Type of Presentation
Poster Session (45 minutes)
Target Audience
Higher Education
Location
Lobby
Abstract
In an era of efficiency studies and changing academic environments, the need for libraries to communicate value to the university is more important than ever. One logical way is by demonstrating our contribution to the assessment of student learning. But how do libraries accomplish this while still providing authentic, student-centered assessment? This poster describes a collaboration with an English Composition department that resulted in a wide-scale assessment program to measure student learning and introduce students to transferable digital and information literacy skills that they will use throughout their academic and professional lives.
Collaboration between academic libraries and English Composition programs are not uncommon. However, this assessment project is unique due in part to the way students complete the assignment. Rather than using paper worksheets, students utilize a blog to submit their assignment reflections and comment on classmates’ research experiences. This format provides students with the opportunity to become more familiar with digital communication, as well as facilitating peer learning. Since no paper is involved, grading and analyzing student responses is transformed into a sustainable practice. Additionally, this method allows students to demonstrate critical thinking by providing meaningful feedback on the research process outside of their own experiences.
The presenter will share the lesson plan and measurable learning outcomes, details of an assignment that requires demonstration of critical thinking and digital literacy skills, and the results of the multi-year assessment project, including data gathered on the validity of a rubric instrument.
Presentation Description
This session describes a collaboration with an English Composition department to design and implement a wide-scale assessment program that not only measures student learning, but encourages students to develop transferable digital and information literacy skills that they will use throughout their academic and professional lives. The presenter will share the results of the assessment, provide tips for using blogs as an assessment tool, and introduce best practices for scalability of the project.
Keywords
assessment; library instruction; information literacy; digital literacy; social media
Publication Type and Release Option
Presentation (Open Access)
Recommended Citation
Mallon, Melissa, "Promoting Transferable Research Skills: A New Take on English Composition Assessment" (2014). Georgia International Conference on Information Literacy. 16.
https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/gaintlit/2014/2014/16
Promoting Transferable Research Skills: A New Take on English Composition Assessment
Lobby
In an era of efficiency studies and changing academic environments, the need for libraries to communicate value to the university is more important than ever. One logical way is by demonstrating our contribution to the assessment of student learning. But how do libraries accomplish this while still providing authentic, student-centered assessment? This poster describes a collaboration with an English Composition department that resulted in a wide-scale assessment program to measure student learning and introduce students to transferable digital and information literacy skills that they will use throughout their academic and professional lives.
Collaboration between academic libraries and English Composition programs are not uncommon. However, this assessment project is unique due in part to the way students complete the assignment. Rather than using paper worksheets, students utilize a blog to submit their assignment reflections and comment on classmates’ research experiences. This format provides students with the opportunity to become more familiar with digital communication, as well as facilitating peer learning. Since no paper is involved, grading and analyzing student responses is transformed into a sustainable practice. Additionally, this method allows students to demonstrate critical thinking by providing meaningful feedback on the research process outside of their own experiences.
The presenter will share the lesson plan and measurable learning outcomes, details of an assignment that requires demonstration of critical thinking and digital literacy skills, and the results of the multi-year assessment project, including data gathered on the validity of a rubric instrument.
