Evaluating an instruction program with various assessment measures

Abstract

Purpose: This paper demonstrates how the author's library was able to enhance the collaborative learning and teaching environment, with secondary goals to improve teaching effectiveness and increase sharing among librarians of ideas and techniques used in First Year Student sessions. Design/methodology/approach: This paper describes the various measures of assessment (peer-to-peer, student feedback and self-reflection) that the College of St. Benedict (CSB) and St. John's University (SJU) Libraries implemented in 2011. The methods were used to improve teaching by listening to peers, getting feedback from students and by also doing self-reflection. Many librarians were able to make changes that were beneficial to their teaching sessions. Findings: The outcome allowed librarians to incorporate new ideas into their own instruction sessions; re-evaluate teaching methods based on student feedback; and, to realize that self-assessment was beneficial. More importantly, it led to the development of Learning Goals for First Year Students. Originality/value: This is a significant contribution to the field of librarianship due to the lack of publications on the observations of peers. Articles about peer-to-peer feedback for librarians whose employment duties entail library instruction were difficult to find. Much of the literature focuses on faculty (who are not librarians) who go through peer-to-peer observations for their tenure files. This article focuses not only on peer-to-peer feedback but student assessment of librarians and selfreflections.

Reflective assessment: opportunities and challenges

“…Assessment tools and strategies have received considerable focus in our professional discussions (Diller and Phelps, 2008;Gewirtz, 2014;Hufford, 2010;Hunt et al, 2000;Oakleaf and Kaske, 2009). The opportunity and need to collaborate with others, especially other teachers, suggests that ways that assessment methods can both utilize and also enhance relationships between librarians and other campus stakeholders (Brasley, 2008;Hoffman and LaBonte, 2012;Oakleaf et al, 2011).…”

Developing a Comprehensive, Assessment-based Continuous Improvement Process for a Library Instruction Program

“…Continuous improvement plans can take a range of forms in library instruction, including preand post-tests or evaluations, student surveys, evaluation of student work, self reflection, peer or supervisor evaluation, and pedagogical workshops 2,3,4,5,6 . Libraries that have implemented continuous improvement plans have found that librarians become more engaged with their work as they share knowledge gained with each other 7 , students find library instruction sessions more useful 8 , and both the quality of librarian teaching and the depth of student research skills increases 9 .…”

“…While there are benefits and drawbacks to each tool, one of the major overarching challenges of the peer observation process is librarians' reluctance to be evaluated or assessed by colleagues. Contributing to this are feelings of uneasiness in judging or being judged by a peer, actual or perceived risks in evaluating a co-worker of a different rank, the time required, and a lack of pedagogical training in library school 4,11 . Numerous other implementations of peer observations in library instruction have demonstrated the importance of emphasizing that assessment should be seen as a learning process and an opportunity for improvement for the instructor and the observer 11,15,16,17 .…”

“…Colleagues are able to best assess their peers' subject knowledge, quality of materials and examples used, and how library research skills are applied to the students' course and assignments 10 . Observers benefit from seeing new applications of ideas and pedagogical techniques they may not have previously considered for their own instruction 4 .…”

“…Examples of work products and student data that could be collected are one minute papers 18 , student surveys 4 , responses to questions asked during the session 8 , and student worksheets 19 . Although students are not experts in the field, they can offer feedback on confusing jargon, the speed of the session, and aspects of the content they didn't understand 4 . Additionally, planning library instruction sessions that result in a tangible product produced by the student may benefit their learning by involving them more actively in the lesson through the work they complete 4 .…”