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Student Information Search Skills and Help AcquisitionDifferences Across Three Faculties
Linda BedwellReference & Instruction LibrarianDalhousie UniversityNova Scotia, Canada
Dalhousie SOSA Majors-Killam Library Student Study•Partnership with 4th-yr class of Sociology
and Social Anthropology Majors•Students (Majors) co-designed and
conducted the studies•Provided a student-perspective
•Positive impact on participation rate and quality of data?
•Participant Observation (Space)
•Learning Commons Computer Workstation Survey (Space/facilities)
•Website Focus Groups (Online presence)
•Interview Survey (Learning/research behaviours)
Studies Performed at Killam Library2009-10 Academic Year
Purpose of Interview Survey
•Simply: To learn more about students in the faculties served by the Killam Library▫Information seeking behaviours▫Search skills acquisition▫Help acquisition▫Impact of librarian-led instruction
(knowledge/confidence)•Measure impact of IL efforts and align
services with student work habits
Methodology
•Semi-structured interview
•15-17 questions
•Interviewers (Majors) positioned in ‘neutral’ locations on campus – not the library
•“Toonie for your time” – incentive
•Data analysis – Excel and SPSS (SOSA prof.)
Interview Survey – Feb 3rd & 16th, 2010•97 respondents
▫36 Arts & SS▫19 Management▫23 Science▫5 Arts & SS and Science
▫64 Undergraduate; 19 Graduate▫56% Female, 44% Male
In-Class Library Instruction
Q: We are interested in how you have learned to find the books, journal articles, etc. you may need to complete your assignments. Have you received instruction on this during any of your classes here at Dal?(yes/no)
Q: Who provided this instruction?(someone from the library/professor/TA)
In-Class Library Instruction
Arts and SS Management Science0.0%
10.0%
20.0%
30.0%
40.0%
50.0%
60.0%
70.0%
80.0%
90.0%
TA-led Professor-led Librarian-led Received Library Instruction
Other Learning Methods
Q: How else have you learned how to find information/sources?(open-ended)
Other Learning Methods
self-
taug
ht
frien
ds
prof
esso
r/TA
libra
ry sta
ff
libra
ry w
ebsit
e
inte
rnet
onlin
e in
stru
ctio
n
prev
. ins
truct
ion
no n
eed
0.0%
5.0%
10.0%
15.0%
20.0%
25.0%
30.0%
35.0%
40.0%
Arts and SSManagementScience
Who Students go to for Help
Q: Who do you go to for help with finding information/sources?(open-ended)
Who Students go to for Help
library staff professor/TA friends internet no one, n/a0.0%
10.0%
20.0%
30.0%
40.0%
50.0%
60.0%
70.0%
Arts and SSManagementScience
How Students Find Information
Q: How do you approach finding information to complete assignments?(open-ended)
How Students Find Information
data
base
s
nova
net
Googl
e/in
t. se
arch
libra
ry w
ebsit
e
prow
ler
Googl
e Sc
hola
r
prof
/cou
rse
mat
'l
subj
ect g
uide
s
bibl
iogr
aphy
wikip
edia
0.0%
10.0%
20.0%
30.0%
40.0%
50.0%
60.0%
Arts and SSManagementScience
Help Seeking Methods
Q: Have you sought help from the Dalhousie library in person, online, and/or through email? (Select all that apply: in person, online, email, never.)
Help Seeking Methods
Self-Reported Knowledge Scale
Q: Where would you place yourself on a scale from 1 to 10, with 1 being you know very little about how to find the sources you may need and 10 being you know everything you need to know about how to find the sources you may need?
Self-Reported Knowledge Scale
Arts and SS Management Science3
3.5
4
4.5
5
5.5
6
6.5
7
7.5
8
8.5
no library staff-led inst.library staff-led inst.
Conclusion
•Different approaches for different faculties▫Empower Arts and Social Sciences to
help/teach each other▫Partner with Mgmt and Science faculty to
co-teach/co-produce online tutorials, etc.•Should better support self-teaching•Students’ confidence increase with
librarian-led instruction – this should encourage additional outreach methods
Questions?
Thank you!
Linda BedwellReference & Instruction LibrarianDalhousie Killam [email protected]