Flipping the (COVID-19) Classroom: Redesigning a First-Year Information Literacy Program during a Pandemic

The literature on information literacy identifies several significant challenges inherent in designing and providing comprehensive first-year programs, including reach, sustainability, instructional design, the flipped classroom, and assessment. In summer 2020, in response to the requirements of the COVID-19 pandemic, the User Experience and Student Success (UESS) Department at Tisch Library of Tufts University developed an innovative approach to instruction that addressed these challenges. The new concept optimized online learning in both asynchronous and synchronous modes and created a sustainable program for the future. This article outlines the process used to develop this program, its learning outcomes, and the results of both student learning and programmatic assessment.