scholarly journals Evidence from Students’ Information Seeking Diaries Underscores the Importance of Including Librarians in Undergraduate Education

2012 ◽  
Vol 7 (4) ◽  
pp. 111
Author(s):  
Maria Melssen
Keyword(s):  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Information Literacy ◽  
Information Seeking ◽  
Resource Selection ◽  
Literacy Education ◽  
Point Scale ◽  
Content Areas ◽  
Social Question ◽  
Question And Answer ◽  
Selection Of

Objective – To determine what information resources undergraduate students choose to complete assignments for their courses, why they choose those resources, the process of selecting those resources and the factors that contributed to selecting the resources, and their perceptions of those resources. Design – Semi-structured information seeking diary. Setting – Private university in Seoul, Korea. Subjects – 233 undergraduate students from all majors and all years. Methods – Students selected one assignment from their elective course and recorded the following in a diary: what the assignment was, the topic they needed to research to complete the assignment, resources used, the factors that contributed to choosing the resources, and perceptions of those resources. Main Results – Data were analyzed both qualitatively and quantitatively. The factors that affected the students’ resource selection were analyzed qualitatively using an open coding method created by the researchers. The factors were not predetermined by the researchers, but were selected based on the factors identified by the students. Online resources (67.1%) were the most frequently selected resources by the students compared to human resources (11.5%), print materials (11.5%), and mass media (3%). Students used an average of 5.28 resources to complete one assignment. Factors that affected the students’ selection of resources were the type of information provided by the resource, the features of the resource, the search strategy used when searching in the resource, and the students’ interaction with other people when selecting and using the resource. More than one factor typically contributed to the students’ selection of the resource. The students’ perceptions of the resources they selected were analyzed quantitatively: perceptions were analyzed in six content areas using a five point scale. Correlations and similarities across the six content areas were also analyzed. Perceptions of resources were broken down into six categories and the resources were rated on a five point scale. Librarians (4.50) were the most useful resource and lecture notes (5.0) were the most credible. Family (3.29) was the least useful, and social question and answer services, such as Yahoo! Answers, (2.62) were the least credible. Family was the most accessible and familiar resource (4.90 and 4.95 respectively). Experts (2.25) were least accessible and librarians (1.50) were the least familiar. Students were most satisfied with Google Scholar (4.33) and were most likely to use an online database (4.52) again. They were least satisfied with social question and answer services (3.05) and least likely to use a report sharing site (2.93) again. The usefulness and credibility of the resource contributed most to the undergraduates’ satisfaction with the resource, while accessibility and usefulness were the major contributing factors to users intended continued use of a resource. Conclusion – There are multiple reasons that support further information literacy education. Information literacy courses would encourage and teach students how to effectively use resources that they found credible and reliable, but considered inaccessible and unfamiliar. Information literacy education would also help educate students on how to best formulate their search strategies and how to select the best resource to use based on that strategy. Students also highlighted the importance of human interaction in resource selection and utilization. This is an opportunity for librarians and professors to play a more active role in assisting students in selecting and using the best resources to complete course assignments. Due to the limitations of this study, further research is needed to investigate the factors affecting the exclusion of resources, not only the inclusion. Future study designs should address the characteristics of the study participants themselves, such as the age and gender. The impact of the research topic and subject on resource selection, as well as what resources are selected for non-academic information needs, should also be investigated.

scholarly journals Documenting the Information-seeking Experience of Remedial Undergraduate Students

2014 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Shelley Blundell
Keyword(s):  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Information Literacy ◽  
Information Seeking ◽  
Qualitative Methodology ◽  
Information Science ◽  
Phenomenological Study ◽  
Secondary Analysis ◽  
Secondary Data ◽  
Primary Analysis ◽  
Dissertation Research

As presented at DOCAM’14, this proceedings paper discusses my ongoing dissertation research: Documenting the information-seeking experience of undergraduate students enrolled in a remedial English course at a 4-year state university in Ohio, United States. Because the information behaviors, needs, and information literacy abilities of these students are understudied areas in library and information science and higher education literature; I chose to investigate these areas in my dissertation research toward contributing research to this gap, using descriptive phenomenological (qualitative) methodology to do so. Although secondary data analysis is still in progress, this paper presents findings from primary analysis (a necessary step in phenomenological study to eliminate bias and assumption from secondary analysis). Ultimately, I aim to use study findings to create targeted, needs-based instruction for remedial undergraduate students, toward supporting their academic progress through information literacy development, and consequently encouraging their persistence toward graduation.

Undergraduate student information self-efficacy and library intervention

2017 ◽  
Vol 66 (6/7) ◽  
pp. 468-481
Author(s):  
Yingqi Tang ◽  
Hungwei Tseng
Keyword(s):  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Information Literacy ◽  
Undergraduate Student ◽  
Information Seeking ◽  
Self Efficacy ◽  
Quantitative Research ◽  
Library Instruction ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Student Information ◽  
Information Finding

Purpose The purpose of this study is to investigate undergraduate student information self-efficacy to find out how much the students learned from library instruction classes and to determine whether information seeking skills can be developed with a library instruction class. Design/methodology/approach A quantitative research method was conducted to collect survey data and to perform statistical analysis. A Web-based survey was distributed to undergraduate students who were enrolled in the Fall term of 2014. In all, 98 students completed the survey. Findings The study reported that undergraduate students’ capability of information finding, retrieving, analyzing, evaluating and presenting were on and above medium level (M = 3.40). They reported higher skills in information evaluation and information objects and types but lower skills in using catalog/database and organizing/synthesizing information. Students in the multiple library instruction group showed a significantly higher information self-efficacy. One-single instruction has a limited effect on improving information seeking skills. Research limitations/implications The number of students who participated in library instruction classes was relatively low. More data need to be collected to give credence to the findings in the future, and data collected from individual class would yield more accurate result. Originality/value This study extends the literature on information literacy and library instruction. The findings suggest that information literacy instruction should go beyond the one-session mode and should offer hands-on practices that will foster students’ critical thinking behavior more effectively.

scholarly journals Information Literacy Education in the South African Classroom: Reflections from Teachers’ Journals in the Western Cape Province

Libri ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 66 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sandy Zinn ◽  
Christine Stilwell ◽  
Ruth Hoskins
Keyword(s):  
South African ◽  
Information Literacy ◽  
School Environment ◽  
Information Seeking ◽  
Literacy Education ◽  
School Librarian ◽  
Western Cape ◽  
Official Position ◽  
Information And Communication ◽  
Purposive Sample

AbstractThis qualitative study reports on teachers in the Western Cape as they attempt to embed information literacy in their classrooms. It explores how teachers come to understand information literacy and the extent to which they change their beliefs about guiding research projects in a more concerted way. The research questions were: (1) how do teachers understand information literacy education? (2) how do teachers make their information literacy explicit in the classroom? and (3) at what level are teachers’ web knowledge and skills? The teachers, who were part of an information literacy education course, formed a purposive sample. The data for this study emanated from solicited, reflective journals which participants kept over a period of eight to 10 weeks. Information seeking and use theory and an inquiry-based approach to learning frame this research. Motivation for the study is rooted in a curriculum which embodies information literacy characteristics. Traditionally, information literacy has been the domain of the school librarian. Only 16.82 % of South African schools have a stocked library. With so few school libraries and no official position in schools for a qualified school librarian, the onus for teaching information literacy thus rests on the teacher. This article provides the context for South African education and a review of the information literacy literature with an emphasis on South Africa and teachers’ information literacy. The results show that, despite many obstacles in these teachers’ paths, they express a fairly sound understanding of information literacy education by the end of the journaling exercise. However, fewer teachers can competently mediate information literacy in the classroom. One of the major barriers to information literacy is the teachers’ slow adoption of the World Wide Web. Recommendations for further study include examining teacher education programmes for their inclusion of information literacy education; for awareness of plagiarism and the ethics of information use in the school environment; and the effect of information and communication technology on learners’ information literacy.

scholarly journals Multiple Factors Influence Undergraduates’ Intent to Use Online Library Resources

2015 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 235
Author(s):  
Eamon C Tewell
Keyword(s):  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Resource Selection ◽  
Ease Of Use ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Multiple Factors ◽  
Library Resource ◽  
Library Resources ◽  
Intent To Use ◽  
Online Library ◽  
Selection Of

A Review of: Joo, S., & Choi, N. (2015). Factors affecting undergraduates’ selection of online library resources in academic tasks. Library Hi Tech, 33(2), 272-291. doi: 10.1108/LHT-01-2015-0008 Objective – To investigate multiple factors that may affect undergraduate students’ selection of online library resources. Usefulness and ease of use, quality, and user differences were each explored as factors influencing undergraduates’ use intention. Design – Survey questionnaire. Setting – A state university located in the United States of America. Subjects – 332 randomly selected undergraduate students. Methods – A survey designed to measure the intent to utilize online library resources was administered to an undergraduate population. The results, including 11 factors of use intention, were analyzed quantitatively using inferential statistics such as structural equation modeling, multiple regression, t-tests, ANOVAs, and linear regression. Main Results – The factors of usefulness and ease of use were reported to have a positive relationship with undergraduates’ intent to use online library resources (regression weights = 0.473 and 0.408, p < 0.01). Respondents who answered that they were “very or extremely familiar” with online library resources had higher use intention of these sources (mean = 6.17) than other groups moderately or not at all familiar (mean = 5.74 and 4.95, respectively). Experience in a library instruction program was not found to influence use intention (t = -0.368, p > 0.05). Conclusions – The authors conclude that multiple factors influence online library resource selection behavior among undergraduates. The results indicate that usefulness and ease of use are important factors in use intention. The effect of “resource quality” factors, indicated by credibility, format, accessibility, currency, and coverage, suggested that all five factors positively impact use intention. Accessibility is most likely to increase the likelihood of online library resource selection while the credibility of a source has the weakest effect on selection. Familiarity with online library resources and self-reported strong search skills also positively influenced use intention.

Exploring Internet and Media-mediated Health Information within the Context of Personal Health Management

2013 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shelagh K. Genuis
Keyword(s):  
Health Information ◽  
Information Literacy ◽  
Information Seeking ◽  
Health Management ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Personal Health ◽  
Étude Qualitative ◽  
Informal Information ◽  
Etude Qualitative

This qualitative paper explores how health information mediated by the internet and media is used and made valuable within the life of consumers managing non-crisis health challenges, and how informal information seeking and gathering influences self-positioning within patient-clinician relationships. Findings have implications for health information literacy and collaborative, patient-centred care.Cette étude qualitative explore comment l’information sur la santé relayée par Internet et les médias est utilisée et rendue utile dans le contexte de consommateurs gérant des problèmes médicaux non urgents, et comment la recherche et la collecte d’information informelles influencent l’auto-positionnement dans la relation patient clinicien. Les résultats ont des applications dans la maîtrise de l’information médicale et les soins collaboratifs centrés sur le patient.

Student Experiences with Digital Citizenship: A Comparative Cultural Study

Libri ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 0 (0) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jenna Kammer ◽  
Kodjo Atiso ◽  
Edward Mensah Borteye
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Cultural Study ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Information Literacy ◽  
Technology Use ◽  
Student Experiences ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Digital Citizenship ◽  
Fake News ◽  
Ethical Aspects

Abstract This comparative cultural study examines differences in digital citizenship between undergraduate information literacy students at two different, but similar, universities across the globe from each other. Under the notion that the internet and prevalence of mobile devices allow students to participate online as digital citizens in ways that were impossible before, we use mixed methods to compare the attitudes and experiences of undergraduate students at a university in the midwestern United States (U.S.), with a university on the southwestern coast of Ghana. We also examine the policies related to technology use at these schools. The findings indicate that Ghanaian students had higher levels of digital citizenship. Other findings suggest that network issues are a problem for students in both schools, especially for Ghana, and ethical aspects of internet use, like cyberbullying, hacking, and fake news, deter students from participating online as much as they would like.

Home range size, space use and resource selection of griffon vultures in an insular environment

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. M. Xirouchakis ◽  
C. Grivas ◽  
G. Andreou ◽  
E. Georgopoulou
Keyword(s):  
Home Range ◽  
Resource Selection ◽  
Space Use ◽  
Home Range Size ◽  
Range Size ◽  
Selection Of

scholarly journals A Qualitative Study of COVID-19 Distress in University Students

2021 ◽  
pp. 216769682110251
Author(s):  
Samantha G. Farris ◽  
Mindy M. Kibbey ◽  
Erick J. Fedorenko ◽  
Angelo M. DiBello
Keyword(s):  
University Students ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Financial Strain ◽  
Public Response ◽  
Viral Spread ◽  
Future Work ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Viral Outbreak ◽  
Selection Of

The psychological effect of the pandemic and measures taken in response to control viral spread are not yet well understood in university students; in-depth qualitative analysis can provide nuanced information about the young adult distress experience. Undergraduate students ( N = 624) in an early US outbreak “hotspot” completed an online narrative writing about the impact and distress experienced due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Data were collected April-May 2020. A random selection of 50 cases were sampled for thematic analysis. Nine themes were identified: viral outbreak distress, fear of virus contraction/transmission, proximity to virus, dissatisfaction with public response, physical distancing distress, social distancing distress, academic and school-related distress, disruptive changes in health behavior and routines, financial strain and unemployment, worsening of pre-existing mental health problems, and social referencing that minimizes distress. Future work is needed to understand the persistence of the distress, in addition to developing methods for assessment, monitoring, and mitigation of the distress.

scholarly journals Relegating expertise: The outward and inward positioning of librarians in information literacy education

2021 ◽  
pp. 096100062110201
Author(s):  
Alison Hicks ◽  
Annemaree Lloyd
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Discourse Analysis ◽  
Information Literacy ◽  
Professional Practice ◽  
English Language ◽  
Research Programme ◽  
Literacy Education ◽  
Language Models ◽  
Analysis Method ◽  
Practice Of Teaching

Previous research has demonstrated that professional narratives reference discourses that shape the practice of information literacy within higher education. This article uses discourse analysis method to identify how information literacy discourses construct and position teaching librarians within higher education. Texts analysed include four recent English-language models of information literacy and 16 textbooks. Analysis suggests the existence of two distinct narratives related to the role, expertise and professional practice of teaching librarians. In the outward-facing narrative librarian work is typically absent from guidelines for practice. In contrast, book introductions, which constitute the inward-facing narrative, centre professional librarians yet simultaneously position them as incompetent, or as lacking the skills and understandings that they need to be effective in this setting. These narratives constitute a form of othering that threatens professional practice at a time when the professionalisation of librarianship is being drawn into question. This article represents the second in a research programme that interrogates the epistemological premises and discourses of information literacy within higher education.

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