Evaluation is the Answer: Who, What, When, Where, Why and How are the Questions

• Author(s) / Creator(s)

  • Goebel, N.
  • Peacock, J.

• Assessment and evaluation are fluid concepts and, at times, used interchangeably. As general processes applied to understanding performance in any context – student, librarian/professor or organizational – they can equally be viewed as positive and effective undertakings, or as onerous and inconclusive approaches to determining cause and effect. Regardless of one’s views, effective teaching and learning cannot be understood without intentionally and consistently applied assessment and evaluation. Assessment relates to knowing what the student can and can’t do, and does and doesn’t know (i.e., student performance). Evaluation relates to knowing what the teacher does and doesn’t do well (i.e., teacher evaluation) and also, perhaps, to knowing what the organization (library or academic/administrative departments) does and doesn’t do effectively at program, organizational and strategic performance levels. This article focuses on evaluation as it applies to information literacy (IL) program performance in a university library setting.

• Date created

  2009

• Subjects / Keywords

  • Assessement
  • Evaluation
  • Learning outcomes

• Type of Item

  Article (Published)

• DOI

  https://doi.org/10.7939/R3F879

• License

  © 2009 Canadian Library Association. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution - Non Commercial - No Derivatives 2.5 Canada License, which permits you to copy, distribute, display, and perform the work, provided the original author and source are credited.