Lifelong learning in the digital age:

A study of recent college graduates

5 research takeaways

Project Information Literacy

Alison J. Head, Ph.D. , Executive Director, ajhead1 [at] projectinfolit [dot] org

Research Scientist, University of Washington’s iSchool, ajhead1 [at] uw [dot] edu

Faculty Associate, Harvard’s Berkman Center for Internet & Society

Technology, Knowledge and Society Conference, 24 February 2015

5takeaways

from our

preliminary

research

#1 Lifelong learning needs are diffuse,

complex and at times, overlapping.

2014 Survey, n = 1651 | 10 US campuses

#2 Search is about finding people ≠ static print sources.

2014 Survey, n = 1651 | 10 US campuses; * averaged percentages across workplace, personal, and community

#3 Young graduates put a high value on blogs.

2014 Survey, n = 1651 | 10 US campuses

#4 In the workplace, graduates turned to

people more than search engines.

2014 Survey, n = 1651 | 10 US campuses; percentages exclusively for the workplace

#5 Critical thinking skills developed in

college are applied later on in real life.

2014 Survey, n = 1651 | 10 US campuses, ** percentages = “strongly agreed” responses

Finding Implications

Searching for consensus + “how to”

specifics in RL

• Searching is fundamentally social

• Capstone projects during college help

Turning to people in the workplace • “Adaptive strategies” being developed

• Shifting to contextual knowledge in RL

Takeaway skills from college =

dealing with information abundance

• Knowledge > “too big to know”

• Evaluation = key competency

What does it all mean?

Lifelong learning in the digital age:

A study of recent college graduates

5 research takeaways

Project Information Literacy

Alison J. Head, Ph.D. , Executive Director, ajhead1 [at] projectinfolit [dot] org

Research Scientist, University of Washington’s iSchool, ajhead1 [at] uw [dot] edu

Faculty Associate, Harvard’s Berkman Center for Internet & Society

Technology, Knowledge and Society Conference, 24 February 2015