The Understanding Library Impacts protocolWhen I returned to graduate school I wanted to tackle a 'big challenge' for our field. After reflecting on trends in higher education and library performance assessment I decided to build tools for answering the question:
"How do libraries contribute to undergraduate student learning?" The focus of my research program has been developing and validating tools to address this challenge. I call this suite of instruments, the Understanding Library Impacts (ULI) protocol. The protocol was validated in my dissertation study completed in 2012 and the protocol is now available to clients through my consulting practice. |
Related papers and presentations
QQML, (forthcoming June 2013)
ACRL Conference 2013, 4/13/2013 8th Annual NCICU Assessment Conference, 5/31/2012 ENYACRL Spring 2012 Conference, 5/21/2012 IntheLibrarywiththeLeadPipe, 4/4/2012 Columbia University Library Assessment Forum, 12/13/2011 SACSCOC Annual Meeting, 12/4/2011 North Carolina Library Association, 10/6/2011 9th Northumbria Conference, 8/23/2011 IntheLibrarywiththeLeadPipe, 6/16/2011 Library Assessment Conference, 10/25/2010 |
Choosing a unit of analysis: the capstone experience
We all know our assessment budgets are finite, so I think we should focus our attention on what are called High Impact practices in undergraduate education. I've chosen the
capstone experience within an undergraduate academic major which is a time when
These are also experiences in which students are expected to "integrate and apply all that they learn throughout their college careers" [1].
- Faculty expectations for student performance are at their highest and
- Student effort should be at its peak.
These are also experiences in which students are expected to "integrate and apply all that they learn throughout their college careers" [1].
How it works
The protocol includes two instruments: A web-based ‘Critical Incident Survey’ gathers data about student use of the library and its services during the capstone project and a ‘Learning Activities Crosswalk’ links that use to faculty-defined learning objectives.
Critical Incident Survey
Administered near the end of the term when the capstone project is due, the survey examines student use of library resources, services, and facilities during key stages of the capstone project and reveals:
Open ended questions gather qualitative feedback regarding students’ experiences reinforcing other ULI findings and generating rich evidence of impact. Study sites may also add local questions and customize response categories to match library offerings.
Learning Activities Crosswalk
Learning activities reflect common stages associated within a capstone project. The crosswalk links student information behaviors with learning expectations associated with each activity.
Results
Eight colleges and universities have participated in four studies and field trials to help validate the instruments. Sites involved in recent studies of the experiences of undergraduate History majors received results to support internal decision making and advocacy:
Please refer to the essay Answering questions about library impact on student learning for an overview of the results from the dissertation project.
These ULI projects demonstrated the protocol can generate credible connections between library use and student learning outcomes. The results can help academic libraries demonstrate their contributions to the teaching and learning missions of their parent institutions and generate evidence to support improvement.
Current projects
The Understanding Library Impacts Project is currently sustained through client-funded projects. In 2012-2013, colleges and universities are using the protocol to examine library impact on learning outcomes for undergraduate History majors, extending the protocol to the social sciences, and linking ULI responses to student learning outcomes achievement results.
Please write me at derek@uliproject.com or use the form below to learn more about the protocol.
Thank you for your interest! Derek
Critical Incident Survey
Administered near the end of the term when the capstone project is due, the survey examines student use of library resources, services, and facilities during key stages of the capstone project and reveals:
- How library use supports learning activities associated with the capstone project and
- Ways in which library use contributes to or inhibits student performance.
Open ended questions gather qualitative feedback regarding students’ experiences reinforcing other ULI findings and generating rich evidence of impact. Study sites may also add local questions and customize response categories to match library offerings.
Learning Activities Crosswalk
Learning activities reflect common stages associated within a capstone project. The crosswalk links student information behaviors with learning expectations associated with each activity.
Results
Eight colleges and universities have participated in four studies and field trials to help validate the instruments. Sites involved in recent studies of the experiences of undergraduate History majors received results to support internal decision making and advocacy:
- A secure database-driven website provides study sites with reports regarding ways students used information resources, library services, and library space during capstone coursework.
- Results link library use to discipline-specific learning outcomes drawn from the Tuning USA project [2] and cross-discipline abilities and skills described in four of the AAC&U VALUE rubrics [3] (critical thinking, inquiry and analysis, information literacy, and written communication).
- Participants can ‘drill down’ into the results to examine helps and problems associated with library use and view anonymous student responses to open-ended questions.
- Demographics and data from three scales (the NSSE DEEP learning scale, CSEQ library experiences, and a non-traditional student scale) which help sites understand the composition of study samples.
Please refer to the essay Answering questions about library impact on student learning for an overview of the results from the dissertation project.
These ULI projects demonstrated the protocol can generate credible connections between library use and student learning outcomes. The results can help academic libraries demonstrate their contributions to the teaching and learning missions of their parent institutions and generate evidence to support improvement.
Current projects
The Understanding Library Impacts Project is currently sustained through client-funded projects. In 2012-2013, colleges and universities are using the protocol to examine library impact on learning outcomes for undergraduate History majors, extending the protocol to the social sciences, and linking ULI responses to student learning outcomes achievement results.
Please write me at derek@uliproject.com or use the form below to learn more about the protocol.
Thank you for your interest! Derek
References
1. Kuh, G.D. High Impact Educational Practices: What they are, who has access to them, and why they matter. Washington,
DC: American Association of Colleges and Universities, 2008.
2. Indiana Commission for Higher Education (2010). Tuning USA Final Report: The 2009 Indiana Pilot, http://www.in.gov/che/files/Updated_Final_report_for_June_submission.pdf; Tuning USA Final Report – Utah (2009). http://www.quickanded.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/Utah-Final-Tuning-USA-Report.pdf
3. Rhodes, T., ed. Assessing Outcomes and Improving Achievement: Tips and Tools for Using Rubrics. Washington, DC: Association of American Colleges and Universities, 2010.
2. Indiana Commission for Higher Education (2010). Tuning USA Final Report: The 2009 Indiana Pilot, http://www.in.gov/che/files/Updated_Final_report_for_June_submission.pdf; Tuning USA Final Report – Utah (2009). http://www.quickanded.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/Utah-Final-Tuning-USA-Report.pdf
3. Rhodes, T., ed. Assessing Outcomes and Improving Achievement: Tips and Tools for Using Rubrics. Washington, DC: Association of American Colleges and Universities, 2010.
© Derek Rodriguez, 2011-2012, All Rights Reserved
