Status Report on Learning Outcomes Assessment at UM Libraries

1
Status Report on Learning Outcomes Assessment
at UM Libraries

• Diane Harvey Maggie Cunningham
• January 2007
• www.lib.umd.edu/UES/middlestates_statusreportJan20
  07.ppt

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What is Middle States?www.msche.org

• WHY?
• Assuring quality and integrity in education has
  long been a public
• and an institutional goal.
• WHO?
• The Middle States Commission on Higher Education
  (MSCHE)
• was established to oversee educational quality
  improvement
• through the accrediting process based on peer
  review.
• WHAT?
• Colleges universities become members of the
  Middle States
• Association upon accreditation by the MSCHE.
  Membership in the
• Association includes a commitment to continuous
  self-assessment.
• All excerpts taken from Designs for Excellence
  Handbook for Institutional Self-Study, MSCHE,
  2002, pg.1.

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Reaccreditation Process

• University of Maryland, College Park
• First accredited 1921
• Last reaccredited (decennial review) 1997
• Last five year review 2002
• Next decennial review 2007

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Steps to Reaccreditation

• Design self-study UM chose Special Topics
  Model
• Conduct self-study based on 14 standards
• 4) Write self-study report www.ms07.umd.edu/
• 5) Host evaluation team of peers who review
  self-study in context of institutions mission
  and write evaluative report
• 6) Respond to evaluative report
• 7) MSCHE decides on Universitys accreditation

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Middle States Standards

• 1 Mission, Goals Objectives
• 2 Planning, Resource Allocation
  Institutional Renewal
• 3 Institutional Resources
• 4 Leadership Governance
• 5 Administration
• 6 Integrity
• 7 Institutional Assessment
• 8 Student Admissions
• 9 Student Support Services

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Standard 14 - Assessment of Student Learning
Outcomes

• WHAT DOES THIS STANDARD SAY?
• 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.
• WHAT IS IT SUPPOSED TO MEASURE?
• Expectations of student learning at various
  levels (e.g BA, MA)
• Plan for assessing and measuring learning
• Evidence that assessment information is being
  used

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UM Libraries Learning Outcomes Assessment Plan

• Focus on general education/gateway programs
  administered by User Education
• (e.g. UNIV 100i, ENGL 101, GEMS 100)
• Based on ACRL Standards
• 5 student learning outcomes

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Learning Outcomes Assessment Plan Timeline

• March 2006
• Libraries plan submitted to Provost
• June 2006
• Libraries plan revised
• September 2006
• Libraries plan for 2006-2007 submitted to Provost
• Of the 5 Learning Outcomes use Learning Outcome
  4
• September 2006 March 2007
• Assessment of learning outcome 4
• March 4-7, 2007
• Results of assessment submitted to Provost
• MS team visits campus

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Your Role in Learning Outcomes Assessment

• Read the draft UM self study report at
  www.ms07.umd.edu
• Become familiar with the Libraries Learning
  Outcomes Assessment Plan
• Review the learning outcomes for your departments
  and programs at www.oirp.umd.edu/Assessment/Asses
  smentUM/goals-index.html
• Be prepared to answer questions from Middle
  States team about learning outcomes assessment
• Develop an assessment plan for your library
  instruction sessions (beyond Middle States)

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Resources

• Middle States page linked off of User Educations
• Services home page
• www.lib.umd.edu/UES/middlestates.html
• UM Draft Self Study
• www.ms07.umd.edu
• UM Assessment of Student Learning Outcomes
• www.oirp.umd.edu/Assessment/LearningOutcomes
• Developing Research Communication Skills
• Guidelines for Information Literacy in the
  Curriculum
• (a Middle States publication)
• www.msche.org/publications/devskill050208135642.pd
  f

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Questions ?