“Just the Most Useful Thing Ever”: Community College Students Talk About Their Information Literacy Needs
Type of Presentation
Individual paper/presentation
Target Audience
Higher Education
Location
Session Three Breakouts
Proposal
Online interviews were conducted with community college students in Florida and New York in order to explore their perceptions of their information literacy (IL) needs. Students were asked about their experiences with searching for, evaluating, and using information; their experiences with IL instruction; and their perceptions of their IL strengths and weaknesses. Each interview was audio-recorded, transcribed, coded, and analyzed.
Findings revealed that almost all of the students considered IL important in their schoolwork and in their personal lives, although they gravitate to different kinds of resources in those different areas. Many of them reported needing to improve their skills in finding information for school. One student, for example, stated, “I’d definitely like to improve my ability to make use of databases, because there are people out there that say that that is just the most useful thing ever.”
In terms of how they had learned what they know about IL, the most frequently identified method was the one-shot workshop, usually provided in conjunction with a course. Several mentioned consultations with librarians, instructors, peer tutors, and classmates. A few had completed a standalone IL course. Participants reported that they like to learn IL through demonstrations, hands-on practice, being able to ask questions, and being able to work with peers.
Students see IL as a set of skills rather than higher order concepts. They value IL, and their awareness of their weaknesses suggests they are open to receiving IL instruction.
Presentation Description
Online interviews were conducted with community college students in Florida and New York in order to explore their perceptions of their information literacy (IL) needs. Students were asked about their experiences with searching for, evaluating, and using information; their experiences with IL instruction; and their perceptions of their IL strengths and weaknesses. Findings revealed that almost all of the students considered IL important in their schoolwork and in their personal lives, and they recognize the need to improve their skills.
Keywords
community college students; self-perception of skills; community college libraries
Publication Type and Release Option
Presentation (Open Access)
Recommended Citation
Latham, Don; Gross, Melissa; and Julien, Heidi, "“Just the Most Useful Thing Ever”: Community College Students Talk About Their Information Literacy Needs" (2021). Georgia International Conference on Information Literacy. 18.
https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/gaintlit/2021/2021/18
“Just the Most Useful Thing Ever”: Community College Students Talk About Their Information Literacy Needs
Session Three Breakouts
Online interviews were conducted with community college students in Florida and New York in order to explore their perceptions of their information literacy (IL) needs. Students were asked about their experiences with searching for, evaluating, and using information; their experiences with IL instruction; and their perceptions of their IL strengths and weaknesses. Each interview was audio-recorded, transcribed, coded, and analyzed.
Findings revealed that almost all of the students considered IL important in their schoolwork and in their personal lives, although they gravitate to different kinds of resources in those different areas. Many of them reported needing to improve their skills in finding information for school. One student, for example, stated, “I’d definitely like to improve my ability to make use of databases, because there are people out there that say that that is just the most useful thing ever.”
In terms of how they had learned what they know about IL, the most frequently identified method was the one-shot workshop, usually provided in conjunction with a course. Several mentioned consultations with librarians, instructors, peer tutors, and classmates. A few had completed a standalone IL course. Participants reported that they like to learn IL through demonstrations, hands-on practice, being able to ask questions, and being able to work with peers.
Students see IL as a set of skills rather than higher order concepts. They value IL, and their awareness of their weaknesses suggests they are open to receiving IL instruction.
