Learning Outcomes

Learning Outcomes: Improvements Based on Student Feedback and Progress

The multiple-choice types of questions used initially on the web Pathfinders proved to have limited utility. Multiple-choice questions did not sufficiently teach students to “employ active learning and strategies…to develop critical thinking skills in concert with information literacy skills” as recommended by ACRL, so the questions were changed to become search oriented. The resulting questions are much more effective tools for teaching the students the process of thinking and researching. This is key to teaching them how to become “communities of learners.”

Existing Pathfinder features such as the library presentations, two weeks’ time frame for completion, and the graded format of the assignments were retained as effective learning tools. In particular, grades and extensive comments on the returned Pathfinders offer effective communication between librarians and students.

To support the different student learning styles, classroom presentations are augmented with personalized assistance. Off-campus students have online access to professional assistance through the library’s web page. Email responses are prompt and detailed.

The web format requires frequent updates as resources like online databases are added or changed by providers, as questions need to be modified, or as student feedback indicates other needed changes. The process of monitoring student feedback and outcomes to identify Pathfinder revisions is ongoing.

Feedback from Pathfinder surveys indicated that students found the noises and bustle of the library’s main floor to be distracting. These survey results justified the modification of an existing conference room into a Library Skills Instruction Classroom that utilized a dedicated PC and projector to incorporate current technology to the class presentations.

The technology of the new Library Skills Instruction Classroom and the online Pathfinder offers the students the ability to learn library skills—what the ACRL calls information literacy—without the limits of time and distance that are imposed by standard library hours. By incorporating thorough presentations with these online tools, the librarians become facilitators for the learning student.