… in your campus accreditation process and Quality Enhancement Plans
Accreditation processes and Quality Enhancement Plans call for the description of measurable outcomes. Having quantitive data allows you to directly demonstrate the improvement in institutional and student performance due to your information literacy programs.
… with your colleagues in achieving the mission of your college or university
Having measurable learning outcomes provides a clear relationship between your information literacy programs and the improvement in student learning that is directly tied to your institution’s mission. Effectively demonstrate your library’s contribution to the information literacy, critical thinking, and intellectual development of your students with quantitative data.
… with other librarians to demonstrate the value of academic libraries
You can use quantitative data to effectively establish the role of your library in student learning and to articulate the importance of your library’s information literacy programs within your institution. Assessing your impact on student learning and achievement is a means of demonstrating your library’s value and the value of academic libraries in general.
… with instructors to meet general education requirements
Information literacy is recognized as a core component of general education courses at institutions of higher learning. It is understood that creating information literate students is a requirement for their success. Using a tool to quantitatively measure your students’ information literacy is one key to improving those courses.
… with teaching faculty to create success stories
Being able to bring quantitive data to the table will allow you to demonstrate the importance of, and generate campus-wide support for, your information literacy programs. These data can be used to show how the integration of information literacy programs into the curriculum results in improved student outcomes.
Next up: Learn more about the Threshold Achievement Test for Information Literacy