Evaluate programs and services based on measurable criteria.
Introduction
Anybody who has worked in a retail or in other customer service positions would likely agree that one of the most stressful parts of the job is the mystery (or secret) shop. This shop is usually a monthly event conducted by an impartial third party as a way to evaluate metrics such as customer service or accurate pricing by using measurable criteria. Used in conjunction with store sales and other reports, it is a way to give the corporate office a better view of how their stores are run and whether their employees are following proper procedures and protocols. Once the mystery shop is conducted, the stores can access their results to see which areas they did well in and which ones need improvement. Usually, there is a percentage associated with the shop, and a target score that must be met.
In my time working in retail, I have experienced dozens of mystery shops that evaluate everything from how quickly food can be prepared, to how long it takes to be approached by a sales associate, and even whether or not the mystery shopper was offered the opportunity to apply for a store credit card. As a regular employee, it can seem like a mystery shop is a pointless exercise, but as a manager, I understood that these evaluations were a good way to get a snapshot of how my store was being run. For example, if I saw that customers were consistently getting better service in the morning than in the evening I could look at customer traffic, staffing levels, and training to begin to put together a plan to improve service.
Evidence
Evaluation of EBSCO Art Full Text Database
In this exercise, I was asked to evaluate a database of my choice and share my findings in the form of a letter to a contact at the database company (note: this letter was an exercise only and never meant to be sent). I was required to become thoroughly familiar with the database and using both qualitative and quantitative data, provide a critique to the vendor. My evaluation included spending a good amount of time with the database and determining the quality, quantity, and format of its content, its method for indexing and abstracting, its search interface and navigation, accessibility, and availability of user support. I have always found the EBSCO databases to be somewhat difficult to use, so I took this exercise as an opportunity to try to figure out why I had such a hard time. In addition to making recommendations to the vendor, I found ways to change how I approached the database to make my own experience better.
This is a working rubric that will eventually be used to evaluate a game centered on learning within a library and information science topic. I used it to evaluate a social quiz game called QuizUp. The main focus for making this rubric was that other people should be able to use it. After all, it is easy enough for us to make tools that we can use, but it is quite a challenge to make a tool that others can understand and find useful as well. This is the third iteration of my rubric, and I know that I will continue to fine tune it, but I believe I have included all of the elements that I think are important in a game including motivational theories, quantifiable achievement, and visual appeal. After some discussion about whether or not a game should be fun, I decided that yes, even a teaching game should be fun so I have included that aspect in my rubric.
Professional Development
The vast majority of my experience working with evaluations has been during the time I worked in retail, but I feel that I understand how they work well enough that I can apply my knowledge in an information science environment. I know that I will be putting my evaluation skills to use when assessing programming and services offered by my library, and having an understanding of the basis for these assessments as well as always looking for new ways to measure outcomes will serve me well when the time comes for me to put this knowledge into practice.