Debbie Sharp and Beth Fuchs present at AALHE

Beth Fuchs

Debbie Sharp

Debbie Sharp, information literacy coordinator, and Beth Fuchs, undergraduate learning librarian, presented at the 2015 Association for the Assessment of Learning in Higher Education (AALHE) Conference, June 1-3, in Lexington. Their presentation, “Performance Assessment in Academic Libraries through Campus Collaboration,” described an innovative approach to align library research instruction and assessment to course research assignments. Performance assessments ask students to demonstrate what they learn, rather than testing their recall on specific questions. 

The performance assessments created by UK instruction librarians provide insight into students’ thought processes in a way that is not possible to see with methods such as standardized tests, multiple choice quizzes, or pre- and post- assessments.This method of instruction and assessment leads to a greater understanding of where students have difficulties with assignments. It inspires librarians in their ongoing quest to create and promote better teaching practices that improve student learning.

The Association for the Assessment of Learning in Higher Education (AALHE) is a professional association for assessment practitioners at colleges, universities, and higher education support organizations who are  
interested in using effective assessment practice to document and improve student learning.