Case Study of Online Resources and Searching for Information on Students’ Academic Needs

Abstract

The rapid development of digital technology and the constantly increasing number of online information sources have meant that students’ skills related to information seeking are crucial for academic success. This Paper presents the selected findings of a case study with an emphasis on identifying differences and similarities between international and Croatian students’ information seeking skills in an online environment. Internet search engines, E-books, online databases and research networks are the online resources which were analysed in this study in order to discover information on the literacy of two groups of students. Quantitative research was conducted in March of 2015 via an online survey and the sample consisted of 70 international and 69 Croatian students. The following research fields were identified in line with the literature review and the expected research outcomes: (1) discover similarities and differences in usage of online information for academic purposes between international and Croatian students, (2) compare the frequency of usage of different online sources between international and Croatian students, and (3) describe the most common online sources of information used by the two groups of students. The results of the study could be used to raise awareness of the need to develop students’ online information skills and to improve courses within the Croatian higher education system by harmonizing them with those from European Union