Assessing Biology

Student Success

Kari Zhe-Heimerman
Librarian for the Sciences
Le Moyne College
IL Program for Biological Sciences
 Informationliteracy (IL) is a component of each
Biology core course (there are 4).

 Librarian delivers IL session in each course.

 Students complete an IL assignments in each course.

 EachIL assignment is tied to a larger course

assignment.

 Scaffolding of IL concepts within these courses.

 Goals discussed with BIO faculty
 Introduce students to appropriate library databases to support their
biology lab and course work.

 Explain the different types of scientific literature available and allow

students to practice identifying each.

 Teach students to effectively evaluate resources and their

appropriateness for assignments and coursework.

 Introduce students to these biology resources and evaluation skills

early in their college career so that they can immediately and
repeatedly benefit from familiarity.

 Provide a worthwhile opportunity for students to practice their newly

acquired IL skills by linking to specific, projects in BIO 191, BIO
192, and BIO 218.
Biological Sciences Learning Outcome

Students who graduate with a Le Moyne

College degree in biological sciences will
be able to:

2. Search, analyze and interpret the

scientific literature
 Measurable IL Outcomes
Scholarship as Conversation: Recognize that scholarship is an
ongoing conversation with many participants, and that one
needs to effectively use and communicate information in order to
participate in any conversation.

Information Need: Identify & refine the information need.

Information Access: Develop appropriate methods and

effective strategies to search for and access information.

Information Evaluation: Critically evaluate information

sources in order to identify the appropriate use of information.

Information Ethics: Use information ethically and legally and

accurately document their use of information sources.
 HOW DO WE ASSESS
STUDENT LEARNING
IN THE
BIOLOGY IL PROGRAM?
 COURSE Assignment Learning Outcome IL Lesson Focused
On
(Not Graded by
me)
BIO 191 Find a scholarly Information Need Scholarly vs. Popular
article to use for
their Hypothesis Information Access Appropriate
Testing 1 Lab Report Information Ethics Databases

Getting full text of an

article
Find a scholarly Information Need Citations
BIO 191 article to use for
their Hypothesis Information Access
Testing 2 Lab Report Information Ethics
COURSE Assignment Learning Outcome IL Lesson Focused
On
(Not Graded by me)
BIO 192 Find a scholarly article Information Need Scholarly vs.
on the topic of Popular
thigmomorphogenesis. Information
Access Appropriate
Information Ethics Databases
They do a poster
presentation on this Getting full text of
article during lab. an article

Citations

Finding a relevant
article that they
can read,
understand.
COURSE Assignment Learning IL Lesson Focused
Outcome On
(Graded by me)
BIO 225 Pre-submit sources to me Information What criteria do we
that students will Evaluation use to determine
eventually use for their whether a source is
final project. credible, relevant
and appropriate for a
particular
They also include a assignment?
thorough evaluation of
each source to explain
why it will be relevant,
credible and helpful for
assignment.
 COURSE Assignment Learning Outcome IL Lesson Focused
On
(Graded by me)

BIO 218 Find one primary Information Need Primary research vs.
research article and scholarly review
one scholarly review Information Access
article. Information Appropriate
Evaluation Databases (we add a
Articles relevant for few more here)
their lab report. Information Ethics
Getting full text of an
article
Find one primary Information Need Citations
BIO 218 research article and
two scholarly review Information Access
Finding an
articles Information appropriate and
Articles relevant for Evaluation relevant article that
their next lab report. Information Ethics they can read,
understand and use
Summarize each for their lab report.
article.
 Are we covering each IL outcome?

key: Red: Introductory Blue: Intermediate Green: Advanced

Scholarship as Conversation

Information Need X, x, x

Information Access X, x, x

Information Evaluation X, x

Information Ethics X, x, x
 Some Lessons Learned
 It
was helpful to embed IL in Core Courses that all Biology
majors will take.

 No IL teaching without some form of assessment.

 Measurable Learning Outcomes are key.

 Make it relevant and meaningful within that course.

 Build over time; build course by course.

 Faculty cooperation and support is key.

Questions? More information?

Kari Zhe-Heimerman
Zheheikm@lemoyne.edu
315-445-4627