Insights and strategies for assessing student engagement and success in academic libraries

Abstract

Understanding how students engage with the library and its impact on their learning and success is essential for both student support and the library's accountability to the institution and stakeholders. In this column, a panel of library learning analytics professionals share insights gleaned from learning analytics projects at their respective campuses and practical strategies based on their diverse approaches. The discussion explores how data enhances understanding and improvement of student learning, initial challenges such as privacy concerns, and ways to represent diverse student perspectives in campus discussions. This column also addresses who should be involved in these efforts, how librarians can collaborate effectively, strategies for smaller libraries with limited resources, and how staff can develop the necessary skills for this work. By examining different learning analytics approaches across institutions, libraries can gain valuable insights and tailor strategies to their specific needs and contexts.