higher education about how to develop students’ information literacy proficiency.
Next up: Explore the Test Modules.