Information literacy needs of nontraditional graduate students in social work

The increased use of technology in academia combined with the challenges posed by growing enrollments of nontraditional graduate students have forced institutions to adapt educational programs to insure student retention and academic success. This case study examines student perceptions and responses to a required information literacy workshop, developed for a Masters in Social Work, herein referred to as an MSW program. A review of the literature on information literacy needs of graduate students (specifically nontraditional students entering MSW programs) is presented below. Also included are the results of a pre/post-questionnaire that was developed and administered in the fall of 2003/2004 along with classroom observations to determine if additional information literacy instruction was necessary. The findings suggested that there was significant need for additional instruction and that graduate students recognize the need for information literacy instruction throughout their MSW track.