Library Instruction Services Assessment Plan
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Library Instruction Services Assessment Plan Purpose: The purpose of this plan is to pilot a student learning-centered method of proving our value that showcases how the Libraries supports critical inquiry to advance teaching and learning. This method of framing assessment will help facilitate ongoing discussion of teaching methods, and will help librarians frame their teaching as an activity that directly contributes to the university’s mission to achieve excellence through comprehensive educational opportunities. The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (UT’s accrediting organization) requires that educational programs for which academic credit is awarded complete the following: identify expected student learning outcomes, assess the extent to which they achieve these outcomes, and provide evidence of improvement based on analysis of the results. Although the Libraries do not constitute an educational program by this definition, we take responsibility for making sure UT graduates are information literate. By participating in the same student learning assessments that the programs we work with complete, we can position ourselves as an educational partner invested in student success. More concretely, this comprehensive plan will help Library Instruction Services ensure that we are providing effective instruction programs for first-year students. This document serves as a contract and will hold us accountable for using our assessment results to drive decision making within our unit. Theory: What do we believe about assessment? Assessment is an integral part of the processes of teaching and learning. Taking the time to assess student learning ensures us that the time we spend preparing and teaching is time well spent. It prompts us to step back and reflect on our teaching, and to think deeply about how we design our instruction and what our goals are for our students. We assess to learn about our students, to learn about ourselves, and to improve. Strategic Documents: Library Instruction Services Mission Statement: To build and maintain a framework for enabling first-year students the opportunity to develop their information literacy and critical thinking skills. Within that framework, our goal is to collaborate with faculty and teaching assistants to create a customized experience that enhances coursework, while laying a foundation that will serve them throughout their time at the University. UT Libraries Mission Statement: The University of Texas Libraries, as a research library of the first tier, advances teaching, learning and research excellence by providing expansive collections and innovative services to support critical inquiry and knowledge creation for the benefit of society. Mission and Core Purpose and Values of UT Austin: The mission of The University of Texas at Austin is to achieve excellence in the interrelated areas of undergraduate education, graduate education, research and public service. The university provides superior and comprehensive educational opportunities at the baccalaureate through doctoral and special professional educational levels. Structure & Scope of Plan This plan is structured into three main goals. The first focuses on undergraduate learning through the first-year writing course and through Signature Courses. The second focuses on fostering a culture of reflective teaching, and the third focuses more broadly on providing information literacy learning opportunities to the UT community. While these goals do not encompass everything that our unit does, they do represent our core work. Assessment of our first two goals follows the outcomes-assessment based model. In this model, we set certain “criteria” that describe what meeting our outcomes will look like. These are our standards of success, and they describe how users are changed as a result of our work, or “actions.” The assessment tools we use will provide the “evidence” we need to know if the outcomes are being met. Outcomes that fall under the third goal will be assessed through the evidence-based model. These outcomes are less central to our focus on first-year students, and will be periodically evaluated according to a timeline rather than assessed for specific standards of success. This plan focuses on outcomes that we will address each year. In addition to the student learning outcome assessments outlined in this document, we plan to utilize an annual Assessment Action Plan that will track any special projects or activities that don’t necessarily fit within the regular assessment cycle, such as assessment of new online learning tools. Guiding Outcomes Learning Outcomes for First-Year Students These information literacy learning outcomes, based on the Association of College and Research Libraries Information Literacy Competency Standards, were submitted to the Dean of Undergraduate Studies in 2007 and have been accepted for the Signature Courses. They also apply to students in Rhetoric 306, the first-year writing course. The learning outcomes are written to be applicable across disciplines, for a variety of assignments and over time. The practical application of these learning outcomes will ensure that students will be able to understand the nature of information and how it is created and disseminated; recognize the utility of scholarly encyclopedias for finding background information; effectively search the Library Catalog and databases to find books and articles, recognize the difference between popular and scholarly sources; evaluate sources, including web sites; and create bibliographies. Librarians and faculty members work together to choose the most relevant learning outcomes for a particular course or assignment. Create and execute a research strategy (ACRL Information Literacy Standards 1 and 2) Students will be able to: Determine the type of information they need (ex: background info, critical reviews, etc.) Determine where the information would be found (ex: articles, books, web sites) Choose the appropriate tool for locating the information (encyclopedia, article database, Library Catalog, Web search engine) Brainstorm effective search terms Combine search terms using Boolean logic Critically evaluate information (ACRL Information Literacy Standard 3) Students will be able to: Evaluate web sites by critically analyzing audience, authority, bias, currency and accuracy Evaluate "published" information by critically analyzing audience, authority, bias and currency Determine whether information is from a scholarly source (ex: journal) or popular source (ex: magazine or newspaper) Explain the meaning of peer-review Use Citations (ACRL Information Literacy Standard 5) Students will be able to: Identify the elements of a citation (ex: journal title, volume, author, etc.) Distinguish among citation types for different types of material (ex: journal article, book, newspaper) Specific Goals & Outcomes Goal 1: Support undergraduate learning of foundational information literacy skills through direct contact with students and collaborative partnerships with faculty and teaching assistants Outcome 1.1: Signature Course students develop the following foundational information literacy skills: Creating and executing a research strategy Critically evaluating information Using citations Criteria Actions Evidence 70% of students receive a score of 3 on Collaborate with Signature Signature Course Pre/Post- the Signature Course post-test Course faculty to integrate test information literacy skills into 85% of students demonstrate Signature Courses Rubric assessment of “developing” or “exemplary” IL skills in course- or session- creating and executing a research Teach course-integrated integrated activities and strategy instruction sessions for assignments (assessed with Signature Course Rubric) Signature Courses (Signature Course Rubric currently in development) 85% of students demonstrate Create and maintain online self- “developing” or “exemplary” IL skills in help learning tools that teach critically evaluating information the outcomes (assessed with Signature Course Rubric) Create and maintain course guides that teach the outcomes 85% of students will achieve at least a satisfactory rating on the rubric in using Consult with students at drop-in citations labs, through email, and in (assessed with Signature Course Rubric) appointments Outcome 1.2: Rhetoric 306 students develop the following foundational information literacy skills: Creating and executing a research strategy Critically evaluating information Using citations Criteria Actions Evidence 70% of students demonstrate “developing” or Present strategies for teaching Research “exemplary” IL skills in evaluating information information literacy in grad Summary 3 (assessed with RS3 rubric) student 398t course Rubric 70% of students demonstrate “developing” or Maintain and share example Research “exemplary” IL skills in creating and executing a activities focused on student Summary 5 research strategy assessment learning outcomes Rubric (assessed with RS5 rubric) Create online self-help learning 70% of students demonstrate “developing” or tools that address outcomes “exemplary” IL skills in the using citations (assessed with RS3 and RS5 rubrics) Outcome 1.3: Students recognize the multiple forms of plagiarism and identify research and writing strategies that reduce likelihood of unintentional plagiarism Criteria Actions Evidence 85% of students receive a score of 75% or higher Teach Avoiding Plagiarism Plagiarism class- on the plagiarism quiz administered