Assessing Information Literacy Skills: A Survey of Undergraduate Education Students at the University of Livingstonia in Malawi

The purpose of this study was to assess the information literacy skills of Education Students at the University of Livingstonia. The study employed a cross-sectional descriptive survey design in which questionnaire was used to collect data. Stratified sampling technique was used to sample students from their respective degree programmes under the faculty of education. Altogether 160 questionnaires were distributed proportionally to respondents and 123 were successfully returned with a response rate of 76.9%.Data was analysed using IBM SPSS where percentages, charts and tables were obtained to present and interpret data. The findings revealed that Faculty of Education students (ES): (1) demonstrated a high level of awareness of types of information sources; (2) they accessed both print and electronic information; (3) expressed familiarity with APA referencing style and acknowledged the importance of providing citation and references to academic work to avoid plagiarism. However, students also demonstrated high deficiency in identifying diverse information sources. They did not have adequate knowledge on writing proper citation and references nor familiarity with the bibliographic and reference management software tools. Based on the findings, the study makes recommendation

Examining the Level of Information Literacy among First-Year English Majors at the University of Sargodha

The main goal of this study was to look into the information literacy (skills and standards) of English Language majors at Sargodha University. A total of 160 undergraduates, both men, and women, took part in the research. To get to their end goal, researchers had to fill out a questionnaire created by Mittermeyer and Quirion (2003). The results of this study showed that undergraduates at UOS don\u27t know enough about how to use information. Because of this outcome, it was suggested that students from UOS take part in the research

Information and Communication Technology Literacy Skills and Class Instruction: a Comprehensive Perception Survey of University of Benin First Year Students

This study investigates the influence of class instruction (GST 111 – use of library) on University of Benin (UNIBEN) first year students’ information and communication technology (ICT) literacy skills. The study adopted the survey research method using the questionnaire as research instrument. First year students in the 2013/2014 academic session constituted the population of study. Simple random and total enumeration sampling methods were used to collect data from students in five out of twelve faculties in the university. The questionnaire used is a 4-point likert scale instrument: SA (Strongly agreed) = 4; A (Agreed) = 3; D (Disagreed) = 2; and SD (Strongly disagreed) = 1. Data was collected at the end of the first semester when the GST 111 – use of library was concluded. Results revealed that Computer, Software, Internet, WWW and ICT literacy skills of the students are high. There is a significant difference in Computer, Software, Internet and WWW and ICT literacy skills of the students per faculty. Majority (65%) of the students are skillful in ICT use. Class instruction is very well perceived by the students and it positively influenced students’ ICT literacy skills. Gender and secondary school attended did not influence students’ ICT literacy skills. There is no significant difference between male and female students’ ICT literacy skills as well as students that attended private or public secondary schools. It is therefore concluded that the students are highly ICT literate and class instruction (GST 111 – use of library) course mainly influenced the students’ ICT literacy skills thus the class instruction programme in the university is adequate and effective

The Relationship of Undergraduate Students’ Self-assessment of Library Skills to Their Opinion of Library Instruction: A Self-reporting Survey

College students, in general, are known to be lacking in their ability to effectively make use of academic library resources, yet in many previous studies these same students have estimated their library-use skills at inflated levels. Neither do college students in general often willingly take advantage of library instruction opportunities. A self-reporting survey was administered to forty first-year college students in order to investigate whether students’ tendency to over-estimate library use skills has an effect on student opinion about library instruction in general. Results from the survey not only indicate that such a relationship may exist, but also strongly support earlier findings that students rate their library use skills highly

Annual Report, 2014

Program Director: Tom Paradise, 2005-2009; Joel Gordon, 2009

La competència digital dels estudiants universitaris: una revisió sistemàtica de la literatura

Digital competence is a pressing need for students in the 21st century. The present study is a systematic review of the literature on university students’ digital abilities. The methodology consisted of selecting documents (n=126) from three different databases (Scopus, Web of Science and ERIC) via peer review. The documents were selected for inclusion following predefined criteria and then analysed using a qualitative analysis software (ATLAS.ti). Digital competence is made up of several elements (information skills, content creation, communication, ethical skills, problem solving, technical skills/use and strategic skills). We identified that the most frequently-used terms in the literature are digital literacy and digital competence. However, the terminology used varies among authors. We also found that most authors do not believe that young people actually have the digital abilities that they are assumed to have. In other words, students do not have a high level of digital competence. Educational institutions therefore need to help them to develop this competence, which is so necessary in the context of 21st century education.La competència digital és imprescindible pels estudiants del segle XXI. L’estudi que es presenta a continuació és una revisió sistemàtica de la literatura sobre les habilitats digitals dels estudiants universitaris. La metodologia va consistir en la selecció de documents (n = 126) procedents de tres bases de dades diferents (Scopus, Web of Science i ERIC) mitjançant un procés de revisió per parells. Els documents van ser seleccionats per a la seva inclusió en el procés de recerca seguint criteris predefinits i després es van analitzar mitjançant programari d’anàlisi qualitatiu (ATLAS.ti). Amb l’anàlisi realitzat es va observar que els autors consideren que la competència digital està integrada de diversos elements (habilitats informacionals, creació de contingut, comunicació, habilitats ètiques, resolució de problemes, habilitats /ús tècnic i habilitats estratègiques). Pel que fa a la terminologia que aquest empren per referir-se a aquesta competència s’observa que els termes més utilitzats en la literatura són alfabetització digital i competència digital. Finalment, en referència la CD dels joves la majoria d’autors no consideren que els joves tinguin realment les capacitats digitals que ells consideren que tenen. És a dir, els estudiants no tenen molt desenvolupada la competència digital. Per tant, les institucions educatives els han d’ajudar a desenvolupar-la

Spartan Daily, May 2, 2019

Volume 152, Issue 40https://scholarworks.sjsu.edu/spartan_daily_2019/1039/thumbnail.jp

Teaching Primary Science with Computer Simulation – an Intervention Study in State of Kuwait

This thesis describes an investigation into use of interactive computer simulations software in primary science education. The research questions are what effects teaching with interactive computer simulations have on students’ achievement, their conceptual change in particular science topics and on their attitudes. The question was investigated in an intervention study that tested use of simulations in two different pedagogical environments. The first environment used simulations in a computer laboratory, with students using blended learning (combining computer-based learning with non-computer learning). In this environment students worked independently on the computer. The second environment is class teaching. In this environment, the simulation was used on one computer, controlled by the teacher, in front of the class. The study also investigated ease of use and looked into practical consideration of computer-based teaching expressed by students and teachers. Three science topics were studied. The novelty of the research is using computer simulations in an Arabic nation, which has widespread use of traditional didactic-oriented pedagogy. Recent educational reforms have made demand for more student-oriented teaching, with use of practical experiments in primary science. This major change is difficult to implement for practical reasons, and the study therefore asks if computer simulations may work as an alternative approach to reach the same aims. The theoretical frameworks for the study are constructivism, conceptual change and cognitive multi-media theory. The first of these looks at the role of the student in learning, the second takes into consideration that students enter school with intuitive knowledge about natural phenomena and the last explains learning with use of computers. The theoretical frameworks were used to guide development of the simulation software and the intervention. The participants were 365 students in year five (10-11 year olds) and eight science teachers in Kuwait, located at eight different primary schools. All schools were single sex, with half the schools of each gender. All teachers were female. The study used a quasi-experimental design and separated the students into two experimental groups and two control groups. The first experimental group, which used simulations in computer labs, had 91 students in four primary schools (two boys’ and two girls’ schools). A matching control group with the same number of students was established in the same schools. The other experiment group had 92 students using simulations in the classroom. This group was also matched with an appropriate control group. The eight teachers taught both experimental and control group students. The control groups used traditional teaching. The experiment was carried out in the academic year 2010-2011. The study measured effects of the interventions with pre- and post achievement tests and attitude questionnaires. Students in the experimental groups also answered a usability questionnaire. A sub-sample of students and all teachers were interviewed for triangulation of the questionnaire data and to learn more about experiences with using the simulation software. The results of the study revealed no statistically significant difference (at the 0.05 level) in achievement or attitude between the students who used computer simulations in the computer laboratory. Students, however, who were taught with simulations in the classroom scored significantly higher on both achievement tests and attitude questionnaires. This benefit applied also to conceptual change of specific topics. In general, the interviews revealed that science teachers and students were satisfied with the simulation program used in science teaching and learning. However, the interviews indicated that there were some problems related to infrastructure and use of computers in the teaching that might have influenced the outcome of the study. These problems are relevant also to use of computer simulations in science teaching more widely