Get 20M+ Full-Text Papers For Less Than $1.50/day. Start a 14-Day Trial for You or Your Team.

Learn More →

On their own terms

On their own terms The purpose of this study is to investigate how first-year students conduct everyday life research and how, if possible, their everyday research skills can inform information literacy instruction in higher education. Very few studies in information literacy emphasize existing knowledge that students bring with them to college; instead, the emphasis tends to fall on deficits in students’ academic research skills. Strengths-based approaches or asset-based approaches as found in the literature of psychology and education provide a basis for exploring this direction in information literacy education.Design/methodology/approachThe research used a phenomenographic methodology, interviewing 40 first-year students from two large universities, a medium-sized university and a community college.FindingsThe qualitative study suggests that first-year students are capable of using information purposefully to learn or research interests that have sparked their curiosities. They are also capable of reflecting on the ways that their investigations fulfilled their purposes, resulted in unexpected outcomes or made them consider their issue in a new light. These existing capacities provide promising starting points for strengths-based approaches to information literacy instruction.Practical implicationsDialogue with students about prior research experiences enables teaching librarians to plan engaging, authentic information literacy curriculum that acknowledges existing strengths.Originality/valueThis study provides a valuable contribution to empirical evidence of student research skills prior to entering higher education and suggests connections between those skills and the ACRL Information Literacy Framework. In addition, the study provides a case for strengths-based education, activating students’ prior knowledge to learn and create new knowledge. Authors have presented at Library Instruction West, July 2018. http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png Reference Services Review Emerald Publishing

On their own terms

Download PDF
24 pages
Read Article

Loading next page...
 
/lp/emerald-publishing/on-their-own-terms-JNUzQEi0qw
Publisher
Emerald Publishing
Copyright
© Emerald Publishing Limited
ISSN
0090-7324
DOI
10.1108/rsr-02-2019-0007
Publisher site
See Article on Publisher Site

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to investigate how first-year students conduct everyday life research and how, if possible, their everyday research skills can inform information literacy instruction in higher education. Very few studies in information literacy emphasize existing knowledge that students bring with them to college; instead, the emphasis tends to fall on deficits in students’ academic research skills. Strengths-based approaches or asset-based approaches as found in the literature of psychology and education provide a basis for exploring this direction in information literacy education.Design/methodology/approachThe research used a phenomenographic methodology, interviewing 40 first-year students from two large universities, a medium-sized university and a community college.FindingsThe qualitative study suggests that first-year students are capable of using information purposefully to learn or research interests that have sparked their curiosities. They are also capable of reflecting on the ways that their investigations fulfilled their purposes, resulted in unexpected outcomes or made them consider their issue in a new light. These existing capacities provide promising starting points for strengths-based approaches to information literacy instruction.Practical implicationsDialogue with students about prior research experiences enables teaching librarians to plan engaging, authentic information literacy curriculum that acknowledges existing strengths.Originality/valueThis study provides a valuable contribution to empirical evidence of student research skills prior to entering higher education and suggests connections between those skills and the ACRL Information Literacy Framework. In addition, the study provides a case for strengths-based education, activating students’ prior knowledge to learn and create new knowledge. Authors have presented at Library Instruction West, July 2018.

Journal

Reference Services Review – Emerald Publishing

Published: Jun 12, 2019

Keywords: Academic libraries; Information literacy; Constructivism; Teaching methods; Phenomenology; Strengths-based learning; First-year students; Phenomenography; Strength-based approach; Asset-based approach

References

  • ‘The library catalog is definitely the best place to find articles!’ overconfidence among undergraduate library users
    Angell, K.; Kose, G.
  • Assessment in the one-shot session: using pre-and post-tests to measure innovative instructional strategies among first-year students
    Bryan, J.E.; Karshmer, E.
  • Faculty attitudes, perceptions and experiences of information literacy: a study across multiple disciplines at York university, Canada
    Bury, S.
  • Beyond active learning: a constructivist approach to learning
    Cooperstein, S.E.; Kocevar-Weidinger, E.
  • Faculty perceptions of students’ information literacy skills competencies
    Dubicki, E.
  • Fortifying the pipeline: a quantitative exploration of high school factors impacting the information literacy of first-year college students
    Fabbi, J.L.
  • Attaining information literacy: an investigation of the relationship between skill level, self-estimates of skill, and library anxiety
    Gross, M.; Latham, D.
  • Undergraduate perceptions of information literacy: defining, attaining, and self-assessing skills
    Gross, M.; Latham, D.
  • Experiences with and perceptions of information: a phenomenographic study of first-year college students
    Gross, M.; Latham, D.
  • What’s skill got to do with it? Information literacy skills and self-views of ability among first-year college students
    Gross, M.; Latham, D.
  • Addressing below proficient information literacy skills: evaluating the efficacy of an evidence-based educational intervention
    Gross, M.; Latham, D.
  • Freshman overconfidence and library research skills: a troubling relationship?
    Gustavson, A.; Nall, H.C.
  • Learning the ropes: how freshmen conduct course research once they enter college
    Head, A.
  • What are they learning? Pre-and post-assessment surveys for LIBR 1100, introduction to library research
    Hufford, J.R.
  • Student, librarian, and instructor perceptions of information literacy instruction and skills in a first year experience program: a case study
    Kim, S.U.; Shumaker, D.
  • Factors influencing information literacy competency of college students
    Lanning, S.; Mallek, J.
  • Phenomenography-a research approach to investigating different understandings of reality
    Marton, F.
  • Closing the 12-13 gap together: school and college librarians supporting 21st century learners
    Oakleaf, M.; Owen, P.L.
  • Dangers and opportunities: a conceptual map of information literacy assessment approaches
    Oakleaf, M.
  • Information literacy in the sciences: faculty perception of undergraduate student skill
    Perry, H.B.
  • Are they ready? Exploring student information literacy skills in the transition from secondary to tertiary education
    Salisbury, F.; Karasmanis, S.
  • Don’t they teach that in high school? Examining the high school to college information literacy gap
    Saunders, L.; Severyn, J.; Caron, J.
  • Both sides now: librarians looking at information literacy from high school and college
    Schroeder, R.
  • Factors affecting students’ information literacy as they transition from high school to college
    Varlejs, J.; Stec, E.
  • Information literacy assessment: where do we start?
    Walsh, A.
  • Information literacy competency standards for higher education
  • Framework for information literacy for higher education
  • Five things you should read about asset-based teaching
  • How college students use the web to conduct everyday life research
    Head, A.; Eisenberg, M.
  • What five minutes in the classroom can do to uncover the basic information literacy skills of your college students: a multiyear assessment study
    Hsieh, M.L.; Dawson, P.H.; Carlin, M.T.