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.

Factors affecting undergraduates’ selection of online library resources in academic tasks

2015 ◽  
Vol 33 (2) ◽  
pp. 272-291 ◽  
Author(s):  
Soohyung Joo ◽  
Namjoo Choi
Keyword(s):  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Resource Selection ◽  
Ease Of Use ◽  
Resource Quality ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
Multiple Factors ◽  
Library Resource ◽  
Library Resources ◽  
Online Library

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore multiple factors affecting online library resource selection by undergraduate students. Three dimensions of factors are investigated including usefulness and ease-of-use, resource quality, and individual differences. Design/methodology/approach – An instrument was developed to measure various aspect factors and online library resource use intention. A survey was administered to 332 undergraduate students. Quantitative analysis, including structural equation modeling, ANOVA, and t-tests, was used to statistically examine the effects of the identified 11 factors on the use intention of online library resources. Findings – The findings indicated that both usefulness and ease-of-use positively influenced the undergraduates’ use intention of online library resources. Also, five resource quality constructs – accessibility, credibility, coverage, currency, and format – were the determinants of online library resources use intention. Interestingly, the effect of accessibility was the strongest, while that of credibility was the weakest. In addition, this study found that familiarity with sources and use of good search skills had a significant effect on users’ use intention at the individual user level. Originality/value – This study is one of the few studies investigating multiple factors comprehensively that influence online library resource selection.

scholarly journals Library resources, student success and the distance-learning university

2018 ◽  
Vol 119 (1/2) ◽  
pp. 77-86 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard Nurse ◽  
Kirsty Baker ◽  
Anne Gambles
Keyword(s):  
Distance Learning ◽  
Student Success ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Chi Square ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Library Resource ◽  
Library Resources ◽  
Resource Data ◽  
Online Library

Purpose Research at the Open University Library Services has been investigating the relationship between access to online library resources and student success. The purpose of this study/paper is to help to understand whether there is a similar relationship at a distance-learning university to that found in other institutions. Design/methodology/approach A small library data project was established to investigate this area. The study analysed online library resource data from access logs from the EZproxy and OpenAthens systems. A data set of 1.7 million online resource accesses was combined with student success data for around 90,000 undergraduate students and a series of analyses undertaken. Findings The study found a pattern where students who are more successful are accessing more library resources. A chi-square test indicated a statistically significant association between library resource accesses and module result, while an ANOVA test suggests a medium-sized effect. The study also found that 152 (76 per cent) of the 199 modules had a small, medium or large positive correlation between student success, measured by the overall assessment score, and online library resource accesses. Originality/value This study builds on evidence that there is a relationship between library use and student success by showing that this relationship extends to the setting of a non-traditional, innovative library service supporting part-time distance learners.

Examining the intentions of a Ghanaian technical university students to use e-library

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Eugene Okyere-Kwakye ◽  
Khalil Md Nor
Keyword(s):  
University Students ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Ease Of Use ◽  
Perceived Usefulness ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Intention To Use ◽  
Perceived Ease Of Use ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Library Resources ◽  
Technical University

Purpose Electronic library (E-library) is a form of computer mediated system that uses electronic media, such as Web/internet devices and distributes resources to improve on the quality of teaching and learning. Students’ use of e-library for learning is essential and as such the government has invested hugely into its subscription for several university libraries in Ghana. However, most university students feel reluctant to use the e-library resources for their studies. The purpose of this paper is therefore to examine the factors that influence students’ intention to use e-library resources for their studies. Design/methodology/approach Questionnaire was used to collect data from 200 students from one Technical University in Ghana. Structural equation modeling (SmartPLS) was used to analyze the data. Findings The study found that accessibility, attitude, perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness and relevance to studies have positive significant effect on students’ attitude to use e-library. In addition, self-efficacy, subjective norm and attitude have positive significant influence on students’ intention to use e-library. Research limitations/implications Although the sample frame used for this study may be unique, but the total amount of data collected was limited to providing the general representative of the Ghanaian students in one particular university. Other researchers may consider collecting data from other universities to extend the sample frame for a larger sample size of students. Practical implications Academic administrators need to organize training and workshops on how to use the e-library portal for their search and other didactic assignments. Most importantly, students should be given IT or internet tutorials as foundation for the use of the e-library portal. Social implications Universities have to provide internet access such as hotspot and network routers at the labs, classrooms and other vantage points. It is believed that with these in place, adequate access to the internet would promote students’ engagement on the e-library facility. Originality/value The study examines the factors that influence students’ intention to use e-library resources for their studies in Ghana.

STEM undergraduate students: library use, perceptions and GPA

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jung Mi Scoulas
Keyword(s):  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Student Survey ◽  
Grade Point ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Stem Disciplines ◽  
Library Use ◽  
Library Resources ◽  
User Groups ◽  
And Mathematics ◽  
Online Library

PurposeThis study aims to examine if differences exist in undergraduate students' library use, perceptions and grade point average (GPA) among science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) and non-STEM disciplines.Design/methodology/approachThe current study used data from the 2018 student survey. Among 2,277 students who completed the survey (response rate = 8%), only undergraduate students (n = 1,265) were selected for this study because the current study aims to examine the differences between STEM and non-STEM undergraduate students.FindingsThe findings from a Mann–Whitney U test revealed that STEM respondents perceived specific library resources (subject and course guide, library instructions and library workshops) as slightly less than non-STEM respondents. The results from ANOVA demonstrated that the mean scores in GPA for STEM respondents who never used online library, journals and databases were lower than respondents who used those library resources, regardless of STEM and non-STEM disciplines.Originality/valueRevisiting the data collected and analyzing specific user groups will be valuable to academic libraries because this study will provide academic librarians with a deeper understanding of specific user needs and perceptions of library resources and services.

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.

Usability of Web-based systems – A comparison of two interaction approaches

2004 ◽  
Vol 23 (4) ◽  
pp. 193-201
Author(s):  
Albert H. Huang ◽  
Gerald V. Post
Keyword(s):  
Web Sites ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Visual Presentation ◽  
Ease Of Use ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Software Support ◽  
Web Based ◽  
Software Application ◽  
Business System ◽  
Selection Of

This paper reports an empirical study that evaluated the usability of two interaction approaches used by Web-based application software. Data was collected using 107 subjects. Each participant performed the same tasks on both systems: a user-driven, form-based system and a system-driven interview-based system. The data were analyzed using factor analysis and structural equation modeling (SEM) techniques. The results showed that most users regarded the interview-based approach as a more desirable feature for a complex system. In addition, the derived usability model was useful in identifying the strengths and weaknesses of business-system Web sites such as tax-preparation sites. Additionally, the resulting usability model indicated that the reputation of the software application and its producer, the ease of use of the software, and software support were important determinants in the selection of Web-based software. By contrast, visual presentation styles and graphics were unimportant factors.

Antecedents and Moderators of Online Shopping Behavior in Undergraduate Students

2011 ◽  
Vol 39 (9) ◽  
pp. 1271-1280 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jun-Yi Hsieh ◽  
Pei-Wen Liao
Keyword(s):  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Online Shopping ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
Ease Of Use ◽  
Perceived Usefulness ◽  
Shopping Behavior ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Actual Behavior ◽  
Perceived Ease Of Use

The online shopping behaviors of 600 undergraduate students in Taiwan were explored in regard to the influences of perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness, attitude, trust, behavioral intentions, and actual behavior. The moderating effects of online experience were taken into account. A model depicting the mechanisms of an effective relationship with online shoppers was developed and a survey was conducted to gather information. Structural equation modeling was used to validate the measures developed and test the hypothesized model. All variables had a significant and positive impact, and experience online had a moderate impact.

scholarly journals Understanding the Intention to Use Virtual Currency in a Gamified E-Commerce Context

2022 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-14
Author(s):  
Anoop George ◽  
Manu Melwin Joy ◽  
Muhammed Sajid. ◽  
Muhammed Nowfal S.
Keyword(s):  
Technology Acceptance ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Ease Of Use ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Intention To Use ◽  
Virtual Currency ◽  
Intent To Use ◽  
Future Research Directions ◽  
Acceptance Model

Gamification is all about using game features in a serious context to encourage people to use products or services. E-commerce has used gamification for marketing determinations to strengthen intent to use. Technology Acceptance Model is employed in the current study to investigate the intention to use gamified virtual currency in the Indian context. A survey was used to accumulate records from a random sample of relevant virtual currency users in an e-commerce context using a quantitative approach. Structural equation modeling (SEM) is expended for data analysis in this research. This empirical research shows the incremental impact of the users' perceptions of the ease of use and usefulness on intention to use virtual currency. The variable attitude seems to be not mediating significantly. There are also discussions, restrictions, and future research directions mentioned in this study

scholarly journals Electronic vs. Print Resources: A Survey of Perception, Usage and Preferences Among Central University Undergraduate Students

2018 ◽  
Vol 14 (7) ◽  
pp. 291
Author(s):  
George Clifford Yamson ◽  
Antonia B. Appiah ◽  
Marian Tsegah
Keyword(s):  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Academic Work ◽  
Ease Of Use ◽  
Perceived Usefulness ◽  
Perceived Ease Of Use ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Electronic Library ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Electronic Resource ◽  
Library Resources

The study adopted a cross-sectional survey approach to examine the perception, usage and preferences of electronic and print resources among University Students. The study sought to determine the knowledge of students on electronic library resources, their value for electronic and print resources, ascertain the perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, and intended use these resources. Results from the study indicated that majority 134(57.0%) of the respondents always preferred print resources format for their academic work while 101(43%) occasionally preferred the electronic resource format for academic work. The findings of the study are critical to the implementation of policies and procedures geared toward sensitizing students, faculty and other stakeholders to the benefits of increasing students’ knowledge and use of electronic library resources. The study is envisaged to aid in strategic planning and investments pertaining to these resources and provide recommendations to improve knowledge and use of these resources within university.

scholarly journals Understanding Patterns of Library Use Among Undergraduate Students from Different Disciplines

2014 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 51 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ellen Collins ◽  
Graham Stone
Keyword(s):  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Engineering Students ◽  
User Research ◽  
The Arts ◽  
Library Resource ◽  
Library Use ◽  
Library Resources ◽  
Usage Patterns ◽  
High Level

Abstract Objective – To test whether routinely-generated library usage data could be linked with information about students to understand patterns of library use among students from different disciplines at the University of Huddersfield. This information is important for librarians seeking to demonstrate the value of the library, and to ensure that they are providing services which meet user needs. The study seeks to join two strands of library user research which until now have been kept rather separate – an interest in disciplinary differences in usage, and a methodology which involves large-scale routinely-generated data. Methods – The study uses anonymized data about individual students derived from two sources: routinely-generated data on various dimensions of physical and electronic library resource usage, and information from the student registry on the course studied by each student. Courses were aggregated at a subject and then disciplinary level. Kruskal-Wallis and Mann Whitney tests were used to identify statistically significant differences between the high-level disciplinary groups, and within each disciplinary group at the subject level. Results – The study identifies a number of statistically significant differences on various dimensions of usage between both high-level disciplinary groupings and lower subject-level groupings. In some cases, differences are not the same as those observed in earlier studies, reflecting distinctive usage patterns and differences in the way that disciplines or subjects are defined and organised. While music students at Huddersfield are heavy library users within the arts subject-level grouping arts students use library resources less than those in social science disciplines, contradicting findings from studies at other institutions, Computing and engineering students were relatively similar, although computing students were more likely to download PDFs, and engineering students were more likely to use the physical library. Conclusion – The technique introduced in this study represents an effective way of understanding distinctive usage patterns at an individual institution. There may be potential to aggregate findings across several institutions to help universities benchmark their own performance and usage; this would require a degree of collaboration and standardisation. This study found that students in certain disciplines at Huddersfield use the library in different ways to students in those same disciplines at other institutions. Further investigation is needed to understand exactly why these differences exist, but some hypotheses are offered.

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