Cuyamaca College Library - Student Learning Outcomes (SLO)

Cuyamaca College Library

Student Learning Outcomes

Introduction HOME | SLOs 1,2,3 | SLO 4 | SLO 5 | SLO matrix | FAQ

INTRODUCTION
     Cuyamaca College Library's mission is for students to develop information competency skills. Information competency (IC) is a set of skills students need to find and critically evaluate information. Cuyamaca Library seeks to develop student IC skills by offering a strong instructional program, having a relevant collection of resources, and providing efficient circulation/technical services.

     CC Library is a "teaching library". Each encounter with a librarian or library staff member has a potential learning outcome for students. Students enhance their information competency skills through interactions with reference librarians or completion of a library orientation. In support of our mission and in recognition of the Library's unique role as both a provider of information and services, the library faculty and staff have identified the following five SLOs.

      SLO 1,2,3, will assess student IC skills after interacting with a librarian at the reference desk instruction and/or library orientation. Cuyamaca librarians provide library instruction in the classroom and at the reference desk. Our perspective is that library instruction is a valuable learning activity - not simply a service. Librarians do not just give students the answers and send the satisfied student away. Students will develop the IC skills needed to complete their in-depth college-level research assignments.

     SLO 4 will assess student IC skills by surveying their independent usage of Cuyamaca Library's print and online collections.

CC Librarians are collection development specialists who have the responsibility of anticipating student information needs. We select materials based on what the students need, not so much on what students want. Students depend on librarians to decide the best way to obtain the information they need. We hold to this philosophy because it the only way to build student information competency skills. The purpose of this SLO assessment is to improve library instruction program. The surveys we have chosen to use will allow us to identify student users and their specific information needs.

Our perspective is that the library website and our collection should be so user-friendly, thereby minimizing the need for in-person instruction.

SLO 5 will assess student IC skill after interacting with the circulation desk staff. Our perspective is that students will be able to identify circulation and reserve collection policies, policies that provide students with equitable access to library collections and standards for proper use of library materials.

Students will develop the information competency skills listed below:

SLO 1: The student will demonstrate the IC skill of constructing a successful search statement and identifying keywords/subject words in order to execute an effective search strategy.

SLO 2: The student will demonstrate the IC skill of selecting sources from the library catalog or the online databases.

SLO 3: The student will demonstrate the IC skill of evaluating a source and determining its reliability, validity, authority and point of view.

SLO 4: The student will demonstrate the IC skill of independently accessing and using library collections made available from the Library homepage.

SLO 5: The student will identify the IC skill of identifying circulation policies and reserve collection policies.

FAQ |Introduction HOME | SLOs 1,2,3 | SLO 4 | SLO 5 | SLO matrix |

Please contact me if you have any questions or if I can help you design your assessment tools. Contact me: Jeri Edelen , librarian.