Library Assessment: Library Curriculum Map

The library should plan strategies which allow students opportunities to learn the student learning outcomes for information literacy. These would include library instruction sessions, tutorials, LibGuides, pathfinders, handouts, reference interactions, private appointments, etc.

Professor Megan Oakleaf presented an interpretation for applying curriculum mapping to library instruction efforts. In her strategy, libraries look at their overall interactions with students and plan what information literacy concepts to teach and when. Notice the curriculum map is based upon the concept that it takes time to master many concepts. So the student may be introduced to Boolean and nesting during a student instruction session in which the topics are mentioned only briefly; in later classes and assignments, more complicated search phrases are practiced and mastered.

An example of a row of a curriculum map for one library outcome follows. Please read Dr. Oakleaf's article for more detail.

Oakleaf, Megan. (2009) "Writing Information Literacy Assessment Plans: A Guide to Best Practice."  Communications in Information Literacy 3(2), 80-89.