Learning Outcomes Assessment UM Libraries

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Learning Outcomes Assessment_at_ UM Libraries

• Kathy McAdams
• Associate Dean Undergraduate Studies
• Diane Harvey
• Undergraduate Studies Librarian
• October 25, 2006
• www.lib.umd.edu/UES/middlestates.html

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Learning outcomes for today

• At the end of todays session, participants
• will be able to
• Identify where UM is in the Middle States
  reaccreditation process
• 2. Develop student learning outcomes for a
  library instruction session and
• 3. Use easy learning outcomes assessment
  measures.

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Middle States and Assessment

• Assessment of student learning demonstrates
• that the institutions students have
  knowledge, skills, and competencies consistent
  with institutional goals and that students at
  graduation have achieved appropriate higher
  education skills.
• Standard 14

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Assessment at UM Status?

• All campus units have written student learning
  outcomes assessment plans.
• Universitys Self-study Report will be released
  October 2006.
• Learning outcomes assessment results are due
  March 15, 2007.
• Middle States Accreditation Team visit is
  scheduled for Spring 2007.

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Assessment at the Libraries Status?

• Student learning outcomes assessment submitted
  in Spring 2006 for the Libraries general
  education/gateway instruction program.
• Assessment plan for 2006-2007 (1 of 5 outcomes)
  submitted in September 2006.
• Results for this assessment will be finished by
  March 15, 2007.
• Libraries Assessment Plan www.lib.umd.edu/UES/mi
  ddlestates.html

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Creating a culture of assessment at UM Libraries

• As departmental, organizational, and
  institutional cultures undergo change, and as the
  focus of that change is less on teaching and more
  on learning, a commitment to sustainable outcomes
  assessment becomes essential.
• Dugan, R. E., Hernon, P. (2006).
  Institutional mission-centered student learning.
  In P. Hernon, R. E. Dugan, C. Schwartz (Eds.),
  Revisiting outcomes assessment in higher
  education (p. 1). Westport CT Libraries
  Unlimited.

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The learning outcomes assessment process

• Develop learning outcomes
• Choose assessment instrument
• Teach library instruction session
• Collect assessment data
• Use results to improve learning
• Assessment should be useful to you!

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What are learning outcomes?

• They answer the following questions
• What will my students know?
• What will my students be able to do?
• What will my students understand?
• What will my students be able to appreciate?
• Learning outcomes
• are simply the goals that you set

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Characteristics of effectivestudent learning
outcomes

• Are student focused vs. librarian focused
• Are general enough to capture important learning
• Are clear specific enough to be measured
• Are measurable connected to student learning
  goals
• Instead of thinking
• What am I going to teach today?
• Think about
• What do I want students to learn?

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Writing student learning outcomes

• What do you want students to be able to
  
• know / do / understand after participating
  in your
• library instruction session?

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Writing student learning outcomes

• Blooms taxonomy of educational objectives can
  help you define the kind of learning you want
  students to have.
• Examples
• Knowledge (recall facts, concepts, procedures)
• Comprehension (interpret, compare, contrast)
• Application (use methods in new situations)
• Evaluation (critically assess)
• Bloom, B. S. (1956). Taxonomy of educational
  objectives the classification of educational
  goals. New York D. McKay.

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Use action verbs

• Identify
• Apply
• Demonstrate
• Recognize
• Employ
• Practice
• Develop
• Assess
• Create

• Use
• Compare
• Differentiate
• Construct
• Organize
• Evaluate
• Define
• Select
• Describe

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Examples of library learning outcomes

• Students design a workable research question from
  their preliminary topic.
• Students choose appropriate databases to search
  for information on their topic.
• Students construct a viable search strategy.
• Students identify useful materials retrieved from
  online search.
• Students compare results of search in library
  database and open web.

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Now, write your own!

• Write 2 student learning outcomes for a library
  instruction session that you have taught or are
  planning to teach.
• Share these outcomes with your neighbor.

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Easy assessment methods

• PRE/POST Test
• Tests knowledge and/or skills before and after
  library instruction session.
• Can be given at end of library session or later
  in semester.
• Sample questions
• What is the difference between a library catalog
  
• and a database?
• 2. The Boolean operator or narrows a search
• statement (true/false).

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Easy assessment methods

• One Minute Paper Variations
• Sample questions
• What is the most important thing about library
  research you learned today?
• 3-2-1 (three things you learned, two things
  youre still confused about, one thing youd
  change about session)
• What is one question you still have?
• 4. In your research, what will you do differently
  after todays session?

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Easy assessment methods

• Analyzing Bibliographies
• Look for citations from scholarly/peer reviewed
• journals
• Look for citations for books and journals owned
  by the UM Libraries
• Look for articles retrieved from UM databases.

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Where to get more ideas about outcomes
assessment methods

• Angelo, T. A., Cross, K. P. (1993). Classroom
  assessment techniques a handbook for college
  teachers (2nd ed.). San Francisco Jossey-Bass.
• (MCK FOLIO LB2822.75 .A54 1993 )
• Virginia Tech. Instruction Clearinghouse
  Initiative.
• www.lib.vt.edu/services/clearinghouse/index.html
• Libraries Middle States Page
• www.lib.umd.edu/UES/middlestates.html

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Questions?
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Now lets assess this session!Thank you!