Classroom Assessment Technique

by Melissa Bowles-Terry, Cassandra Kvenild

Classroom Assessment Techniques for Librarians provides the tools librarians need to quickly and meaningfully assess student knowledge in the classroom. The authors, Melissa Bowles-Terry and Cassandra Kvenild, share 24 tried and true assessment tools, along with library-specific examples, to help librarians assess students ability to recall, analyze, and apply new knowledge. The assessment tools in this book actively engage students by asking them to think, write, and reflect. Librarians can use results of these assessments as a starting point to define and measure information literacy learning outcomes as well as to improve their teaching skills and instructional design. This collection of assessment techniques can be adapted to multiple learning environments, including traditional one-shot library instruction, online instruction, and for-credit courses. This book is essential for academic libraries, and will prove useful to school libraries with strong information literacy programs, as well as library and information school collections.

Genres: Nonfiction, Teaching, Professional Development

118 pages, Paperback

First published July 31, 2005

Reviews

[Kaia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Accessible and practical formative assessments that can be used with single instruction sessions or semester-long classes. Includes examples for different subject areas and ideas for scoring and using the assessments to improve instruction.

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a useful, succinct guide to a variety of activities that can be used (often in a single class session) to assess learning and, by extension, provide students with frameworks/templates to assess course materials. I had hoped that, given the primary audience is librarians, that the book had spent more time covering methods for assessing search techniques as well as source quality.

[Andy Horton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read for a course I'm doing, and for professional development. Lots f good ideas and advice ion how and why to implement them in the classroom.

[Liz · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very basic, good for a brand new instructional librarian.

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Classroom Assessment Techniques for Librarians" is written in clear and easily understood language with a consistent layout that facilitates learning. The book starts with a brief overview of the difference between summative and formative assessment, of which classroom assessment techniques (CATs) constitute the latter, along with an introduction to the assessment cycle and why assessment is needed in library instruction.

Following the introductory session are 6 chapters of CATs organized by theme: Assessing Prior Knowledge and Understanding, Assessing Skill in Analysis and Critical Thinking, Assessing Skill in Synthesis and Creative Thinking, Assessing Skill in Application, Assessing Attitudes and Self-Awareness, and Assessing Learner Reactions. Each chapter begins with an explanation of why it is valuable to assess the particular type of skill, such as prior knowledge, before showcasing specific CATs that could be used.

For each type of CAT showcased, the authors suggest: when to use that particular technique, the basic structure, variations, how to score/evaluate, and what to do with the results. Of particular value are examples for different settings, from a first-year one-shot to an online only course to a semester-long course.

This book is an excellent primer on classroom assessment techniques that provide valuable insight and actionable data but do not necessarily require a lot of time, energy, or expense. Although some examples focus on a specific resource, most of the examples focus on the concepts and ideas to which librarians teach.

The only downside is the cost for such a slim, softbound volume.

A highly recommended read for those interested in assessing library instruction, whether individually or programmatically.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book has great, real-world advice on how to incorporate assessment into a variety of situation for teacher librarians. I appreciated that for each classroom assessment technique (CAT - and don't get me started on how apropos that acronym is for librarians) they introduced, they discussed how it could apply to different situations: a one-shot course, a for-credit info literacy course, a master's level embedded librarian, etc. I took away a lot from the book and have great ideas on how to update my own library instruction assessment, which is basically nonexistent at the moment.

[Catie Carlson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Provides various assessment techniques for different types of assessment along with a number of examples for further clarification. In my brief skimming of the book though, it did not seem vary helpful in my search for creative assessment techniques in one-shot instruction.