Using direct and indirect assessments of student learning to refine a science library internship for undergraduates: A case study

ABSTRACT

Science library internships at academic libraries serving diverse student populations may increase the visibility of science librarianship as a career path for undergraduates in the sciences and may help to attract students from diverse backgrounds to the profession. While internships are a “high-impact practice,” there is little direct assessment of student learning in the literature that measures both perceived and demonstrated learning during an internship. The aim of this case study is to describe how librarians at one university library used multiple direct and indirect learning assessments to evaluate and make curricular changes to a science library internship program.

KEYWORDS:

• Academic libraries
• direct assessment
• indirect assessment
• library internship
• student learning
• undergraduate students