Using Assessment as a Tool to Improve Learning: an IFLA Workshop

Abstract

Three librarians from Rutgers University Libraries collaborated on the program ‘Using Assessment as a Tool to Improve Learning’ at the 69th IFLA General Conference and Council in Berlin, Germany in 2003. The workshop was designed to provide participants with an expanded understanding of assessment, and experience with using it effectively as a tool to facilitate improved learning. The presenters framed the workshop with a pre-workshop assessment and post-workshop assessment. The responses from the pre-workshop assessment supported the workshop’s design, provided an initial understanding of the individual participants’ contexts and experiences, and formed the basis for the workshop’s small group activities. The post-workshop assessments offered valuable suggestions for future programs. The article shares the essence of the workshop in the words of the facilitators, each of whom focused on assessment at a different level. The three modes discussed are teacher/instructor, learner/student, and programmatic/institutional.