Good Teaching Practice Criteria For Assessment

The following criteria, drawn from several source documents,* are descriptions of good instructional practices and methods that can be assessed for compliance and documented with quanitative and qualitative descriptions. The data obtained from assessing and documenting them provide part of the "culture of evidence" about certain instructional practices which research has found contribute to student learning outcomes. As explained in the national study A Preliminary Study of the Feasibility and Utility for National Policy of Instructional "Good Practice" Indicators in Undergraduate Education (U.S.: DOE, 1994):

"...such indicators might not only supplement information derived from direct performance measures of student outcomes, but they can be useful in their own right. Except as a benchmark of progress, it makes little policy sense to collect outcomes information in the absence of information on key processes that are presumed to contribute to the result." (p. 2)

I. Criteria That Relate to Curricular Planning and Assessment

1. Librarians in partnership with disciplinary faculty have developed a full description of their information literacy program, including the areas detailed in the ACRL-Instruction Section publication "Guidelines for Instruction Programs in Academic Libraries" (1996).

2. Curricular goals and objectives for general education and academic programs include learning outcomes statements related to information literacy and how competency or proficiency will be determined. These goals and objectives have been adopted by the institution and where possible are required in general education courses and academic majors.

3. The curricular goals and objectives related to information literacy specify the performance standards required for graduation.

4. The opportunity for development of information literacy skills is integrated across the academic program (freshman to senior) and across the curriculum.

5. Librarians are active members of committees dealing with curriculum development and review, assessment, and academic and information technology planning, and their contributions are documented annually.

6. Disciplinary faculty-librarian is formalized and tangible results of this relationship are demonstrated by assignments using library/information resources across the curriculum.

7. An assessment plan is in place with indicators measuring the extent of student progress and achievement in becoming competent in the various information literacy skills, as well as a variety of methods for evaluating progress from college entrance/transfer-in to graduation.

8. An assessment instrument/method is used to establish baseline skills and needs of entering and transfer students

9. Information literacy criteria/outcomes are included in campus-wide assessment efforts, such as selected items on freshmen, graduating seniors, or alumni survey.

II. Criteria that Relate to Course Design andTeaching Methods

1. Course objectives directly support the goals and objectives of the information literacy program.

2. Syllabi and course assignments include information literacy skills development through various learning activities and use of library/information resources.

3. Librarians in collaboration with disciplinary faculty and others create couse-related learning resources using information technologies.

4. Active learning strategies, such as student discussions; problem-solving assignments; group/peer interaction work; hands-on assignments using a variety of information resources, etc. are used.

5. Frequent feedback on student performance is provided throughout the course.

6. Librarians create learning resources for independent learning through exhibits, printed guides, online tutorials and other electronic and multi-media resources.

7. "Curricular experimentation should be encouraged and instructional methods should vary with subject matter, learning and teaching styles and student motivation." (Middle States Association Accrediation Standards, p. 13).
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*Source Documents: ACRL Instruction Task Force. "Guidelines for Instruction Programs in Academic Libraries." Approved July, 1996. http://www.ala.org/acrl/guides/guiis.html

American Association for Higher Education Assessment Forum. Principles of Good Practice for Assessing Student Learning. Washington, DC: AAHE, 1992.

National Center for Higher Education Managaement Systems. A Preliminary Study of the Feasibility and Utility for National Policy of Instructional "Good Practice" Indicators in Undergraduate Education. Washington, DC: U.S. Dept. of Education, August 1994. ERIC ED 372718.

Latest editions of the regional accreditation association standards and their supplemental publications, particularly those dealing with assessment of the educational programs. For example, Achieving Institutional Effectiveness Through Assessment: A Resource Manual to Suppport WASC Institutions (WASC 1992); Handbook for Peer Evaluators (Southern Association, 1992); and Framework for Outcomes Assessment (Middle States Association, 1996).

B. Gratch-Lindauer, August 2000.