Teaching & Learning: Assessment

Student Questions

Best practice: during the last 5 minutes of the session ask student to write answers or fill out a survey. Later, follow up with any additional information students may find useful.

1. On a scale of 1-5 rate your confidence in your ability to find appropriate sources for your assignment
2. On a scale of 1-5 how relevant was today's library workshop to your research assignment?
3. What is one thing you think a student taking this class next quarter needs to know about using the library or research?
4. What do you still have questions about, or are unclear on?

Check out these quick and easy ways to incorporate assessment into your sessions:

• 1 minute paper: Ask "What have you learned?" and "What is still unclear?" or "At what point were you most confused in today's session?" Even "In your own words describe..." or "If you were to give a fellow student advice about..."

• Collect student work: Did they make a concept map or fill out a worksheet? Ask to collect or copy it. Take photos of student work on the board.

• Use a Google Document: A shared document or spreadsheet allows you to see, track, and save student responses and work, and they'll be able to find and use it later as well. 

• Examine search histories: Ask one or two students to print their search history

• Document your observations: Develop a checklist/rubric and observe during a student work time

• View students' finished products: Ask the course instructor for examples of finished student work -- if students are doing presentations, see if you can attend a few of them.

Instructor Survey
When you are feeling confident, consider sending a survey to the course instructor to get an additional perspective. These questions can be emailed after the session.

1. Rate the overall quality of the library session (1 low-5 high)
   Please explain your rating.
2. How helpful was the pre-library session planning in clarifying what the session could include and/or your assignment goals? (1 Not at all helpful-5 very helpful)
   Please explain your rating.
3. Rate how relevant was the content of this library session to your course assignments? (1 low-5 high)
   Please explain your rating.
   
4. Was the use of classtime effective for promoting student engagement and learning? (1 not effective-5 very effective)
   Please explain your rating.
   
5. Is there anything else you would like to add?
   

Feel like you're not sure where students are getting lost?  Try checking for understanding during your session.  Develop questions to evaluate understanding throughout the process to help know when to move on and when to explain further.

Resources that might help: