Researchers at the Information School at the University of Washington released an important and thought-provoking report in late 2009: "Lessons Learned: How College Students Seek Information in the Digital Age."1 The study confirms and expands on the results of other reports. Its particular value is the size of the population studied, the diversity of institutions represented, and the use of both a survey and follow-up interviews for data collection.
The findings are troubling. College students think of information seeking as a rote process and tend to use the same small set of information resources no matter what question they have:
+ The primary sources they use for course work are course readings and Google.
+ They rely on professors to be "research coaches" for identifying additional sources.
+ They use Google and Wikipedia for research about everyday life topics.
+ They tend not to use library services that require interacting with librarians.
And although they begin the research process engaged and curious, they become frustrated and overwhelmed as it progresses.
The results of the study suggest that many college students view their educational experience as one of "satisficing" — finding just enough information that is "good enough" to complete course assignments. They miss opportunities that college education provides for exploration, discovery, and deep learning.
The consequences for these behaviors are serious when considering the lifelong learning skills students need when they enter the workforce. The implications for these young people later in life when they need information to make personal life-affecting decisions can be grave.
The ability to find, use, and communicate information effectively and ethically is commonly known as information literacy. It is the umbrella term for emerging literacies such as technology literacy, media literacy, and health literacy. Information literacy is the domain of all educators:
+ The Association of American Colleges and Universities identified information literacy as one of the essential learning outcomes that prepare students for 21st century challenges.
+ The"2010 Horizon Report," a collaboration between the EDUCAUSE Learning Initiative and the New Media Consortium, indicated that the need for training in the related digital media literacy is a critical challenge in education for the next five years.
+ The Council for Independent Colleges offers annual workshops for chief academic officers, librarians, and faculty on integrating information literacy at their campuses.
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