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Library Assessment Conference: Building Effective, Sustainable, Practical AssessmentSeattle Washington, August 2008

It’s Just a Click AwayLibrary Instruction Assessment That Works

Sarah Blakeslee

Meriam Library

CSU, Chico

Library Assessment Conference: Building Effective, Sustainable, Practical AssessmentSeattle Washington, August 2008

Clicker is a catchy name referring to…

• An integrated hardware and software system that allows instructors to present questions and gather students’ responses during a lecture. – Receiver– Clicker– Software

Library Assessment Conference: Building Effective, Sustainable, Practical AssessmentSeattle Washington, August 2008

The Value Of Clickers In Library Instruction Assessment

1. Assess Audience

2. Assess Background Knowledge

3. Assess Understanding of Concepts

4. Assess Application of Critical Thinking Skills

5. Assess Students’ Perception of Session

6. Assess Teaching

Library Assessment Conference: Building Effective, Sustainable, Practical AssessmentSeattle Washington, August 2008

The Value Of Clickers In Library Instruction Assessment

1. Assess Audience

Library Assessment Conference: Building Effective, Sustainable, Practical AssessmentSeattle Washington, August 2008

I have used clickers before

1 2

0%0%

1. Yes

2. No

Library Assessment Conference: Building Effective, Sustainable, Practical AssessmentSeattle Washington, August 2008

The average number of library instruction classes I teach a semester is…

1 2 3 4

0% 0%0%0%1. 0

2. 1-20

3. 20-40

4. More than 40

Library Assessment Conference: Building Effective, Sustainable, Practical AssessmentSeattle Washington, August 2008

What Is Your Class Level?

Freshman Sophomore

Junior Senior

0% 0%0%0%

1. Freshman

2. Sophomore

3. Junior

4. Senior

Library Assessment Conference: Building Effective, Sustainable, Practical AssessmentSeattle Washington, August 2008

The Value Of Clickers In Library Instruction Assessment

1. Assess Audience

2. Assess Background Knowledge

Library Assessment Conference: Building Effective, Sustainable, Practical AssessmentSeattle Washington, August 2008

You are looking for a book about Ernest Hemingway in the Library Catalog. What kind of search would you

perform?

1 2 3

0% 0%0%

1. Title search

2. Author search

3. Subject search

Library Assessment Conference: Building Effective, Sustainable, Practical AssessmentSeattle Washington, August 2008

To find scholarly journal articles on a topic the best place to search is…

A periodical database

Craigslist

The Library Catalog Browse the stacks

0% 0%0%0%

1. A periodical database

2. Craigslist

3. The Library Catalog

4. Browse the stacks

Library Assessment Conference: Building Effective, Sustainable, Practical AssessmentSeattle Washington, August 2008

The Value Of Clickers In Library Instruction Assessment

1. Assess Audience

2. Assess Background Knowledge

3. Assess Understanding of Concepts

Library Assessment Conference: Building Effective, Sustainable, Practical AssessmentSeattle Washington, August 2008

Enclosing one or more search words within quotation marks (e.g. “music downloading”) ensures that your

search will only retrieve records that…

1 2 3 4 5

0% 0% 0%0%0%1. Have been approved

by the RIAA

2. Are about music downloading

3. Appear next to each other in that order

4. Appear next to each other in any order

10

Library Assessment Conference: Building Effective, Sustainable, Practical AssessmentSeattle Washington, August 2008

Searching for psycho* In the PsycINFO database WILL NOT retrieve records with the word…

1 2 3 4 5

0% 0% 0%0%0%

1. psycho

2. psychology

3. psychosis

4. psychiatry

5. psychosomatic10

Library Assessment Conference: Building Effective, Sustainable, Practical AssessmentSeattle Washington, August 2008

Increased instructor’s understanding of how well the students’ comprehended the lecture content

0

5

10

15

20

25

Instructor n=13 Students n=49

Strongly Agree

Agree

Neither

Disagree

Strongly Disagree

N/A

Library Assessment Conference: Building Effective, Sustainable, Practical AssessmentSeattle Washington, August 2008

The Value Of Clickers In Library Instruction Assessment

1. Assess Audience

2. Assess Background Knowledge

3. Assess Understanding of Concepts

4. Assess Critical Thinking

Library Assessment Conference: Building Effective, Sustainable, Practical AssessmentSeattle Washington, August 2008

Which of the following searches would be likely to retrieve the greatest number

of articles in a library database?

1 2 3

0% 0%0%

1. grunge

2. grunge and Seattle

3. grunge or Seattle

Library Assessment Conference: Building Effective, Sustainable, Practical AssessmentSeattle Washington, August 2008

Willis, S. L. & Schaie, K. W, (2006). Cognitive functioning in the Baby Boomers: Longitudinal and cohort effects. In S. K. Whitbourne & S. L. Willis, (Eds.). The Baby Boomers Grow up. (pp. 205-234). New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

1. journal

2. newspaper

3. book

4. Web Site

Library Assessment Conference: Building Effective, Sustainable, Practical AssessmentSeattle Washington, August 2008

Made me think more critically in class

0

24

68

1012

1416

1820

Students n=49 Instructors n=14

Strongly Agree

Agree

Neither

Disagree

Strongly Disagree

N/A

Library Assessment Conference: Building Effective, Sustainable, Practical AssessmentSeattle Washington, August 2008

The Value Of Clickers In Library Instruction Assessment

1. Assess Audience

2. Assess Background Knowledge

3. Assess Understanding of Concepts

4. Assess Application of Critical Thinking Skills

5. Assess Students’ Perception of Session

Library Assessment Conference: Building Effective, Sustainable, Practical AssessmentSeattle Washington, August 2008

The instructor presented subject matter in a clear, understandable and organized manner…

1. Strongly Agree

2. Agree

3. Neutral

4. Disagree

5. Strongly Disagree

Library Assessment Conference: Building Effective, Sustainable, Practical AssessmentSeattle Washington, August 2008

After watching this presentation, I will be more likely to

use clickers in my own instruction

1. Strongly Agree

2. Agree

3. Undecided

4. Disagree

5. Strongly Disagree

Library Assessment Conference: Building Effective, Sustainable, Practical AssessmentSeattle Washington, August 2008

The Value Of Clickers In Library Instruction Assessment

1. Assess Audience

2. Assess Background Knowledge

3. Assess Understanding of Concepts

4. Assess Application of Critical Thinking Skills

5. Assess Students’ Perception of Session

6. Assess Teaching

Library Assessment Conference: Building Effective, Sustainable, Practical AssessmentSeattle Washington, August 2008

Session Reports

Library Assessment Conference: Building Effective, Sustainable, Practical AssessmentSeattle Washington, August 2008

Results By Question - Numerical

Library Assessment Conference: Building Effective, Sustainable, Practical AssessmentSeattle Washington, August 2008

Results By Question-Graphical

Library Assessment Conference: Building Effective, Sustainable, Practical AssessmentSeattle Washington, August 2008

What’s In It For Students

• Engaging• Encourages

participation • Creates sense of

community• Measures

understanding• Enhances learning

Library Assessment Conference: Building Effective, Sustainable, Practical AssessmentSeattle Washington, August 2008

Clickers made the class more engaging

0

5

10

15

20

25

Students n=48 Instructors n=14

Strongly Agree

Agree

Neither

Disagree

Strongly Disagree

N/A

Library Assessment Conference: Building Effective, Sustainable, Practical AssessmentSeattle Washington, August 2008

Made me more willing to participate in class discussions

0

5

10

15

20

25

Students n=49 Instructors n=14

Strongly Agree

Agree

Neither

Strongly Disagree

Disagree

N/A

Library Assessment Conference: Building Effective, Sustainable, Practical AssessmentSeattle Washington, August 2008

Created a stronger sense of community with my fellow classmates

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

16

Students n=49 Instructors n=14

Strongly Agree

Agree

Neither

Disagree

Strongly Disagree

N/A

Library Assessment Conference: Building Effective, Sustainable, Practical AssessmentSeattle Washington, August 2008

Enhanced my learning in this class

0

5

10

15

20

25

Students n=49

Strongly Agree

Agree

Neither

Disagree

Strongly Disagree

N/A

(

Library Assessment Conference: Building Effective, Sustainable, Practical AssessmentSeattle Washington, August 2008

“It is the professors use of the clicker that makes it a

worth while tool.”

Response 2, Dr. J’s Fall 2007 Clicker Survey

Library Assessment Conference: Building Effective, Sustainable, Practical AssessmentSeattle Washington, August 2008

Designing Clicker Questions

• Clicker Questions– should relate to a specific class objective– should achieve a purpose

• Demographics• Assessment of previous knowledge• Assessment of comprehension• Stimulate discussion• Student evaluation

– keep answer options to five– test questions on screen before using

Library Assessment Conference: Building Effective, Sustainable, Practical AssessmentSeattle Washington, August 2008

Integrating Clickers Into Teaching

• Active Learning – Research indicates question every 15 to 20

minutes

• Other purposes – Leave 3 to 5 minutes for every question

• Be prepared for contingency teaching– Questions on the fly

• Differentiate between lecture slides and active polling slides (color, sound, or prompt)

Library Assessment Conference: Building Effective, Sustainable, Practical AssessmentSeattle Washington, August 2008

Questions?