UNIV101 Information Literacy Follow-up With Focus Group (April-May 2007)

Summary of results:

Six students from Fall 2006 UNIV101 classes were asked to perform 8 tasks to measure what they had learned about research in UNIV101 and their first year of college. The results indicate the following:

• students are more familiar with the Library ReSEARCH station than with the physical library as demonstrated by the fact that all of them could correctly navigate to the ReSEARCH Station homepage, the library catalog for books, and the articles and databases page for articles but over half the questions on library locations were answered incorrectly.
• four students were able to pick the best "type" of information for a specific need
• three students could pick the correct database for a specific search
• two students developed a good search statement that pinpointed all aspects of the search
• two students suggested a viable way to revise their search had they not had good results.
• students used boolean connecters either through entering searches into different boxes are typing and between their keywords, but no students used truncation.
• six students were able to pick the most relevant articles from a canned search, and to identify a journal as being scholarly.
• six students could identify the different parts of a citation and could identify when an article was available in full text directly from a database.
• one student understood the function of the Find It button and was able to use it to get to the full text, three students did not know to use the Find It button, and two students did not get this question because the test giver spaced out and forgot to ask the question
• none of the students knew to use the Periodicals List if they were looking for a known citation, although two of them were able to find the article by going through the Academic Search database and searching for it (this only works if Academic Search happens to index the journal the citation is from).

Recommendations: More emphasis needs to be put on choosing the right database, developing effective search statements, and finding articles from known citations.

1. Knowledge of physical library

Questions and Results:

Have you ever been on a tour of this library?

• Yes: Jane, C (played a game)
• No: Jack, M, Jill, N

On what floor would you find books that are in the Main Collection?

Right: Jane, Jack, M

Wrong: C, Jill, N

On what floor would you find videos and DVDs?

Right: Jane

Wrong: C, Jack, M, Jill, N

On what floor can you get help from Librarians at the Reference Desk?

Right: M, Jack, Jane, N

Wrong: C, Jill

2. Can determine the best source of information

Questions:

Draw a line between the information need and the best source.

Results:

• C: 4 out of 4
• Jane: 1 out of 4
• Jack: 2 out of 4
• M: 4 out of 4
• Jill: 4 out of 4
• N: 4 out of 4

 

3. Can navigate the ReSEARCH Station

Questions:

Show me how to get to the Meriam Library ReSEARCH Station from the CSU, Chico homepage.

From the ReSEARCH Station, show me where you would go to find out if the library had a book by author Neil Gaiman .

Show me where you would go to search for articles in magazines and journals.

Results:

• M: 3 out of 3
• Jack: 3 out of 3
• Jane: 3 out of 3
• C: 3 out of 3
• Jill: 3 out of 3
• N: 3 out of 3

4. Can pick the best database.

Questions:

From the Articles and Databases page pick the BEST database to answer each question.

You are studying to be an elementary school teacher and are doing your student teaching at East Biggs Elementary. Yesterday the kids were shooting spit wads at you. Name the best database to find articles on how to discipline your classroom.

Your Mom thinks your little brother is going to be a juvenile delinquent because he spends a lot of time playing violent video games. Name a database you could use to find articles that will either make her feel better or confirm her worst nightmares.

Results:

• M: Did not know about the Subject Database list
• Jack:   Did not know about the Subject Database List
• Jane: Went to Academic Search but did go back and mention the Subject Database list.
• C: Went to the Subject Database list but also thought might look in A-Z list for words that pertain to topic.
• Jill: Went to the Subject Database list and picked the right areas.
• N: Went to Subject Database list and picked the right areas.

5. Can create an effective search statement.

Questions:

Using the Academic Search Database you are going to search for information on following topic:

Should e-mail sent at work be considered private?

As you perform you search talk about what you are typing in and why.

Review the first page of results. Are you happy with them?

Can you think of a way to revise your search to try and get more articles?

Perform your revised search?

Results:

• M: Used boxes to perform Boolean "and" search. Search words were adequate (work and email) but didn't use privacy. Did not have a good strategy to revise search.
• Jack:   Used boxes to perform Boolean "and" search. Search words were poor (email and is it safe). Revised search got rid of "is it".
• Jane: Used boxes to perform Boolean "and" search. Good search (work and email and privacy). Good search revision strategy (pick different words).
• C: Did not use Boolean (typed in a phrase). Search words were poor (privacy at work). Did not have a good strategy to revise search.
• Jill: Used Boolean "and". Good search words (work and email and private) Did not have a good strategy to revise search.
• N: Didn't know where to type words in or understand how it worked. Did not use Boolean. Adequate search words (internet privacy work) but needed to use "and" between words. Good revision strategy to add email to search.

6. Can evaluate sources.

Questions:

Start Over in Academic Search and perform the following search:

            electronic mail and work and privacy

Look at the first ten articles and pick out 2 articles that you feel are the most relevant to the topic.

What do you look for when you are evaluating whether an article is good?

Have you heard of the CRAAP test and do you know what the acronym stands for?

Look at the following article?     The ethics of research using electronic mail discussion groups.    Is this an example of a scholarly journal article? If yes, what characteristics did you judge by?

Results:

• M: Able to pick out the two most relevant articles. Able to distinguish scholarly journal.
• Jack: Able to pick out the two most relevant articles. Able to distinguish scholarly journal.
• Jane: Able to pick the two most relevant articles. Able to distinguish scholarly journal but also relied on limiter within database.
• C: Able to pick the two most relevant articles. Able to distinguish scholarly journal.
• Jill: Able to pick the two most relevant articles.Able to distinguish scholarly journal.
• N: Able to pick the two most relevant articles. Able to distinguish scholarly journal.

7. Can read citations and determine where to find the full text.

Questions:

Look at the two articles noted below in the results list for your search.

Who wrote the article?

What journal is it in?

What is the title of the article?

What other information could be important to find the article?

Is the full text available, and if so where?

Internet monitoring at work and employee privacy. (1 st page)

Privacy in electronic communication: Watch your e- mail : Your boss is snooping! (2 nd page)

Results:

• M: Able to read citation. Could navigate to full text if attached but did not use the Find It button to find where article was located if not in the database.
• Jack: Able to read citation. Could navigate to full text if attached but did not use the Find It button to find where article was located if not in the database.
• Jane: Able to read citation. Could navigate to full text if attached but did not use the Find It button to find where article was located if not in the database.
• C: Able to read citation. Could navigate to full text if attached. Skipped second question giving information about Find It button.
• Jill: Able to read citation and to find full text either attached to citation or using Find It button.
• N: Able to read citation and to find full text attached to citation. Skipped second question giving information about Find It button.

8. Can find a known citation (use the Periodicals List).

Questions:

Below are two citations to resources that can help you to write your paper. Show me how you could find them in the Meriam Library.

Cappel , J. J.: 1993, 'Closing the E-Mail Privacy Gap', Journal of Systems Management, Dec., 6-11.

Turner, Charles , and Elizabeth Martin, ed. (1984). Surveying Subjective Phenomena. New York : Russell Sage Foundation.

Results:

• M: Did not know how to find an article from a citation using the Periodicals List.
• Jack: Did not know how to find an article from a citation using the Periodicals List.
• Jane: Did not know how to find an article from a citation using the Periodicals List.
• C: Did not know how to find an article from a citation. Was able to find the article by going through Academic Search, but this would not work if the article had been in another database.
• Jill: Did not know how to find an article from a citation
• N: Did not know how to find an article from a citation using the Periodicals List (would go to the Reference Desk)