Spring 2006. Jim Jenkins, Nancy Totten, Jacqueline Johnson, Melanie Hughes, Gabrielle Carr, Marty Rosen.
For further information, Contact: Jim Jenkins (Library Instruction Coordinator)
Abstract:
One of my duties as the library's new instruction coordinator is to assess the library's instruction program. As you know it is required that First Year Seminar (FYS) classes come to the library every semester for instruction. Before the fall 2005 semester started, I met with faculty members at the FYS retreat to discuss assessment and the use of an online survey. At the retreat, I asked for volunteers to help the library pilot the assessment survey. The librarians decided that a survey software product should be used to help with the design of the survey instead of starting from scratch. The survey software that was chosen is called SurveyMonkey http://www.surveymonkey.com . Along with the other librarians, I developed questions for the FYS Assessment Survey, an assessment statement, and a plan for improvement of instruction. The pilot of the survey was administered in the Fall 2005 semester. We were able to obtain responses from 109 FYS students. Based on the data gathered by that pilot survey, a plan for improvement of instruction was decided upon by the librarians and implemented starting with the spring 2006 semester FYS classes. Part of the improvement plan was to create an in-class online quiz for students to take immediately after instruction. SurveyMonkey was also used to develop the online quiz. The in-class quiz provides immediate feedback to the instructor and students on how well the students are grasping the material presented to them, and allows the librarian to correct any misconceptions the students may have about what was taught before they leave the library. We would like to continue to administer this survey again in the Fall 2006 semester. However, this time, in collaboration with FYS instructors, we would like to give the survey at the beginning of the semester and again at the end -- similar to a pre and post test.
Links to the assessment survey and quiz are turned off when not in use. I can turn them on upon request or provide a printed copy of both.