Library Instruction Assessment
Plan
The CSUS Library offers a variety of ways to explore its
facilities and services and to learn how to become effective
researchers. Our goal is to help the instructional faculty
to instill in our students the basic competencies defined
as Information
Competence.
In order to measure the effectiveness of the individual
parts of the Library Instruction Program this Library
Instruction Assessment Plan has been developed to
provide opportunities to measure students prior knowledge
and assess their progress in gaining information competence
and related library research skills. It builds on the
CSUS Master Plan for Library Instruction that was
produced during the Spring of 1988.
For each category of activity, we have identified whether a
measurement instrument was appropriate, developed or adapted the
instrument and delineate how the feedback will be used.
Click
here
for links to all of the evaluation forms mentioned on this
page.
Readings
and Web Sites Related to Assessment Issues
Information Competence
CSUS recognizes that it is crucial that our graduates be
prepared for life in a knowledge-driven, technology-based
society. Incoming students may not have the computer and
information competencies necessary for success in this
technological society, so we are committed to provide
students with opportunities to explore the uses of computers
as tools for learning. CSUS has adopted a policy requiring
our students to demonstrate their abilities to acquire,
process, communicate, and critically evaluate information
using current electronic technologies before graduation. For
the complete text of this policy and related Information
Competence information go to the
Information
Competence page which contains information about
specific IC projects that are underway at CSUS and contain the Information
Competence Tutorials . Since it's inception with a pilot project
in the Spring
2000, the Communication Studies Department has adopted the
Information Competence assignment as a requirement in both Introduction
to Public Speaking (COMS 4)
and The Communication Experience (COMS 5) classes.
They are both meet the Area A1 requirement in the General Education
program. Several additional courses are using
the WebCT Information Competence assignment at the request of the
instructor. An average of 50 sections per term used the IC
assignment during the 2001/2002 academic year, reaching up to 1,400
student per term.
Data collected from this project during Spring, 2002, is being
analyzed in conjunction with the Office of Institutional Research.
Library Tours
The CSUS Library offers a variety of ways to explore its
facilities and services.
Guided Tours
During the second and third week of both the fall and
spring semesters a regular
schedule
of guided tours are offered. Reservations are not
necessary; just meet in the Library lobby at the one of the
times posted. Some instructors require a library tour for
their classes so the Library provides a tour receipt. Due to
the time limitations, no formal evaluation is planned for
the guided tours.
Self- Guided Tours
Checkpoint Tour - Throughout the year users may also
take an individual self-guided Checkpoint Tour by
asking for the tour booklet at the Information Desk. It
takes approximately 45-minutes to walk through five floors
of the building. Since a tour receipt is provided as proof
that the individual has taken the tour, users are asked to
do a
brief
evaluation of the self-guided tour prior to them
receiving the receipt.
Virtual
Tour of the CSUS
Library - Users and
potential users can also explore the library on the web by
taking the Virtual Tour. An interactive web post-test is
planned to determine what users can learn from this
instructional mode and evaluative comments will be
collected. Due to the format, it will be voluntary and
anonymous.
Library Lectures
CSUS instructional faculty and others affiliated with the
University may contact the
Head of Instructional Services or any other librarian to
schedule classes for a library visit. Lectures will be
tailored to meet the research needs of the specific class
and in addition to traditional print materials may also
include demonstrations of the variety of computer databases
available to our students. Sessions are held in the Library
Instruction room, Library 2022 or the Library Instruction
Lab, Library Room 2024. Click here for Request
for Instruction form.
When appropriate and if time permits, all instruction sessions in
either of the two labs are evaluated using an online Library
Instruction Evaluation Form. This form is part of an
evaluation database that was created by the Library Systems
Office. Individual librarian instructors can select the variables
they wish from the student responses in a database
query and look at their own evaluations for feedback on content
covered and personal presentation skills. [Viewing of query
reports are restricted to CSUS Librarians.] Cumulative data can be
analyzed from this database of responses.
Some evaluation
forms are made subject specific, such as the one used to
evaluate
instruction in the sciences. Other
forms
are used as well, including those targeting instruction in
use of
electronic
resources.
With an eye to evaluating student outcomes, librarians are
encouraged to ask instructors to share their student papers
with librarians so that they may evaluate the resources
actually used and cited in bibliographies.
Video-taping of lectures for personal self-improvement and
faculty development is offered by the Library Instruction Office.
General Information/Orientations/General Lectures
Information about the Library, including maps, signs and
handouts are available throughout the building, so that
whether you are a first-time visitor, a freshman or graduate
student you can find just what you need. Primary among these
is the CSUS Library Guide, which includes detailed floor
maps and explains library policies on noise and food. They
are designed to be self explanatory, so that even when desks
are not staffed, answers to many questions are still
available.
Many instruction materials are developed by subject
specialist librarians to assist students who are our primary
users. They are frequently entitled, "Selected Resources
in..." and usually contain titles and call numbers for
recommended reference sources. These subject-based handouts have been
converted to html and can be printed from the web. Paper copies are displayed on racks near the Reference Desk and users can
help themselves. These handouts are created in web publication standard
format established by the CSUS Library. They are listed under
Librarian Guides on the Databases
and Periodical Indexes page.
Maps and instructional guides follow an established
format and are reviewed and updated periodically by the
appropriate librarian. No formal evaluation by users is
deemed necessary.
Identifiers and Point-of-Use instructions are attached to
collections, specific indexes or other tools and are updated
by the appropriate librarians as needed.
Library Instruction Workshops
Drop-in workshops on database searching and searching the
World Wide Web are
offered
for several weeks each semester. The same online
evaluation form is used at the
end of each session.
Campus and Community Outreach
Most instruction material developed to assist
primary users (CSUS Library Guide, subject handouts etc..)
are available to any library user. Racks of instructional
guides are available on a self-service basis, near the
Reference Desk.
Visits from Schools and other
Non-affiliated Groups
Guided group tours are only offered during the second and
third weeks of the term so that we can maintain a quiet
study environment for our users. We cannot accommodate field
trip requests from elementary schools. However, if a class
has a defined research project and their teacher can certify
that the library resources available to them in their school
and public library are insufficient they may request an
instruction session. A limited number of sessions for junior
and senior high school students are scheduled during January
Intersession or after Memorial Day. We require that all such
visitors honor our Guidelines
for Group Visits.
Library Instruction
Statistics
The Library Instruction Office collects and maintains
annual statistics of the numbers of tours, lectures,
workshops, and research appointments given by the library
and how many users are reached by the program.
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Library Home Page
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Linda J. Goff's Home Page
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LJG: Updated 6/21/2002
Created 6/3/99
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