Personal Preferences in Assessment of Learning

A lot of planning is involved when it comes to developing and carrying out information literacy instruction. First, a Needs Assessment must be performed to determine what kinds of instruction will be most beneficial to students. One must develop instructional goals, teaching objectives, and expected learning outcomes. And, finally, one must deliver the instruction to the intended audience. However, what good is all of this planning if you have no method established for measuring whether or not your students have actually learned what they were supposed to? This week's blog focuses on the importance of assessment as well as the different approaches one can take in the assessment process.

Assessment essentially accomplishes two goals; it acts as a way for instructors to measure how well a student has learned the material presented in an instruction session and it allows instructors to see where adjustments and improvements can be made in order to produce better learning outcomes (Grassian & Kaplowitz, 2009, 199). Megan Oakleaf, assistant professor at Syracuse University's School of Information Studies, lists several approaches to information literacy assessment. While each method has its benefits, there are also limitations. Oakleaf lists the pros and cons to three major assessment methods - fixed-choice tests, performance assessments, and rubrics (Oakleaf, 2008).

Fixed choice tests are the most familiar to both students and instructors and include multiple choice, true/false, and matching. While these tests are cheap to produce and easy to score (hello scantron!), they are not very good at accurately measuring success in learning (Oakleaf, 2008). Sure, students may be able to select a familiar answer from a list of four choices and perhaps they can guess between true or false. But have the concepts taught to them during the instruction session actually stuck? There is no way to know this by evaluating the answers of a fixed-choice test!

A more reliable method (and the one that I prefer) is the performance assessment. A performance assessment measures how well a student has made sense of the material and how they apply it in the real world. To quote Oakleaf's article, "performance assessments give students opportunities to demonstrate their understanding and to thoughtfully apply knowledge, skills, and habits of mind in a variety of contexts as they would in the real world" (Oakleaf, 2008). Students can demonstrate their grasp of concepts through papers, projects, problem-based exercises, or portfolios (Grassian & Kaplowitz, 2009, 211). However effective these types of tests are at measuring learning outcomes, they are costly to develop, administer, and score. They require time for the student to prepare and for the instructor to analyze (Oakleaf, 2008). Librarians must consider if these limitations outweigh the benefits of acquiring a more accurate assessment.

Finally, there is the rubric. For me, I see rubrics as being closely linked to the performance assessment. Rubrics "measure the learner's results, responses, or products against some criteria or standard of performance" (Grassian & Kaplowitz, 2009, 213-14). Rubrics allow for reliable and consistent scoring of student's work as well as stating instructional expectations clearly for the student's benefit. With rubrics in place, students know what they are expected to have learned following instruction and this empowers them to meet those standards (Oakleaf, 2008). But, like the previous two methods, there are certain limitations. Librarians need to be mindful of how they word the rubric. If expectations are too generalized, the rubric becomes ineffective. Instead, librarians need to specifically state expected learning outcomes in a language free from jargon so that students are sure to understand what is expected of them (Oakleaf, 2008).

Due to the fact that I am relatively inexperienced when it comes to teaching, I need to ensure that I dedicate time during my planning process to examine methods of assessment more thoroughly. There is no such thing as a "perfect teacher". Only through assessment will I know whether or not my students have truly grasped the concepts I have presented to them as well as which parts of my instruction where indeed effective.

Bibliography

 

Grassian, E. S., & Kaplowitz, J. R. (2009). Information Literacy Instruction: Theory and Practice (2nd ed.). New York, New York: Neal-Schuman Publishers, Inc. .

Oakleaf, M. (2008, July). Dangers and Opportunities: A Conceptual Map of Information Literacy Assessment Approaches. Libraries and the Academy, 8(3), pp. 233-253.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mid-Semester Check-in!

I am about halfway through the current semester and have learned so much already about Information Literacy and the various instructional techniques I can utilize to help visitors to the library increase their information literacy skills. Looking back at my most recent posts, a clear theme is obvious (albeit not surprising to anyone who knows me). I have a passion for Health Literacy! Most of my posts and reflections center on how to increase health literacy and how to stay on top of current trends. It's important for me to keep current on the resources that are available to me as a librarian so that I am in the best possible position to assist patrons at the reference desk.

As the semester progresses, I find myself examining the various ways other libraries throughout the country have dealt with challenging situations regarding the implementation of the ACA and how I may be able to apply their methods in the future.

In the wake of Superstorm Sandy, the Atlantic City Free Public Library became a hub of activity with patrons coming in to apply for FEMA assistance. Now, a year later, the ACFPL is seeing increased activity as patrons come into the library seeking information and assistance regarding the ACA. This scenario hits close to home for me. Just last month, Longmont, Colorado was hard hit by flooding, leaving many of our community's patrons displaced from their homes and in need of aid. Working the reference desk at the Longmont Public Library, I understood the importance of being prepared to provide directions to the Disaster Assistance Center in Longmont as well as provide information on federal assistance to individuals affected by the floods. Just like the ACFPL, I had to immediately shift gears shortly after a natural disaster in order to deal with patrons seeking a different kind of assistance - help with understanding the ACA.

Because the flooding and the implementation of the ACA happened just weeks apart, I felt as though I did not have as much time as I would like to prepare for people seeking assistance with understanding the new health care laws. By reading about the experiences of others at libraries throughout the country, I know that I am not alone. I can examine how libraries have handled similar situations and see how effective their preparations were for their library. In the ACFPL's case, it was essential for the library to adapt to their community's needs. That meant compiling a list of reputable resources for patrons seeking assistance after Superstorm Sandy and updating that list as needed to provide resources for people who need more information on health care laws. ACFLP encouraged staff to keep current on these resources so that they can better direct patrons to appropriate websites. Additionally, they took advantage of further resources such as the ALA's E-Government Toolkit which is a great source for locating Internet agencies on the federal, state, and local levels.

Keeping in mind how other libraries have prepared for unique circumstances as well as the resources they have utilized in the process gives me confidence that I can tackle patron requests for ACA and disaster relief information!

Bibliography

Morris, L. (n.d.). Ready, Set, Respond: How Atlantic Free Public Library Prepared for ACA Implementation. Retrieved October 19, 2013, from WebJunction: http://www.webjunction.org/news/webjunction/ready-set-respond-acfpl-aca.html

"In the News": October is Health Literacy Month!

Did you know:

• Low health literacy is linked to a higher risk of death and more emergency room visits and hospitalizations
• Health literacy may not be related to years of education or general reading ability.
• A person who functions adequately at home or work may have marginal or inadequate literacy in a health care environment.

Being able to access, analyze, and interpret health-related information is essential for our survival. We encounter moments on a daily basis where we need to be able to possess at least a basic level of health literacy in order to make informed decisions regarding our health and the health of our loved ones. When was the last time you found yourself at the drugstore debating which cold medicine is best or left the doctor's office having been diagnosed with a condition that you don't know much about? According to the National Network of Libraries of Medicine, "Health literacy is not simply the ability to read. It requires a complex group of reading, listening, analytical, and decision-making skills, and the ability to apply these skills to health situations" (NNLM, 2013). With the implementation of the Affordable Healthcare Act (ACA) starting on October 1st, librarians are needed now more than ever to assist patrons in trying to make sense of how to access health information, how to enroll in a health care plan, and where to go if they need further assistance in the process.

To help prepare librarians for this task, OCLC's WebJunction has put together a list of resources and information aimed at helping library staff improve public library eHealth services as well as help library staff respond to the increasing demand for information regarding the ACA. The Health Happens in Libraries website provides resources, webinars, and support for libraries responding to health information needs.

As a library technician manning the reference desk at my local public library, I see many opportunities to utilize the information and resources at the "Health Happens in Libraries" website to my advantage. As members of my community turn to their public library with questions regarding new healthcare laws, it is important that I stay up to speed on what kind of information is provided on my state's healthcare marketplace and be ready to teach basic health information literacy skills to patrons of all ages.

As I review this information and prepare for the onslaught of public library patrons coming to me for assistance with health-related matters, I consider several questions:

•  How can public libraries/librarians promote health literacy to the elderly and minority populations? Do we need more bilingual or large print materials to help provide information and guidance to these populations? Should we hold health literacy classes in Spanish or establish "seniors only" classes so we can better assist and provide instruction?
• If access is an issue for people who do not have the Internet at home, how can our library help provide equitable access? Should we increase computer time limits for those who are accessing health-related information in our computer labs?
• How can we make health-related information more visible on our library's website? Currently, there is a link in our "Library 24/7" page but can we provide a widget on the library's homepage so patrons do not have to hunt for health-related information on our website?

Increasing health literacy awareness in libraries will result in library staff who are equipped with the knowledge of a variety of resources that can be used to assist library patrons with their health information needs. Something as simple as increased signage can go a long way in helping get the word out to patrons that the library provides these resources for their benefit. By increasing the health literacy of our community members, our patrons can make better informed decisions regarding their health as well as learn how to access, analyze, and interpret health-related information for themselves and their families.


References

National Network of Libraries of Medicine. (n.d.). Health Literacy. Retrieved October 03, 2013, from National Network of Libraries of Medicine: http://nnlm.gov/outreach/consumer/hlthlit.html

Critical Thinking and Active Learning

Have you ever found yourself questioning the validity of a news article online, looking in the bibliography of a non-fiction book to examine where the author found his or her sources, or wondering whether or not an information source is biased? If you have answered yes to any of these questions, than you can congratulate yourself on being a critical thinker! With practically everyone owning a smartphone or iPad, information can be accessed almost anywhere and at whatever time it is needed. But, according to a frequently cited Information Literacy Instruction-related essay, Mona McCormick points out that "it is not the process of finding information that is important, but what people do with it once they have found it" (McCormick, 1983). It is important, therefore, for people to learn how to evaluate information sources and utilize them effectively.

Let's be honest, when the deadline for a research paper is looming before you and the pressure is on to get something, anything, written, do you spend the extra time it takes to look up reliable sources or do you Google your topic and use the first few sources that pop up in the results list even though they may not be exactly relevant? This is not an uncommon occurrence with students doing research today. In today's technological age, people expect information, and they expect it fast! As a result, students may only look at and use sources from the first page of results even though those sources are only somewhat related to their research topic (Grassian and Kaplowitz, 2009). To combat this, many Colleges and Universities require first-year students to take an "Introduction to the Library" course. Sometimes Information Literacy Instruction (ILI) is built into general education courses and sometimes ILI is presented as a stand-alone, for-credit course. Regardless of how it is built into the curriculum, the goal is to get students to learn how to think critically about the information sources they encounter in the research process as well as how to use those sources effectively.

Many ILI instructors have incorporated active learning exercises into library instruction. By allowing students to be engaged in the learning process by practicing search skills, students will not only be able to relate what they have learned to topics that are relevant to their interests as students but retain much of what they have learned about information literacy and apply it to future research endeavors. This got me thinking about how I would use active learning activities in the classroom to develop critical thinking skills.

Since the web is often the first stop for research related activities, I think it would be useful to give students the opportunity to learn how to search for reliable information on the web, think about who produces the information sources they encounter, and, finally, use that information to solve a problem. WebQuests are a great way to get students to learn how to search the web for reliable information and, since I love diseases, parasites, and microorganisms, I looked for WebQuests that focused on some or all of those topics. My first stop was WebQuest.org where I was able to search existing WebQuests for ones that would fit my needs. But what if I wanted to develop my own? WebQuest.org gives instructions on how to take an existing WebQuest and adapt and/or enhance it to fit your particular needs. I was able to find a Parasitology WebQuest that would be perfect for instructing students on how to find and use reliable web sources during a Health Sciences Library orientation!

Another useful technique would be to get students to research selected topics on their own, pair up with a student who has the same topic to talk about how they went about the research process, then report back to the class as a pair regarding some of the challenges and similarities they encountered in the research process. For example, in a class of 16 students I will have eight different topics relating to parasitology (malaria, roundworms, bed bugs, just to name a few) . All 16 students will be given some time on their own to research their topic and find three to five sources that would be useful to them if they were writing a paper on that topic. Then, students will break into pairs and find the student who also has their particular parasite-related topic to discuss the sources they found and why they think they are from reliable sources. The pair will then give a brief explanation to the class on how they found the sources, how they evaluated the sources for validity, and how they can apply the information they found in those sources to an academic research paper. This "Think-Pair-Share" activity allows for self-discovery of information with the ILI instructor acting as a guide or facilitator rather than simply a lecturer (Grassian and Kaplowitz, 2009). Because the students found the information on their own and determined whether or not the information was useful for them, they may have an easier time retaining what they have learned because they were so involved in the process.

With more experience in the classroom, IL instructors can develop new and more creative techniques to get students more active in the learning process. These activities can be adapted to web-based information sources, print reference materials, and databases. Students will no doubt appreciate the opportunity to get some hands-on training instead of simply sitting through a boring lecture on how to perform a search online!

References

 

Dodge, B. (2002). Adapting and Enhancing Existing WebQuests. Retrieved October 2013, from WebQuest.org: http://webquest.sdsu.edu/adapting/index.html

Grassian, E. S., & Kaplowitz, J. R. (2009). Information Literacy Instruction: Theory and Practice (2nd ed.). New York: Neal-Schuman Publishers, Inc.

McCormick, M. 1983. "Critical Thinking and Library Instruction." RQ 22, no. 4: 339-342. 

Walthere, A. (n.d.). Parasitology WebQuest. Retrieved October 2013, from World Health Research: http://world-health-research.wikispaces.com/Parasitology+Webquest