Assessment of Classroom Instruction 5. Analyze Data

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Analyzing Your Data

"To be meaningful, though, assessment must collect hard data, and librarians must use that data to evaluate their programs and make changes necessary to improve those programs." (Carter, p. 41)

"An assessment is only valuable when the analyses are used to augment or change the program being assessed." (Samson, p. 34)

"We plan. We develop. We deliver. We assess and evaluate the results of the assessment. We revise, deliver the revised material, and assess and evaluate again. Perfection is always just out of reach; but continually striving for perfection contributes to keeping both our instruction fresh and our interest in teaching piqued." (Grassian, p. 265)

Now that your class is over, the next step is to sift through the data you've collected and uncover the findings which you can realistically act on. This is a challenging process since the data you've collected is more than likely qualitative as opposed to the more easily manipulated and judged quantitative. Once you have converted to quantitative results, you can then make a judgement such as "my students are mostly confused by topic X, I'll need to make a change to how I'm teaching X".