Challenges Facing Undergraduates in the Use of Electronic Information Resources in Universities in Southwest Nigeria

2022 ◽  
pp. 327-340
Author(s):  
Atanda Saliu Sambo ◽  
Gbntogo-Saghanen G.B. Ntogo ◽  
Rita Eda

This study aims at identifying the challenges facing undergraduates in the use of electronic information resources (EIR) in a university in Southwest Nigeria. The descriptive survey design was adopted for this study. The population for the study comprised 85,526 registered undergraduate student (2018/2019) academic session in the federal and state universities in Southwest Nigeria. The sample for the study was 398. Proportionate sampling techniques were used to draw the sample. Questionnaire was the instrument used for data collection from the respondents based on a four-point scale rating. The findings revealed high cost of access, power outage, information overload, lack of proper maintenance, funding of library services, among others. Based on the findings, the study recommended provision of alternative sources of funds, constant maintenance of e-resources, and first year students should be introduced to computer training, among others.

Author(s):  
Lolade Funmi Osinulu

The study examined awareness and use of electronic Information Resources (EIR) among students in College of Health Sciences, Sagamu, Nigeria. The objectives were to establish types of resources available, determine level of awareness, extent of the use of e-resources and problems faced. Descriptive survey design with real-time observation method was used to collect data using a structured questionnaire. The population comprised 2000 students in the College while purposive sampling technique was used to select a sample of 200 registered library users for the 2019/2020 academic session. Data was analyzed using descriptive statistics. The findings revealed that majority of the students were not aware of available EIR. It also revealed low frequent usage. The finding indicated that few respondents used EIR for academic purposes. However, inadequate computers, irregular power supply and slow internet speed were identified as major constraints using EIR. Upgrade of infrastructure, adoption of appropriate social media tools to promote awareness and collaborative effort by librarians and faculty members to train students the use of specialized databases were recommended. Keywords:  Electronic information resources, awareness, use, Undergraduates, students, health sciences


2015 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Dinara Saparova

Current U.S. medical students have begun to rely on electronic information repositories -- such as UpToDate, Access Medicine, and Wikipedia -- for their pre-clerkship medical education. However, it is unclear whether these resources are appropriate for this level of learning due to factors involving information quality, level of evidence, and the requisite knowledge base. This study evaluated the appropriateness of electronic information resources from a novel perspective: the amount of mental effort learners invest in interactions with these resources and the effects of the experienced mental effort on learning. Eighteen first-year medical students read about three unstudied diseases in the three above-mentioned resources (a total of 54 observations). Their eye movement characteristics (i.e., fixation duration, fixation count, visit duration, and task-evoked pupillary response) were recorded and used as psychophysiological indicators of the experienced mental effort. Post reading, students' learning was assessed with a multiple-choice test. Eye metrics and test results constituted quantitative data that were analyzed according to the repeated Latin square design. Students' perceptions and observations of their interactions with the information resources constituted qualitative data that were also obtained. Participants' feedback from semi-structured interviews and recordings of students' information acquisition behaviors were reviewed, transcribed, and open coded for the emergent themes. Compared to Access Medicine and Wikipedia, UpToDate was associated with significantly higher values of eye metrics suggesting higher mental effort experienced by learners when using this resource. No statistically significant difference between the amount of mental effort and learning outcomes was found. More so, descriptive statistical analysis of the knowledge test scores suggested similar level of learning regardless of the information resource used. Students' feedback and observations of their behaviors were informative in understanding and interpreting the differences in quantitative findings. Judging by the learning outcomes, all three information resources were found appropriate for learning. UpToDate, however, when used alone, may be less appropriate for first-year medical students' learning as it does not fully address their information needs and is more demanding in terms of invested cognitive resources.


2011 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Roger Ottewill ◽  
Alison Hudson

Within institutions of higher education, teaching staff and library-based information specialists have tended to occupy separate worlds. Although there has been some contact, in the main this has been partial and intermittent. For first-year students, one consequence of this state of affairs has been the absence of a systematic and co-ordinated strategy for enabling them to acquire, practise and develop information-gathering skills. Teaching staff have seen their role in this respect mainly in terms of issuing students with reading lists containing a mix of books and journal articles, and underlying this approach is the expectation that information specialists will be on hand to provide whatever additional help is needed to access these resources, for example through the provision of introductory talks and one-to-one support sessions. Relatively few teaching staff have incorporated library exercises into their teaching and assessment, or adopted a more creative approach to information gathering by students, such as helping them use bibliographic and other aids to prepare personalized reading lists. Consequently, when students have been required to do this at later stages of their studies, especially in the context of preparing a dissertation, they have not been adequately prepared, and often find it extremely difficult to access and evaluate information resources effectively.DOI:10.1080/0968776970050204


Mousaion ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 38 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kehinde Abayomi Owolabi ◽  
Basirat.Olubukola Diyaolu ◽  
Nurudeen Adeniyi Aderibigbe ◽  
Mudasiru A Yusuf

The advent of information and communication technologies (ICTs) has revolutionised how library resources are made and transmitted to end-users. It has effectively improved the standard of education and research in tertiary institutions worldwide by providing various essential resources, including e-books, journals and databases. However, it has been observed that students still abstain from making the best usage of the digital library, instead using search engines rather than institutional digital libraries. This study investigated the factors influencing the behavioural intention of postgraduate (PG) students to use electronic information resources (EIRs). The Unified Theory of Acceptance of Technology (UTAUT) model was adopted. A cross-sectional research design was used to assess the factors influencing the use of EIRs. A sample of 362 PG students was determined using a Monte Carlo simulation approach. Data were collected from participants via the administration of 400 copies of the questionnaire. Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) and the Covariance-Based Structural Equation Modelling (CB-SEM) were used to analyse data collected. The findings revealed that performance expectancy (PE) and effort expectancy (EE) were the two constructs that influenced PG students’ behavioural intention to use EIRs. In contrast, social influence (SI) and facilitating condition (FC) did not change the PG students’ behavioural plan to use EIRs. The study recommended the need for adequate training for postgraduate (PG) students on the obligation to accept and use EIRs.


2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 103-105
Author(s):  
S. Saravana Raj ◽  
K. Vijayakumar

The present study deals with Utilization of ICT among the faculty members of Siddha Colleges and various level of operating system with the information accessed by the faculty through the internet. The survey was conducted with the help of the questionnaire and personal interview. The responses received from the available faculty are presented in tables and data is analyzed by using simple statistical method. The findings reveals that the access of electronic information is an important component of research activities for faculty members like E-Journals, E-books, E-databases are most preferred electronic information resources.


2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 71-74
Author(s):  
B. Vasantha ◽  
B. M. Meera ◽  
M. Dhanamjaya

Tremendous advancement in Information and Communication Technology has its impact on all walks of life. The advent of Internet and the World Wide Web has particularly impacted Library and Information domain. Library and Information Centers today play an important role in enhancing the quality of academic environment and influence basic and core activity of the research centers. They help the users to identify and access the variety knowledge resources in different formats such as electronic information resources in academic institutions. The purpose of this paper to it understands the usage pattern of electronic information resources in an academic institute by the research scholars. A survey method is adopted to know the frequency of use, level of satisfaction with different resources, and the problems encountered while using electronic information resources at REVA University, Bengaluru.


2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 58-61
Author(s):  
M. Josephine Nirmala ◽  
K. Divyananda

The present study discusses the attitude of information seeking behavior among the scientists of Defence Avionics Research Establishment. The study describes about the scientists those who are involved in the research of Airborne Electronic Warfare, Airborne Processors and Testing & Evaluation of Electronic Warfare (EW) systems and their persuasiveness towards electronic information resources, level of satisfaction, and barriers in all aspects of using electronic resources. For the purpose of the study seventy two scientists listed category–wise were determined as the sample through purposive sampling technique. The primary data were collected through questionnaire survey and thus collected data were analyzed using statistical tools.


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