Transforming information search and evaluation practices of undergraduate students

2008 ◽  
Vol 77 (8) ◽  
pp. 518-526 ◽  
Author(s):  
Madeleine C. Shanahan
Keyword(s):  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Information Search ◽  
Evaluation Practices

An assessment of information literacy skills among first-year postgraduate students at Sokoine University of Agriculture Tanzania

2016 ◽  
Vol 50 (4) ◽  
pp. 427-434 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mugyabuso J. F. Lwehabura
Keyword(s):  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Information Literacy ◽  
Information Search ◽  
Concept Maps ◽  
Literacy Skills ◽  
Independent Learning ◽  
First Year ◽  
Postgraduate Students ◽  
Literacy Knowledge ◽  
Information Literacy Skills

This study was set to examine and identify some aspects of information literacy skills among postgraduate students at Sokoine University of Agriculture and determine challenges and problems facing them in terms of searching and use of various information resources. Systematic probability sampling and questionnaires were used to collect data from175 students out of 314 first-year postgraduate students registered. The findings showed that although information literacy exists among students, a good number of students demonstrated significant deficiency in their information literacy knowledge and skills in key aspects including searching for information from electronic sources, application of various information search techniques such as Boolean operators, use of truncation, synonyms and concept maps. Based on the findings, the paper recommends addressing the shortcomings found by introducing a mandatory information literacy course for both postgraduate and undergraduate students to ensure effective independent learning among students.

Undergraduate information behaviors in thesis writing: A study using the Information Search Process model

2016 ◽  
Vol 49 (3) ◽  
pp. 256-268 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dan Wu ◽  
Wanyu Dang ◽  
Daqing He ◽  
Renmin Bi
Keyword(s):  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Information Search ◽  
Information Seeking ◽  
Process Model ◽  
Information Sources ◽  
Writing Process ◽  
Search Process ◽  
Online Information ◽  
Starting Point ◽  
Thesis Writing

The study investigates whether information-seeking behavior models and theories obtained in previous research are applicable to more complex tasks. It also aims to gather students’ opinions on the importance and helpfulness of various traditional and online information sources in their thesis-writing process. This study would help to develop a better understanding of the roles and impacts of these information sources in the current networked academic infrastructure. Inspired by the Information Search Process model, we divided the process into six stages and conducted three separate surveys that covered students’ feelings, thoughts and actions, as well as other important factors that might affect their behaviors in each of the stages. Our study shows that both the feelings and thoughts of students changed during the different stages of the process, and that they were generally consistent with the descriptions in the Information Search Process model. The study indicates that it is beneficial to use the Information Search Process model as the starting point for studying the student thesis-writing processes. As the outcome of the study, we ultimately proposed a multi-stage model for Chinese undergraduate students’ thesis-writing process.

Collaborative information searching as learning in academic group work

2018 ◽  
Vol 70 (1) ◽  
pp. 2-27 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dan Wu ◽  
Shaobo Liang ◽  
Wenting Yu
Keyword(s):  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Group Work ◽  
Information Search ◽  
Academic Research ◽  
Search Process ◽  
Research Information ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Collaborative Search ◽  
Academic Resources ◽  
Academic Group

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore users’ learning in the collaborative information search process when they conduct an academic task as a group. Design/methodology/approach This paper presents a longitudinal study for a three-month period on an actual task. The participants, who were undergraduate students, needed to write a research proposal in three months to apply for funding for a research project, including a three-hour experiment. Findings The results show that undergraduates’ learning in the collaborative search process for academic group work included knowledge reconstruction, tuning, and assimilation. Their understanding of the topic concepts improved through the process, and their attitudes became more optimistic. Besides, the learning in the collaborative information search process also enhanced participants’ skills in communication, research, information search, and collaboration. To improve learning outcomes, professional and appropriate academic resources are required, as well as effective division of labor, positive sharing behaviors, and use of collaborative systems. Practical implications The future development of collaborative information search systems should focus on the needs of academic research and support for elements such as instant communication and knowledge sharing. Originality/value This paper contributes to research into searching as learning by understanding undergraduates’ collaborative search behavior for writing a proposal.

Information Literacy Skills Among the Undergraduate Students at the University of Livingstonia, Malawi

2018 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 43-56 ◽  
Author(s):  
Donald Flywel ◽  
Boemo N. Jorosi
Keyword(s):  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Information Literacy ◽  
Information Search ◽  
Information Sources ◽  
Literacy Skills ◽  
Special Focus ◽  
Awareness Campaigns ◽  
Information Literacy Skills ◽  
Second Year ◽  
The University

The aim of the article was to assess Information Literacy (IL) skills among the undergraduate students at the University of Livingstonia in Malawi with special focus on second year students. A cross-section descriptive survey design was employed whose population included Second year undergraduate students. Statistical Packages for Social Sciences (SPSS) was used to analyse data. The sampled students showed high level of awareness of types of information sources but had problems in identifying diverse information resources and their usage. Besides, participants demonstrated lack of skills in information search and Web retrieval techniques. With respect to evaluation of information, the sampled students did not know the various methods of evaluating information sources. The article concludes that the majority of students at the University of Livingstonia did not demonstrate adequate information literacy skills. Therefore, among others, the study recommends advocacy and awareness campaigns for information search techniques and designing of a formal IL curriculum

scholarly journals APPROPRIATIONS OF THE EVALUATION PRACTICES FOR THE TEACHING OF UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS IN PHYSICAL EDUCATION

2018 ◽  
Vol 29 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Matheus Lima Frossard ◽  
Juliana Martins Cassani ◽  
Ronildo Stieg ◽  
Sayonara Cunha de Paula ◽  
Wagner dos Santos
Keyword(s):  
Physical Education ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Evaluation Practices

scholarly journals Independent Training of Students for Seminars on the Discipline Regional Folk Singing Styles

2021 ◽  
pp. 40-47
Author(s):  
I. N. Solovyova
Keyword(s):  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Information Search ◽  
Key Management ◽  
Academic Discipline ◽  
General Structure ◽  
Paper Briefly ◽  
Typical Structure ◽  
Individual Work ◽  
Key Aspects

The article considers the key aspects of individual work performed by undergraduate students of Russian institutions of higher education of creative orientation educated in training direction “Art of Folk Singing”, as a part of preparation for workshop (seminar) sessions run within the frames of the academic discipline “Regional Styles of Folk Singing”. On the author’s view, one of the most important condition for today’s undergraduate students’ good self-education and fostering of a further folk singing culture specialist’s professionally valuable qualities is appreciation of significance of a role of a modern student’s individual work in general structure of pedagogical process running in the Russian higher school. The author of the paper briefly describes a typical structure of a workshop (seminar), its key management tasks and principles. Steps of an algorithm of information search and analysis of education materials by students are disclosed. The article outlines the author’s opinion on content peculiarities of issue-related calendar plan of academic discipline “Regional Styles of Folk Singing” that discloses particularly through a workshop (seminar) form. Also, the specifics of management of a workshop (seminar) are given; the author notices importance of a workshop (seminar) in the context of training students’ ability to apply received knowledge, skills practically.

scholarly journals ENGLISH LANGUAGE KNOWLEDGE AT LATVIA UNIVERSITY OF AGRICULTURE

2015 ◽  
Vol 1 ◽  
pp. 377
Author(s):  
Inese Ozola ◽  
Anda Zeidmane
Keyword(s):  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Information Search ◽  
Information Technologies ◽  
English Language ◽  
Information Culture ◽  
Language Of Science ◽  
Language Knowledge ◽  
Teaching Learning ◽  
The University ◽  
The Impact

<p>Information culture of a person is the combination of knowledge, skills and habits of work with information and information technologies. Information culture characterizes the level of a person’s development in the information society. On the other hand, the English language, as “the language of science and technology” serves as a mediator in the information search not only for personal purposes, but also for the study and research purposes online. The aim of the present paper is to examine the impact of e-environment on improving students’ English language knowledge at the tertiary level. The paper describes the results of the research carried out among the undergraduate students to determine their opinion regarding studying English at the university and their habits in using e-environment in English. The results of the study could assist in updating the content of ESP courses, including CLIL elements and innovative activities based on Web 2.0 tools in teaching/learning English.</p>

scholarly journals A Mixed-Methods Investigation of the Relationship between Critical Thinking and Library Anxiety among Undergraduate Students in their Information Search Process

2008 ◽  
Vol 69 (2) ◽  
pp. 117-131 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nahyun Kwon
Keyword(s):  
Critical Thinking ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Information Search ◽  
Thinking Dispositions ◽  
Library Anxiety ◽  
Critical Thinking Dispositions ◽  
Library Use ◽  
Survey Instruments ◽  
Affective Information ◽  
The Relationship

This study investigated the nature of associations between critical thinking dispositions and library anxiety among 137 undergraduate students. The study was conducted by administering standardized survey instruments and by analyzing the contents of student essays on critical incidents of their library use experience. The results of these quantitative and qualitative investigations consolidated each other by revealing negative associations between the two variables. An interactive model of critical thinking and library anxiety emerged from the investigation, showing how they interact with each other during the library use process. Both theoretical and practical implications of the findings were discussed within the frameworks of affective information behavior and information literacy, respectively.

Use of Social Media in Libraries and Impact on Undergraduates

2020 ◽  
pp. 350-370
Author(s):  
Jane Igie Aba ◽  
Theresa Osasu Makinde
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Academic Performance ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Information Search ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
Use Of Technology ◽  
Social Media Platforms ◽  
Awareness Programs ◽  
Use Of Social Media ◽  
The University

This chapter examined the use of social media in libraries and impact on undergraduates. The study covers concepts of utilization of social media: benefits, impact, and challenges that affect the use of social media and academic performance of undergraduate students. The concepts generally implied that social media is the use of technology as the best medium to explore wide area of knowledge to produce positive impact on academic performance of students. There is a direct relationship between social media usage and the academic performance of students. It was recommended among others that awareness programs of use of social media platforms should be provided by the university and library to students; access to use of social media resources and services by librarians should be provided to students; educational forums that will facilitate group collaboration and discussion on academic performance should be promoted in universities; connectivity to social media network sites and internet should be improved to facilitate instant information search by students.

Read, Understand, Learn, & Excel: Development and Testing of an Automated Reading Strategy Detection Algorithm for Postsecondary Students

2019 ◽  
Vol 28 (3) ◽  
pp. 1257-1267 ◽  
Author(s):  
Priya Kucheria ◽  
McKay Moore Sohlberg ◽  
Jason Prideaux ◽  
Stephen Fickas
Keyword(s):  
Academic Success ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Expository Text ◽  
Reading Strategy ◽  
Detection Algorithm ◽  
Expository Texts ◽  
Human Observer ◽  
Behavioral Strategies ◽  
Periodic Review ◽  
Wide Range

PurposeAn important predictor of postsecondary academic success is an individual's reading comprehension skills. Postsecondary readers apply a wide range of behavioral strategies to process text for learning purposes. Currently, no tools exist to detect a reader's use of strategies. The primary aim of this study was to develop Read, Understand, Learn, & Excel, an automated tool designed to detect reading strategy use and explore its accuracy in detecting strategies when students read digital, expository text.MethodAn iterative design was used to develop the computer algorithm for detecting 9 reading strategies. Twelve undergraduate students read 2 expository texts that were equated for length and complexity. A human observer documented the strategies employed by each reader, whereas the computer used digital sequences to detect the same strategies. Data were then coded and analyzed to determine agreement between the 2 sources of strategy detection (i.e., the computer and the observer).ResultsAgreement between the computer- and human-coded strategies was 75% or higher for 6 out of the 9 strategies. Only 3 out of the 9 strategies–previewing content, evaluating amount of remaining text, and periodic review and/or iterative summarizing–had less than 60% agreement.ConclusionRead, Understand, Learn, & Excel provides proof of concept that a reader's approach to engaging with academic text can be objectively and automatically captured. Clinical implications and suggestions to improve the sensitivity of the code are discussed.Supplemental Materialhttps://doi.org/10.23641/asha.8204786

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