The assessment rubric is increasingly gaining recognition as a valuable tool in teaching and learning in higher education. While many studies have examined the value of rubrics for students, research into the lecturers' usage of rubrics is limited. This article explores the lecturers' perceptions of rubrics, in particular, its use and design, the…

In an age of assessment and accountability, academic libraries feel much pressure to prove their value according to new university measurements of student success. This study describes a methodology for how libraries may examine student interactions with services to assess whether library usage impacts student grade point averages (GPAs) and…

The use of evaluation information in a large state agency was investigated through a case study approach. Utilization was measured through a scaling procedure considering the status of recommendations within a report and the extent of influence of the evaluation of the status. The scaling procedure, the equal-appearing interval method, used…

Discussion of ways libraries deal with patrons with various disabilities focuses on a project that investigated the effects of bibliographic instruction on mentally retarded adults using public libraries. Evaluation of the instruction by examining patrons' use of their library cards is described, and results of pretests and posttests are…

Describes a pilot study to help develop instruments appropriate for a full-scale assessment of the Blacksburg, Virginia, community network. A brief overview of the methods employed in the pilot evaluation is given. The results of focus group interviews, lessons learned, and future plans are presented. The 17-item focus group questionnaire is…

Information on why readership surveys are valuable and on how to conduct them is presented, along with sample surveys used at a number of different institutions, and a questionnaire used by the Council for Advancement and Support of Education to measure the opinion of "CASE CURRENTS," readers. Guidelines for doing a mail survey outline…

Reports results of a preliminary evaluation of the New Connections Program, which provides free dial-up connections for certain kinds of institutions to NYSERNet (i.e., a regional computer network in New York State) and describes a plan for full evaluation of the program. The interview schedule, user log, and questionnaire are appended. (11…

Describes a survey that was conducted in Colorado to evaluate the results of an earlier project that provided training on the Internet to library personnel, assessed librarians' Internet use, and measured the effectiveness of librarians' training. A copy of the survey instrument is appended. (LRW)

The purpose of this study was to assess the need for talking book services by blind or physically handicapped Native Americans residing on reservations in Montana. The Blackfeet Reservation, with a Native American population of approximately 7,000, and the Rocky Boy Reservation, with a Native American population of 2,400, were selected for the…

Based on responses to a survey of Association of Research Libraries (ARL) members in March 1988, this Systems and Procedures Exchange Center (SPEC) flyer and kit are designed to assist administrators of large academic libraries in the selection of useful methods of conducting user surveys for particular library concerns. The flyer provides a brief…

The impact of NCHEMS (National Center for Higher Education Management Systems) products upon planning and management tasks is examined in this study performed at a sample of 126 institutions. The institutions have used one or more of the following NCHEMS products: Program Classification of Structure (PCS); Resource Requirements Prediction Model…

Discusses enduser searching of online databases and describes a study conducted at Ohio State University that compared two methods of assessing the success of enduser searches. Reasons for dissatisfaction are discussed, problems with online searches are examined, possible solutions are described, and further research is suggested. (20 references)…

As part of university-wide assessment activities at Central Missouri State University, a library assessment program was implemented in 1991. A task force was formed to design an assessment plan that would develop a strategy to determine effectiveness of services; client satisfaction; barriers to improved service; and employee satisfaction within…

This collection of library documents, which illustrates current techniques for conducting user studies in order to facilitate specific public services planning and priority-setting efforts at the member libraries of the Association of Research Libraries (ARL), contains excerpts from: (1) four general user studies conducted at the University of…

This set of materials assembled by the Systems and Procedures Exchange Center (SPEC) of the Association of Research Libraries (ARL) contains seven examples of general use surveys and eight examples of user surveys on specific topics from a group of major research libraries. Among the items included are (1) a final report on a library user survey…