Why students can’t use online resources

1. Why students can’tuse online resources Jan Smith & Martin Oliver University College London

2. Session outline • Why information literacy is becoming more important • The ‘Seven Faces’ model • About the study • Student perceptions of information literacy

3. The need for information literacy • Do we understand what students do with online resources when they are presented with them? • Growth in internet and VLE usage • Popularity (?) of reusable learning objects • Studies equating access with use • The need for students to become critical consumers of information • Differences between DL and blended contexts

4. Bruce’s ‘Seven Faces’ model • Phenomenographic study to identify conceptions of information literacy • Seven different conceptions were identified, ranging from technically-orientated to a wisdom/new knowledge orientation • Christine Bruce, (1997), The Seven Faces of Information Literacy, Adelaide: Auslib Press

6. The Information Sources course • Open to a multidisciplinary intake across all years of study: • Finding, using and presenting information • Assessment by annotated bibliography on a topic of student’s choice • ~45 students: • most from Information Management but also physical and human sciences, and affiliate students • Pre- and post-course questionnaires and session observations

7. The pre-course questionnaire • Limited demographic data • Home department, year of study • Open ended questions: • Describe how you would go about producing the bibliography… • Explain why you would do it this way… • Response rate of only 25%

8. The pre-course questionnaire: How? One source of electronic information was cited three times: the UCL library, followed by two mentions for Google. Two students were less specific, mentioning the internet or websites in general. Only two students cited specific academic tools – SciFinder, Science Direct and Athens, both of whom were from Chemistry.

9. The pre-course questionnaire: Why? The most popular explanations were awareness and ease of use. Only three students made a value judgement of the resources they had cited, one from IM who noted the accuracy of the UCL library, and the Chemistry students who appreciated the quality of the scientific databases.

10. Case studies • The quantity/quality dichotomy • A chemistry student unhappy with hundreds of hits via Google • Introduced to PSIgate – unhappy with only two hits! • Struggled to equate less – in terms of quantity – with more – in terms of quality and relevance • An example of ‘information control’ student

11. Case studies • Lecturers’ unjustified assumptions • Two fourth year chemistry students who had undertaken a literature review in year 3 • Lecturers assumed this was a reasonable task • Amazed by the nature, scope, quality of information available using the refined search techniques • Outraged that they hadn’t been shown earlier! • Illustrates ‘process’ and ‘knowledge construction’

12. Case studies • The reversion to Google • The students seemed to enjoy the new resources they were introduced to – but many quickly reverted to Google… • These were all 1st or 2nd year students • The lack of perseverance and its relation to academic maturity • Illustrates ‘information sources’ conception

13. Case studies • The persistence of the information technology conception • A small minority displayed what John Biggs calls ‘pre-structural knowledge’ “Nothing on this course was new to me as I have studied html and site design for many years.” (1st yr IM) “It would be great if talk more about computer language.” (3rd yr Hum.Sci)

14. Case studies • The tacit nature of information literacy • Sophisticated search techniques • Well-organised bookmarks • Unable to articulate how or where she had learned “Learnt where to search for specialist subject areas. I found the actual location (ie: URLs) and identification of information sources… very useful. However, the techniques for using them I found obvious and self-explanatory.” • ‘Knowledge extension’ student

15. The post-course questionnaire • Limited demographic data gathered • Home department, year of study • Open ended questions: • Describe what you have learned on this course… • Describe how you might use what you have learned… • Response rate of 79%

17. Explanation of table • Comments – not students – have been categorised • Students hold multiple perspectives • Students in earlier years focus more on sources (but these are IM students) • Students in later years focus more on process and knowledge construction: applying information to other subjects and projects • Difficulties in categorisation • Boundaries between the Bruce conceptions are fine, even blurred • Value judgements need to be encouraged

18. Interpretation of results • Striking increases in awareness of information sources • From 4 comments to 14 for 1st & 2nd years (max 16) • From 2 comments to 7 for 3rd & 4th years (max 11) • Striking increases in awareness of information processes • From no comments to 10 for 1st & 2nd years (max 16) • From 1 comment to 9 for 3rd & 4th years (max 11) • Reflects emphasis of the course on finding and presenting information

19. Interpretation of results • However... • Little evidence for knowledge extension or wisdom, and only some for knowledge construction(This might be explainable by the decontextualised nature of this course) • Little evidence of value judgements being made - only 16% of students(Comments mainly from IM students, probably reflecting the broader programme of study) • Calls into question whether this kind of course can, in and of itself, develop the more advanced form of information literacy • Information literacy education likely to be iterative to encourage movement through/across categories(move to more sophisticated conceptions when relevant)

20. Conclusions • Little evidence for effective use of resources at the start of the module • Post-course evidence of a wider range of conceptions of information literacy, e.g. • Mature students talk more about processes and applying information • Younger students develop insights across a wider range of categories • Case studies show the gap between what we hope students will know and do with online resources and what they actually do

21. Conclusions • Some evidence that a just-in-time approach may be useful (ensuring relevance) • Relative ease of raising awareness in relation to sources and processes • Relative difficulty of developing knowledge, wisdom or value-related perceptions of information • This may be something for courses to emphasise explicitly • Shows the value of modified Seven Faces model in promoting and evaluating more sophisticated conceptions of information literacy