Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

How Students Information Literacy Skills Change Over Time: A Longitudinal Study, Veronica Wells

Veronica Wells

How do students’ information literacy skills change over the course of their undergraduate education? We assume or at least hope they will improve. But do they? And if so, by how much? At the University of the Pacific, we are using the SAILS (Standardized Assessment of Information Literacy Skills) Test to assess undergraduate students’ information literacy skills and to see how they have changed over time. The SAILS Test is a multiple-choice test that has been used by more than 200 universities across the world. According to their website, the SAILS Test can “determine how well your students can navigate …

What Our Students Want In And From Their Library, Veronica Wells, Robin Imhof, Debbie Johnston

Veronica Wells

University of the Pacific’s Stockton Campus Library is currently in the process of a multi-phase renovation that will offer 21st century design and functionality. Our team conducted several assessment methods to understand more fully how our students use –or choose not to use—study spaces and various pieces of furniture in the Stockton library. The results of this project will help answer the questions: “What do our students want or need in library learning spaces – both academic and social?” and “How might we create learning spaces in the library that will enable a variety of student use preferences?” We have …

Hunting For Qr Codes: Linking Students To The Music Collection, Veronica A. Wells

Veronica Wells

Libraries are exploring the use of Quick Response (QR) codes, to market to and connect users with libraries' services. The University of the Pacific has been experimenting with QR codes in an innovative way: to introduce first-year music majors to the physical music library materials via a QR code scavenger hunt. This article discusses the library literature on QR codes and scavenger hunts, as well as the University of the Pacific's QR code scavenger hunt from creation to assessment. Additionally, recommendations are given for designing a similar pedagogical tool at your library.

Best Practices For Student Learning Assessment In Smaller-Sized Undergraduate Mass Communication Programs, Douglas J. Swanson Ed.D Apr

Douglas J. Swanson, Ed.D APR

Assessment of student learning in higher education is no longer optional, because the public increasingly expects universities to spend less and produce more. Generating detailed, meaningful assessment is challenging, particularly for smaller-sized mass communication programs with limited resources. Mass communication-focused assessment literature is scarce. This best practices essay reviews other research to illustrate proven examples of ways to assess simply and effectively in undergraduate mass communication programs to achieve maximum faculty support and curriculum improvement.

Connecting Education, Work, And Citizenship: How Assessment Can Help, Marcia Mentkowski, Glen Rogers

Glen Rogers