Details

Date: March 3, 2010
Time: 10:00 am
Place: 702 Olin Library

Attendees

• Jaron Porciello, Tony Cosgrave, Lynn Thitchener, Gaby Castro (note-taker;facilitator)

Agenda / Minutes

Recap of last meeting

Recap of last meeting for Jaron

1. purpose of an instruction assessment plan:

• Demonstrate success/progress
• Demonstrate and evaluate learning that occurs as a result of library instruction
• Know what students actually learn in our classes
• Know where to direct our energies
• Meet our program's LO (learning outcomes)
• Evaluate our instruction program
• Raise awareness of what library instruction accomplishes
• Strengthen our teaching
• Assist instructors to become more effective teachers
• Assist instructors to practice assessment
• Develop a knowledge base/repository for assessment tools
  

2.  Clarification on our charge for May 2010.

We are writing 3 - 5 Learning Outcomes that are centered on student learning. In other words, what students will learn after instruction by librarians.  These outcomes dovetaill our mission statement and the university-wide learning outcomes.

These student-centered learning outcomes form an integral part of developing an instruction assessment program for CUL.  Outcomes and a framework for the instruction assessment program will begin to be developed after the end of the Spring 2010 semester.

3.  Discussion on the feasibility and interest in planning/hosting an open forum or brown bag to CUL where we bring the conversation about assessment together by bringing in the different components and players involved in aspects of this endeavor:   Reaccreditation issues/directions (Janet & Zsuzsa), CUICI -- (Camille), Assessment Program & LO (Gaby).

There was agreement that this would be a good idea.  Gaby to pursue organizing this for late March/April.

LO and Assessment CU-Wide

Provost's - Assessment of Student Learning website -- University wide goals
http://www.cornell.edu/provost/assessment/learning_outcomes.cfm

Information Literacy is listed as a goal: access, evaluate, and use a variety of relevant information sources

Instruction Committee's Mission Statement (latest draft):

The library's instruction mission is to enhance learning and integrate information competency into the curriculum. Library staff partner with faculty and other instructors to help all members of the academic community to find their way into collections, and to master research techniques and methods. In a rapidly changing information and education environment, we teach them the skills needed to  find, read, evaluate, and use complex resources from the Cornell University Library and beyond, in a confident, efficient, and ethical fashion.

Writing -- Learning Outcomes (cont'd)

The remainder of the time was spent adding learning outcomes (working off our mission statement - bold text) to our prior list and organizing them into categories.

Initial categorical themes that emerged:

• Ethics
• Awareness of Services
• Critical Thinking
• Use of scholarly resources and tools.

Action Items

Gaby to type out LO and categories and send to sub-committee to develop 3 to 5 LO statements for each category.
Gaby to begin discussions with key players on open forum on assessment.