LOEX Conference Proceedings 2011

Document Type

Evaluating for Excellence: Assessing Library Instruction

Publication Date

12-2013

Abstract

Do you collect streams of data that never see the light of day? Libraries are more frequently being held accountable for metrics via scorecards, dashboards, and other short snapshots of performance. Information Literacy practitioners have meanwhile moved away from tick-marks to a learning outcome assessment culture. This means that the full array of evaluative, formative and summative approaches-- competencies, tests, self-reports and rubrics-- can leave new librarians' heads spinning.

Learning outcomes data are hard to wrangle, let alone, in a digestible format, but fresh assessment approaches can fully illustrate the benefits of our varied media and modes of instruction. Instead of underreporting our value, we must reconcile decision-makers' needs with instructional best practices. The presenters are assessment enthusiasts, not assessment professionals, so this session will be highly accessible, and the presenters will encourage audience members to share their expertise.

The session will gauge the audience's vocabulary and skills regarding assessment culture. It will apprise practitioners of the challenges of educational media assessment and introduce new technologies for visualizing and compiling data. It will also provide practical examples from Capella Library's assessment strategy. Session presenters come from a higher education for-profit setting. They bring the value of Information Literacy to the forefront in an intensely results-driven environment. Capella University Library has engineered a holistic reporting strategy through a living information literacy plan that draws from a plethora of data pipelines. Capella University is an invited member of the Presidents' Alliance for Excellence in Student Learning & Accountability.

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