The Information Literacy of College Students: Gender Influences on Information Source

SelectionLibrarians’ Information Literacy Annual Conference Arthur Taylor, Associate Professor, Information Systems and Supply Chain Management, College of Business AdministrationHeather Dalal, Assistant Professor-Librarian, Moore Library

University College Dublin

Library 21-23 March

2016

Previous Research: Students’ Evaluative Behaviors

Students are familiar with However in practice

Source: http://academictimgunn.tumblr.com/

Authority Accuracy Credibility ReliabilityObjectivity Validity Timeliness Bias/Point of View

Source:pixabay

Previous Research: Demographic Differences

Source: UI8.net Males are more likely to

- use newspapers & magazines - use free & nontraditional

sources

Females are more likely to

• - use books & journals

- use licensed library sources

Previous Research: Demographic Differences

Source: UI8.net Males are more likely to

- be more confident in their ability to search - not ask for help

Females are more likely to

- be anxious at the

start of research- evaluate their skills lower

Our questions

* Do students understand evaluative criteria?* Do they apply the criteria?* Do demographics influence their evaluation knowledge & habits?

Source: pixabay

Methodology

https://candanceh3.wordpress.com/2015/02/03/unit-2-assignment-2-craap-test/

Results

We used in group percentages and chi-squared analysis of variance on tabular results. Many results were statistically significant - strengthening our evidence of gender bias in this sample.

Images Source: http://www.nielsen.com/us/en/insights/news/2012/gender-divide-reaching-male-vs-female-millennials.html

When a search engine returns a list of pages, I select a page from the list based on the following criteria:

site is understandable 77% of females 64% of males

qualifications of the author are good 62% of females 42% of males

quality of the writing on the site is good 68% of females 48% of males

How often have you used research tools beyond Google for research papers in the last year?

Images Source: http://www.nielsen.com/us/en/insights/news/2012/gender-divide-reaching-male-vs-female-millennials.html

never 2% of Females 11% males

almost always30 % of females 20 % of males

Females in our sample

Source: UI8.net* more discerning in evaluating * used a number of criteria in evaluating

* more likely to use sources beyond Google or Ask.com * more likely to use library databases

Males in our sampleSource: UI8.net*more confident

they could determine - the author of a site - the qualifications of

the author

* more likely to believe search engine results were accurate, credible, & objective•

Discussion

Source: UI8.netDid some male students not feel the need evaluate because pages returned by a search engine are objective, credible, and accurate?

Are females more careful searchers?Are females are socialized in a way to make more effort in their schoolwork?

Library anxiety

This research confirms & extends gender specific findings related to library anxiety (Blundell & Lambert, 2014).Males more comfortable using the library.Females perceive librarians are not helpful.

http://library.movlic.com/CheckItOut/10/EasingLibraryAnxiety

Implications for IL Instruction:understanding our students

To teach better: understand your users’ needs and beliefsoffer a gender-aware approach to information literacy instruction Source: http://friendsofebonie.com/

Implications for teaching females

Encourage to take intellectual risks.Increase self-efficacy.Reassure that they are capable.

Implications for teaching males

Stress the limitations of commercial search engines.Stress the need for careful evaluation.Focus on the meaning of these criteria.

Source: http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2014/05/the-confidence-gap/359815/

Association for College and Research Libraries. (2000). Information Literacy Competency Standards for Higher Education. Chicago: American Library Association.

Blundell, S., & Lambert, F. (2014). Information anxiety from the undergraduate student perspective: a pilot study of second-semester freshmen. Journal of Education for Library and Information Science, 55(4), 261.

Burdick, T. A. (1996). Success and Diversity in Information Seeking: Gender and the Information Search Styles Model. School Library Media Quarterly, 25(1), 19–26.

Fields, A. M. (2001). Women’s epistemological development: Implications for undergraduate information literacy instruction. Research Strategies, 18(3), 227–238.

Hargittai, E., & Shafer, S. (2006). Differences in actual and perceived online skills: the role of gender*. Social Science Quarterly, 87(2), 432–448.

References

Lim, S., & Kwon, N. (2010). Gender differences in information behavior concerning Wikipedia, an unorthodox information source? Library & Information Science Research, 32(3), 212–220.

Metzger, M. J., Flanagin, A. J., & Zwarun, L. (2003). College student Web use, perceptions of information credibility, and verification behavior. Computers & Education, 41(3), 271–290.

Kay, K. and Shipman, C. “The Confidence Gap,” The Atlantic Monthly 313, no. 4 (2014): 56–66.

Steinerová, J., & Susol, J. (2007). Users’ information behaviour-a gender perspective. Information Research, 12(3), 13.

Taylor, Arthur & Heather A. Dalal. (2016). Gender and Information Literacy:  Evaluation of Gender Differences in a Student Survey of Information Sources.  College & Research Libraries. Forthcoming.

Taylor, Arthur & Heather A. Dalal. (2014). Information Literacy Standards and the World Wide Web: Results from a Student Survey on Evaluation of Internet Information Sources. Information Research. 19(4).

Thank you.

Questions? Suggestions?Arthur Taylor & Heather DalalRider University