College Annual Assessment Reporting Form
Assessment related activities during 2013-2014
College: Oviatt Library
Submitted by: Stephen Kutay, Digital Services Librarian, Library Assessment Team
Leader and AALC Liaison
1. Please check the statements that best describe assessment practices and activities in your
college for the academic year 2013-2014.
___A faculty member was selected to serve as the college assessment coordinator.
___A college assessment committee was developed.
_x__Student learning assessment was discussed with chairs at Administrative Council meetings.
___Student learning assessment was presented or discussed at a college wide meeting with faculty.
_x__A college assessment database and/or assessment website was made available.
___A college assessment plan was developed or updated if already developed.
___One or more college level student learning outcomes (CSLOs) were reviewed.
_x__One or more college level student learning outcomes (CSLOs) were assessed.
_x__Describe Other: In 2013-14, the Library Assessment Team replaced two of its four members as
a result of staffing and assignment changes. With the team in transition, we felt the time was
appropriate to re-evaluate existing assessment methods in order to best conduct and promote
assessment moving forward. The resultant strategies were: 1) Investigate how technologies could be
utilized to support assessment across Information Literacy, Collection Development and Library Services,
and 2) Investigate how assessment can be built into existing processes whereby assessment is easier,
more convenient and consistent. To develop these strategies, the Assessment Team held individual
meetings with the Associate Dean, Chair of Research, Instruction and Outreach Services, Chair of
Collection Access and Management Services and the Information Literacy Coordinator. Developments
from these meetings are being tested during the fall semester of 2014-15 with possible implementations
to take place during the spring semester.
2. If you have college-level learning outcomes, please list here or attach them to this report. Please
note any which are new.
The Association of College & Research Libraries’ Information Competency Standards for Higher
Education are used as the basis of our Student Learning Outcomes. They are, in abbreviated
form, as follows:
College Assessment Report is due Tuesday October 28, 2014. Please submit as a PDF attachment to the
Director of Academic Assessment, Jack Solomon, at james.solomon@csun.edu .
College Annual Assessment Reporting Form
Assessment related activities during 2013-2014
Students will be able to:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Determine the nature and extent of the information needed
Access needed information effectively and efficiently
Critically evaluate information sources
Use information effectively to accomplish a specific purpose
Demonstrate understanding of how to access and use information ethically and legally
3. If you have a college assessment committee, please answer the following questions.
a. No committee
b. How were members selected for the college assessment committee?
Members were selected from library staff and faculty and appointed by the Library Dean
for terms of three years with the possibility of renewal.
c. How often did the college assessment committee meet?
Assessment team meets every two weeks.
d. What are the objectives or purposes of the college assessment committee? (Do you
focus on program level assessment, college level assessment or both? Do you provide
mentoring to new assessment liaisons?)
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Design, conduct and promote assessments
Analyze assessment data
Make recommendations for implementing improvements based on findings
Maintain Library Assessment Plan
Provide annual assessment reports
Maintain Library Assessment Web
Consult with Library administrators, faculty and staff on assessment
Give annual presentations regarding goals/objectives and assessment data
Work on special projects
Curate assessment data
Represent Library at meetings of the AALC
4. If you assessed one or more of your college level student learning outcomes (CSLOs), please
respond to the following questions.
College Assessment Report is due Tuesday October 28, 2014. Please submit as a PDF attachment to the
Director of Academic Assessment, Jack Solomon, at james.solomon@csun.edu .
College Annual Assessment Reporting Form
Assessment related activities during 2013-2014
a. What CSLO(s) did you assess and how did you assess it? Include course alignments as well as
use of direct and/or indirect assessments.
The following SLOs for Information Literacy were assessed in 2013-14:
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Access needed information effectively and efficiently
Critically evaluate information sources
Use information effectively to accomplish a specific purpose
Demonstrate understanding of how to access and use information ethically and
legally
Assessments were conducted by multiple individuals and groups using instruments such as
pre-tests/post-tests, quizzes, surveys and focus groups. In all reported assessments, data
was analyzed within the academic year. For most assessments, improvements were
implemented within the 2013-14 academic year.
In addition, Library Web Services conducted multiple usability tests in order to assess
student navigational preferences online.
b. What were the findings or results of your assessment study?
Samples of findings:
 Students vary significantly with regard to what information tasks are most
important to them.
 Students demonstrate an aptitude for integrating and analyzing primary and
historical source materials within course assignments across multiple disciplines;
Students are enthusiastic about using such materials; Instructors broadly agree on
the critical thinking benefits of these resources.
 Freshmen require additional preparation for understanding/using primary source
materials than upperclassmen and graduates.
 Existing web navigation terms were not universally understood by students
c. How will the results or evidence be used to improve program quality?
Results will:
 inform direct changes to teaching
 improve existing assessment instruments
 contribute to the outreach and use of local primary sources for critical thinking
College Assessment Report is due Tuesday October 28, 2014. Please submit as a PDF attachment to the
Director of Academic Assessment, Jack Solomon, at james.solomon@csun.edu .
College Annual Assessment Reporting Form
Assessment related activities during 2013-2014
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enable direct improvements in the design of online assignments that feature Special
Collections and Archives materials
In addition, Web navigation terms suggested by students were normalized and implemented in
the Library Home Page.
5. Were any of the Five Big Learning Competencies (critical thinking, written
communication, oral communication, quantitative analysis, and information
competency) assessed at the college level this year? If yes, what were the results and
what are you planning to do with the results?
See question 4 for ‘Information Competency’ and ‘Critical Thinking’.
College Assessment Report is due Tuesday October 28, 2014. Please submit as a PDF attachment to the
Director of Academic Assessment, Jack Solomon, at james.solomon@csun.edu .