2008 Summary

Grant activity involved 83 librarians and discipline faculty from 27 colleges in at least one activity

Grant activities began after February 1, 2009, as soon as the grant was awarded. Most grant activity took place during the academic year when CTC librarians and faculty are on contract. From February to August 2009, the major activities supporting the project were as follows:

Steering Committee

The first task was to establish a steering committee. Half the members of the new committee had served on the previous grant (marked with *), bringing continuity and their perspective and experience to this new project. The committee includes four library administrators and two library faculty:

Paula Doherty, Vice President for Institutional Effectiveness and Instructional Resources, Peninsula College

*Deb Gilchrist, Dean, Pierce College

*Wai-Fong Lee, Executive Dean, Seattle Central Community College

*Myra Van Vactor, Dean, Bellevue College 

Katy Dichter, Librarian, Green River Community College

Lynn  Kanne, LSTA Grant Project Coordinator; Librarian, Seattle Central Community College

This committee regularly communicates via email to plan grant activities. In addition, it has met a total of four times in person, by conference call, and by electronic meeting (Elluminate).

Kickoff Workshop -- February 27, 2009

To continue authentic assessment efforts from previous grant and bring in new participants, this day-long workshop brought together 45 librarians and 10 non-library faculty from 22 of the participating colleges. Librarians from colleges in Bellevue, Spokane, Tacoma, and Skagit Valley presented about their successful LSTA-funded projects that featured collaborating with faculty to increase information literacy instruction. Deb Gilchrist, library dean from Pierce College and national leader on information literacy assessment, presented a review of key assessment concepts, with emphasis on authentic assessment. Finally, participants worked together to draft plans for mini-grant projects for Spring 2009.

Spring & Summer 2009 -- Authentic Assessments Grants

• Project Proposals & Reports
• Update Session via Elluminate - Recorded June 3, 2009

Libraries at individual colleges were invited to propose projects featuring authentic assessment of information literacy. All proposed projects received funding, resulting in twenty mini-grants awarded to individual colleges to promote collaboration between librarians and discipline faculty. Some projects involved direct instruction with students in specific classes, while others laid the groundwork for infusing information literacy into curriculum by training and collaborating with faculty. Most grants provided stipends for faculty outside the library to work with librarians on information literacy. Recipients created rubrics for information literacy in specific subject areas, analyzed student work using established IL rubrics, conducted pre and post tests to assess IL before and after library instruction, and presented or attended IL seminars or workshops.  Some projects extended beyond spring quarter into summer and some additional projects were added for summer quarter.

June 10 & 11 Research Team – Initial Meeting

Notes

Early in the project, the steering committee began to solicit members for the research team, including librarians, basic skills, ESL, and developmental education faculty, institutional researchers, and library deans. This meeting brought this group together to discuss research methods for measuring the impact of information literacy efforts on success for pre-college students. Participants brainstormed and discussed potential research designs for this major element of the grant. The group concluded that librarians needed professional development to promote deeper understanding of the needs, outcomes, challenges, and program structures for pre-college students. This conclusion directly influenced the summer collaboration workshop. The group generated initial research questions and ideas about the purpose and approach for the research, but a smaller more focused group would need to outline the project plan more specifically.

Summer Collaboration Workshop:

July 16 & 17, 2009 – Working with Pre-College

A summer workshop brought together 32 librarians and 10 discipline faculty. This group spent two half days cross-training on information literacy and the needs of pre-college students. A panel of basic skills and developmental education faculty shared from their experiences working with students. Rosemary McAndrew, former librarian and current basic skills faculty at the City College of Philadelphia offered an interactive and thoughtful presentation addressing needs, challenges and concerns for pre-college students. Participants worked together to map IL standards to existing basic skills and ESL standards, generating a basis for rubrics to be used in year two of the grant.