Student research behavior — prototype application (at CIL)

Student research behavior — prototype application

From research conducted at the University of Maryland, 2005-2006

Computers in Libraries, March 2009Dan Wendling, MLS, & Neal Kaske, PhD

[email protected]://ponder-matic.com

http://www.ponder-matic.com

How did students use Google in their last course-related search for information? (n=544; 2005-06)

Who

When

How


How did students use UMD’s ResearchPort in their last course-related search? (n=544; 2005-06)

(ResearchPort is the University of Maryland Libraries’ gateway to licensed content.)


Comparison of who used Google and ResearchPort in course-related searching (n=544)


Comparison of when Google and ResearchPort were accessed in course-related searching (n=544)


This presentation

How should we describe information-seeking behavior? Project research questions / methodology

Demonstration of the application prototype at http://www.ponder-matic.com

Results, conclusions, next steps

More information: Conference book, page 43


Foudy, Johnson, & Kaske 2005 research questions

1. What are contemporary university students’ information-seeking behaviors and what role(s), if any, do libraries and/or librarians play in these behaviors?

2. What are contemporary students’ mental models of the tasks performed by librarians?

3. Do these behaviors or mental models differ according to level of matriculation, from freshmen through graduate students?


Basic Research Design Methodology: Mixed Method Approach, 2005-2006

Individual interviews with 544 students

(N=544; 256 + 288) On campus Not in, not near a library Sampling –“convenience” Critical incident reporting Run one week in April

2005 and one week in November 2006

Focus group interviews with 110 students

(N=12; 110 participants) 3 groups each for:

Freshmen Sophomores Juniors & Seniors Graduate students


Individual Interview Form (page 1 of 2)

(Reproduced in your conference book and on our web site.)


Project coding sheet, version 9

(See conference book or web site for version 10.)


Model: How students move through information space


Anatomy of one session, a ResearchPort search


Demo of the prototype at http://www.ponder-matic.com


What makes projects like this work

Selected bullets from the book Competing on Analytics, by Davenport and Harris, “Signposts of effective IT”: Information workers spend their time analyzing data and

understanding its implications rather than collecting and formatting data.

Managers focus on improving processes and business performance, not culling data.

A hypothesis can be quickly analyzed and tested without a lot of manual behind-the-scenes preparation beforehand.

Analysts have direct, nearly instantaneous access to data.


Where to go for more background

Your conference book LOEX Library Instruction Conference Procedings 2006:

“Is Google God? How do students look for information today?” (description)

Paper for ARL’s 2008 Library Assessment Conference, Student research behavior: Quantitative and qualitative research findings presented with visualizations.


Key influences

Competing on Analytics, a business book by Tom Davenport and Jeanne Harris A ‘good Google’ Also the podcast “Competing on Analytics” by Jeanne Harris

A presentation on information visualization by Ben Shneiderman

The ideas about the importance of assessing libraries locally

Our bibliography has more information


Acknowledgements

University of Maryland students of the College of Information Studies, LBSC 713: Planning & Evaluating Library Services, two classes: Spring semester 2005 Fall semester 2006

Initial project funding from the University of Maryland Libraries


Contact Information

Web site: http://www.ponder-matic.com

Dan Wendling, MLS: [email protected] Neal K. Kaske, PhD: [email protected]

The contents of this presentation reflect the views of the authors who are responsible for the opinions, facts, and the accuracy of the data presented. The contents do not necessarily reflect the official views or policies of the author’s employers or of the University of Maryland Libraries.

Questions?

Technology

Student research behavior — prototype application (at CIL)