James O. Carey

The Integration of Assessment of Student Learning Outcomes and Teaching Effectiveness

The School of Library and Information Science (SLIS) at the University of South Florida (USF) was selected as one of nine departments to participate in a pilot study for alternate measures of teaching effectiveness, one of two foci in a USF Harvard Challenge Grant funded by the Pew Charitable Trusts. Under the auspices of the grant project, the SLIS developed student learning outcomes for the graduate program in library and information science. This paper reports the conceptual phase and outlines the strategic planning process in which the goal for teaching is formulated in programmatic objectives for student learning outcomes and in assessment measures for those objectives. A model is proposed for the integration of assessment of student learning outcomes and teaching effectiveness.

Using Formative Evaluation for the Selection of Instructional Materials.

Instructional materials selection practices vary widely in the way they are administered and conducted, the criteria that are used, and the precision with which they are carried out. In this paper a two-phase instructional materials selection process is presented. The process is based on considerations from the design and formative evaluation of competency-based instruction. The purpose of the first phase is to select materials that have the best potential for affecting learning outcomes desired by a local or state educational agency. The purpose of the second phase is to verify decisions made in Phase I, and make recommendations to teachers about how the materials can be used most effectively. The paper also includes a comparison between the guidelines for materials selection published by the State of Florida and the considerations recommended in this paper.