Measuring the Magic: Assessment in the Special Collections and Archives Classroom

Abstract

Those of us who teach in special collections and archives settings know that instruction using original materials can spark passion, transform understanding, and change students’ lives—but how can we show that those in-class experiences are meaningful in the right ways, to the right people? What are effective methods for measuring the success of our instructional work, and how do we translate the magic happening in our classrooms into a demonstration of learning impact that is useful to larger assessment endeavors?

Although assessment was already a feature of the academic library environment before the “Great Recession,” the tough economic times . . .