Closing the Loop on Nursing Library Instruction: Using Student Performance to Improve Outcomes

Abstract

Two librarians analyzed nursing students’ performance on an information literacy assignment to determine how they could change their instruction to better assist the students in comprehending the material. After identifying major areas of difficulty, including the use of search techniques, they revised both the instruction and the assignment, closing the loop by utilizing their assessment data. Next, they analyzed those results to evaluate the effectiveness of their changes and to make further improvements, thus demonstrating the iterative nature of instruction and assessment. The evidence-based instruction cycle of teaching, assessing, and revising should be repeated frequently to keep the assignment fresh and relevant.

KEYWORDS:

• Assessment
• information literacy
• nursing education
• nursing students

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Elizabeth O. Moreton

Elizabeth O. Moreton, MLS ([email protected]) is Nursing Liaison Librarian, Health Sciences Library, 335 South Columbia Street, CB# 7585, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7585.

Jamie L. Conklin

Jamie L. Conklin, MLIS ([email protected]) is Science and Health Sciences Librarian, Library and Information Services, Campus Box 1063, 30 Hairpin Drive, Southern Illinois University, Edwardsville, IL 62026-1063.