Sunday, April 22, 2007
How Internet Use Has Effected Academic Work
This is the Major Research Study Paper for LIS 584. This research paper will be sent to Cindy Ehlers, Reference Librarian at Lockwood Memorial Library, caehlers@buffalo.edu, Cindi Tysick, Subject Specialist at Lockwood Memorial Library, cat2@buffalo.edu, and Jeanne Tuohey, Reference/Instruction Librarian at Niagara County Community College Library, tuohey@niagaracc.suny.edu.
Introduction
The purpose of this research paper is to identify the effect that the Internet has had on academic work. Over the years there has been a lot of anecdotal evidence bandied about in academic circles about how Internet sources have lowered the quality of student work, how students no longer use the library to conduct research and how students do not know how to evaluate information sources. Through a search of literature and studies on the subject of Internet use by college students, this paper will provide scientific fact to either prove or disprove the anecdotal statements made about the topic. For the purposes of this paper, the term Internet will be used to describe both the Internet and the World Wide Web.
The literature used for this paper includes literature produced at the beginning of Internet use. Without an historical background for future studies, how can progress be evaluated in the area of Internet research. The paper includes studies and literature about how students perceive their use of the Internet. In contrast to the students view, there are also studies containing data about faculty perceptions of Internet use in academic work. The final group of literature includes studies and literature regarding the idea of critical thinking and how this plays a role in Internet use for research purposes. Even though plagiarism is an important issue with academia, this paper will not include the area of plagiarism and Internet use, as an entire research paper could be written on that subject alone.
The paper will also include ideas for future research and a summary of the studies and literature presented. Future research is always needed and is especially important to area of Internet research in academic settings. It is important because the nature of the Internet continually changes and use of the Internet changes as well.
The literature used for this paper includes literature produced at the beginning of Internet use. Without an historical background for future studies, how can progress be evaluated in the area of Internet research. The paper includes studies and literature about how students perceive their use of the Internet. In contrast to the students view, there are also studies containing data about faculty perceptions of Internet use in academic work. The final group of literature includes studies and literature regarding the idea of critical thinking and how this plays a role in Internet use for research purposes. Even though plagiarism is an important issue with academia, this paper will not include the area of plagiarism and Internet use, as an entire research paper could be written on that subject alone.
The paper will also include ideas for future research and a summary of the studies and literature presented. Future research is always needed and is especially important to area of Internet research in academic settings. It is important because the nature of the Internet continually changes and use of the Internet changes as well.
Early Literature
Early literature in the area of Internet research for academic purposes is very limited. At the beginning of the Internet, few studies were being done in the area of academic research. In general, the early research about the Internet revolved around the various uses of the Internet, with very little data about actual research.
In the article “Tidal Wave or Ripple? The Impact of Internet on the Academic,” a literature review is completed about academic use of the Internet. The literature reviewed deals with the areas of the Internet and library services, academic publishing, and what academics are doing with the Internet. The majority of the article is written about the first two topics. The third area of literature review, dealing the how academics are using the Internet is mainly concerned with communications: email, collaborating with colleagues, publishing, delivering information to students, and a small portion for actual research. (Pascoe, 1995).
An article by Thomas Klein discusses how the Internet will effect the lives of students and faculty members. This article is about vision, rather than research, but it illustrates how little research on Internet use was actually available in the early to mid 1990s. Klein writes about how much do libraries need to invest in the new technologies, do faculty members need assistance in learning these new technologies, how new electronic sources of information will change the way research is conducted. Klein writes about how the Internet will open up the world of information (1995).
In the article “Serving College Students in an Era of Recombinant Information,” the author writes about the emerging technologies, how costs for these technologies will decrease and how students will make use of these technologies. The information is based on a small case study conducted at the undergraduate library at the University of Texas regarding the implementation of online catalogs and periodical indexes. The case study also deals with the development of a computer center located in the library. As with other articles from this time period, there is little information on the effects of the Internet on the quality of student work (Alberico, 1995).
Information about conducting research on the web was difficult to find, however, one book about the subject was found. “Researching on the Internet” provides any type of user information regarding the Internet and how to research it. The book contains information on finding Internet providers, the changing nature of the Internet, the various types of resources available on the Internet, and issues about law and the Internet. The book gives a general overview of the Internet. What is missing from this book is how to determine the credibility of the information found using the Internet (Rowland, 1995).
The lack of scientific research is apparent in these early works about Internet use. It is clear that researchers concerned with the Internet were just starting to discover areas for research, which would expand as the Internet became a more frequently used tool in the academic world.
In the article “Tidal Wave or Ripple? The Impact of Internet on the Academic,” a literature review is completed about academic use of the Internet. The literature reviewed deals with the areas of the Internet and library services, academic publishing, and what academics are doing with the Internet. The majority of the article is written about the first two topics. The third area of literature review, dealing the how academics are using the Internet is mainly concerned with communications: email, collaborating with colleagues, publishing, delivering information to students, and a small portion for actual research. (Pascoe, 1995).
An article by Thomas Klein discusses how the Internet will effect the lives of students and faculty members. This article is about vision, rather than research, but it illustrates how little research on Internet use was actually available in the early to mid 1990s. Klein writes about how much do libraries need to invest in the new technologies, do faculty members need assistance in learning these new technologies, how new electronic sources of information will change the way research is conducted. Klein writes about how the Internet will open up the world of information (1995).
In the article “Serving College Students in an Era of Recombinant Information,” the author writes about the emerging technologies, how costs for these technologies will decrease and how students will make use of these technologies. The information is based on a small case study conducted at the undergraduate library at the University of Texas regarding the implementation of online catalogs and periodical indexes. The case study also deals with the development of a computer center located in the library. As with other articles from this time period, there is little information on the effects of the Internet on the quality of student work (Alberico, 1995).
Information about conducting research on the web was difficult to find, however, one book about the subject was found. “Researching on the Internet” provides any type of user information regarding the Internet and how to research it. The book contains information on finding Internet providers, the changing nature of the Internet, the various types of resources available on the Internet, and issues about law and the Internet. The book gives a general overview of the Internet. What is missing from this book is how to determine the credibility of the information found using the Internet (Rowland, 1995).
The lack of scientific research is apparent in these early works about Internet use. It is clear that researchers concerned with the Internet were just starting to discover areas for research, which would expand as the Internet became a more frequently used tool in the academic world.
Student Views of the Internet
Since the advent of the Internet as a tool in academia, there have been multiple small studies performed to determine student use of the Internet as well as their self-described competence with the Internet. A study was also conducted to determine how Internet sources have effected student’s work. As well, there have been a couple large studies conducted, searching for similar information. These studies collect data from a wide range of students and scholastic disciplines.
In one focus group study, performed at the University of Idaho, researchers learned that the biggest change in academic research was the growth in Internet use, which had changed the way both students and faculty gathered information. When asked about sources for material, the Internet was consistently cited as a major source of information. These same students and faculty members also discussed their frustration with getting tangled in links on the Internet. A major change in obstacles to finding information was also noted in this focus group study. In the past, students and faculty had difficulty finding books and other materials in the library because they weren’t on the shelves where they should have been. Now, students and faculty say the obstacle is too much information. They stated that the Internet contained too much information and that it was difficult getting through the information. One item was apparent to all members of the focus study, there is a need to watch for accurate and reliable information on the Internet (Young, 2001).
Barbara Quarton, in her article “Research Skills and the New Undergraduate,” discusses the need for undergraduate instruction in research skills, both in libraries and the Internet. Her premise is that students need help from instructors in determining which sources are the most appropriate. They also need guidance in learning the differences between databases available online through the library and the free Internet. By having faculty provide short exercises to help students learn about the plethora of good information sources, they will make better decisions about research paper resources in the future (2003).
Another study was implemented on the differences in how students conduct Internet searching. This study was conducted with Masters students performing research on predetermined topics, using a single search engine. What these researchers found was that gender and cognitive styles play a key role in how well search engines searches retrieve information that is of value to the student (Ford, 2001). This poses the question, how do the search engines change to meet the cognitive styles of different individuals, and how to students know which search engines will best fit their cognitive styles?
A study was conducted at Cornell University among Introduction to Microeconomics students that studied the Internet citations used in research papers over several years. The study began in 1996 and continued through 2001. At the beginning of the study, the number of Internet citations was lower than those of books, scholarly journals, and magazines. Through the years of the study, the number of Internet citations climbed, the length of the bibliographies got longer and faculty became concerned with the quality of the student papers. During the last year of the study, faculty members implemented guidelines for the students for acceptable reference sources. Because of this implementation, the number of Internet resources significantly declined, but the total number of resources did not. The researchers found that reliance on Internet sources increased until faculty members stepped in to curb the use of Internet sources for research papers (Davis, 2003).
A similar study was conducted at universities and colleges in the Philadelphia area. This study found that students did not use a lot of electronic/Internet resources for their work. They also found that students were unable to properly cite electronic/Internet sources, even though they received instruction in how to do so. In some cases, the researchers also had difficulty in determining with a source was from the Internet, due to the student’s inability to properly cite an Internet source (Malone, 1997).
A small focus group study at Monmouth University found that all the participants in the study had used Internet sources for at least one assignment in the previous five months. The researchers also found that in feedback from faculty, as reported by the students, most faculty would accept Internet sources, as long as these weren’t the only sources used. The study also found that students were aware of changing nature of information on the Internet and that the sources might not be current, that it was important to look for when the page was last updated. The researchers were satisfied with the results they received from the study, but were cognizant of the limitations from a small focus group study (D’Esposito, 1999).
A study by Metzger, Flanagin, and Zwarun dealt with the issues of student internet use, information credibility and student verification of the information. In the first section of the study on internet usage, the researchers found similar results to those of other studies about college student internet use. In the second part of the study, the researchers found that students find news and reference information to be more credible that either entertainment or commercial information. They also found that students rarely verify the accuracy of information they find on the Internet (2003).
Three larger studies have been conducted about student use of the Internet. One of the studies was conducted at Duke University, the two other studies are national. John Lubans conducted a series of three studies at Duke University over a couple of years. In his 1998 survey of freshman, he found that the majority of students use Internet sources for their assignments. For the majority of these students, the number of Internet sources do not make up more that 50% of their total resources. Twenty percent of students felt Internet sources helped improve the quality of their work. Lubans’ study also found that students had a balanced view of the accuracy of the Internet. Many students found that the information found on the Internet was accurate, timely, and authoritative, while others didn’t take such a positive view of its accuracy. The study also found that these students are using the Internet for a lot more that research (Lubans, 1998).
In Lubans’ article, “When Students Hit the Surf”, the author compared the results from three different studies he conducted, two with Duke University students and one with 7th-10th graders who came to Duke during the summer of 1998. He compares the two groups (college students and 7th to 10th graders) because eventually, the younger students will come to college and their survey results can only help librarians and faculty members prepare for them. Between the two groups, he found very little difference in the way the students utilized the Internet. The students felt the Internet opened up greater opportunities for resources (1999).
A national study conducted by Online Computer Library Center (OCLC) found similar results as Lubans’ study in terms of the use of the Internet by college students. In addition, the OCLC study found that students believe the Internet falls short in accuracy of information available. Students also question whether the information on the Internet is up to date (2002).
The Pew Internet & American Life Project also conducted a national survey of college students. As with the other two large surveys, most of the data collected had little to do with how students use the Internet for research. The study did have a section related to this area of study. The researchers found that students use the Internet more than the library for research. Based on this, the researchers concluded that the Internet has become a major factor in student research and will continue to become even more important in the future (Jones, 2002).
Overall, the amount of research completed about student use of Internet resources for academic work is small, compared to the research conducted on the ways students use the Internet. The consensus among the studies presented is that the majority of students use Internet sources to complete assignments for classes. How many Internet sources used depends on the guidelines given by the faculty. Through the years, it also appears that Internet use has increased for research purposes, although students may question the accuracy of the information they find.
In one focus group study, performed at the University of Idaho, researchers learned that the biggest change in academic research was the growth in Internet use, which had changed the way both students and faculty gathered information. When asked about sources for material, the Internet was consistently cited as a major source of information. These same students and faculty members also discussed their frustration with getting tangled in links on the Internet. A major change in obstacles to finding information was also noted in this focus group study. In the past, students and faculty had difficulty finding books and other materials in the library because they weren’t on the shelves where they should have been. Now, students and faculty say the obstacle is too much information. They stated that the Internet contained too much information and that it was difficult getting through the information. One item was apparent to all members of the focus study, there is a need to watch for accurate and reliable information on the Internet (Young, 2001).
Barbara Quarton, in her article “Research Skills and the New Undergraduate,” discusses the need for undergraduate instruction in research skills, both in libraries and the Internet. Her premise is that students need help from instructors in determining which sources are the most appropriate. They also need guidance in learning the differences between databases available online through the library and the free Internet. By having faculty provide short exercises to help students learn about the plethora of good information sources, they will make better decisions about research paper resources in the future (2003).
Another study was implemented on the differences in how students conduct Internet searching. This study was conducted with Masters students performing research on predetermined topics, using a single search engine. What these researchers found was that gender and cognitive styles play a key role in how well search engines searches retrieve information that is of value to the student (Ford, 2001). This poses the question, how do the search engines change to meet the cognitive styles of different individuals, and how to students know which search engines will best fit their cognitive styles?
A study was conducted at Cornell University among Introduction to Microeconomics students that studied the Internet citations used in research papers over several years. The study began in 1996 and continued through 2001. At the beginning of the study, the number of Internet citations was lower than those of books, scholarly journals, and magazines. Through the years of the study, the number of Internet citations climbed, the length of the bibliographies got longer and faculty became concerned with the quality of the student papers. During the last year of the study, faculty members implemented guidelines for the students for acceptable reference sources. Because of this implementation, the number of Internet resources significantly declined, but the total number of resources did not. The researchers found that reliance on Internet sources increased until faculty members stepped in to curb the use of Internet sources for research papers (Davis, 2003).
A similar study was conducted at universities and colleges in the Philadelphia area. This study found that students did not use a lot of electronic/Internet resources for their work. They also found that students were unable to properly cite electronic/Internet sources, even though they received instruction in how to do so. In some cases, the researchers also had difficulty in determining with a source was from the Internet, due to the student’s inability to properly cite an Internet source (Malone, 1997).
A small focus group study at Monmouth University found that all the participants in the study had used Internet sources for at least one assignment in the previous five months. The researchers also found that in feedback from faculty, as reported by the students, most faculty would accept Internet sources, as long as these weren’t the only sources used. The study also found that students were aware of changing nature of information on the Internet and that the sources might not be current, that it was important to look for when the page was last updated. The researchers were satisfied with the results they received from the study, but were cognizant of the limitations from a small focus group study (D’Esposito, 1999).
A study by Metzger, Flanagin, and Zwarun dealt with the issues of student internet use, information credibility and student verification of the information. In the first section of the study on internet usage, the researchers found similar results to those of other studies about college student internet use. In the second part of the study, the researchers found that students find news and reference information to be more credible that either entertainment or commercial information. They also found that students rarely verify the accuracy of information they find on the Internet (2003).
Three larger studies have been conducted about student use of the Internet. One of the studies was conducted at Duke University, the two other studies are national. John Lubans conducted a series of three studies at Duke University over a couple of years. In his 1998 survey of freshman, he found that the majority of students use Internet sources for their assignments. For the majority of these students, the number of Internet sources do not make up more that 50% of their total resources. Twenty percent of students felt Internet sources helped improve the quality of their work. Lubans’ study also found that students had a balanced view of the accuracy of the Internet. Many students found that the information found on the Internet was accurate, timely, and authoritative, while others didn’t take such a positive view of its accuracy. The study also found that these students are using the Internet for a lot more that research (Lubans, 1998).
In Lubans’ article, “When Students Hit the Surf”, the author compared the results from three different studies he conducted, two with Duke University students and one with 7th-10th graders who came to Duke during the summer of 1998. He compares the two groups (college students and 7th to 10th graders) because eventually, the younger students will come to college and their survey results can only help librarians and faculty members prepare for them. Between the two groups, he found very little difference in the way the students utilized the Internet. The students felt the Internet opened up greater opportunities for resources (1999).
A national study conducted by Online Computer Library Center (OCLC) found similar results as Lubans’ study in terms of the use of the Internet by college students. In addition, the OCLC study found that students believe the Internet falls short in accuracy of information available. Students also question whether the information on the Internet is up to date (2002).
The Pew Internet & American Life Project also conducted a national survey of college students. As with the other two large surveys, most of the data collected had little to do with how students use the Internet for research. The study did have a section related to this area of study. The researchers found that students use the Internet more than the library for research. Based on this, the researchers concluded that the Internet has become a major factor in student research and will continue to become even more important in the future (Jones, 2002).
Overall, the amount of research completed about student use of Internet resources for academic work is small, compared to the research conducted on the ways students use the Internet. The consensus among the studies presented is that the majority of students use Internet sources to complete assignments for classes. How many Internet sources used depends on the guidelines given by the faculty. Through the years, it also appears that Internet use has increased for research purposes, although students may question the accuracy of the information they find.
Faculty Views on the Internet
The studies conducted of faculty views on the use of Internet sources in academic work are more conclusive and direct than the studies of student views. While none of the studies found for this research paper were national in scope, they do present different attitudes of faculty members across disciplines. The faculty studies presented in this section of the paper will be in chronological order, to get an idea of how faculty response to Internet use has changed.
Toward the beginning of the use of the Internet as a reference source, there were few studies presenting the faculty side and there was a lot of anecdotal evidence and personal experience presented in the literature. Steven Knowlton (1997)states that
“They (faculty) are concerned that they Internet makes readily available so much information, much of it unreliable, that students think research is far easier than it really is. As a result, educators say, students are producing superficial research papers, full of data – some of it suspect – and little thought.” (p.18)
David Rothenberg, an associate professor at New Jersey Institute of Technology, says that “My class had fallen victim to the latest easy way of writing a paper: doing their research on the World Wide Web. (p. 59)” Rothenberg also believes that it is his responsibility to teach his students how assess sources and determine their credibility so that the quality of their work will improve (1998). Kari Boyd McBride (1998) took a positive approach to the advent of the Internet as a research tool. Even though she realizes that students no longer get their information from reliable print sources, she sees the Internet as a great opportunity to teach students how to become “better readers, writers, and thinkers (p. B6).”
In two separate articles based on a survey of faculty at colleges and universities in Alabama, Susan Davis Herring studies faculty acceptance of the Internet as a research tool. In the first article, Herring (College, 1998) contemplates two questions asked in the Alabama survey, “1. Have faculty accepted the Web as a suitable resources for their undergraduate students’ research? 2. Do faculty encourage their undergraduate students to use the Web as a resource in their course-related research assignments? (p. 253)” Herring found that the majority of faculty encourage their students to use Internet resources, whether as specifically stated by the assignment, or on their own. These faculty members, however, are also concerned with the accuracy of the information found on the Internet.
In the second article in The Journal of Academic Librarianship, about the Alabama study, Herring studies whether faculty find the Internet as an acceptable resource for their own research and does academic discipline play a role in the acceptance of the Internet as a research tool. What Herring discovered was that researchers were happy with the expanding information present on the Internet, even though they were skeptical about accuracy. As well, Herring discovered that academic discipline does play a role in the acceptance of the Internet as a research tool, science disciplines were more likely to accept research from the Internet than social science or language disciplines (1998).
In another study by Liz McDowell, faculty members were interviewed to gain their perspectives on the role of electronic information in their classes. Three areas were discussed, the concept of an electronic academic library, bringing electronic information into the classroom, and student use of electronic resources for their work. As with other studies, this study found that faculty were willing to accept some resources from the Internet, but that peer reviewed and scholarly resources were more welcome. The faculty members also expressed concern about the quality of the materials found on the Internet and about plagiarism from Internet sources (2002).
Finally, a study was conducted using faculty from a business school. The data received from this study is different from the other studies. Faculty members in the business discipline actively encourage their students to use the Internet as primary sources of information. This is due to the information that can be found on the Internet relating to business matters (Dewald, 2005).
As can be seen from the studies presented, for the most part, faculty members appear to be wary of Internet resources as reference sources for class assignments. The lone exception to this is in business classes. Also, it appears that some faculty believe that it is partly their responsibility to teach their students which types of sources are acceptable for assignments and which sources need to be evaluated for accuracy and credibility. As the Internet changes and grows, reliable resources have made their way onto the Internet. Some believe that faculty should be encouraging students to use Internet resources and teach they ways to evaluate the sources (Harmon, 2007).
Toward the beginning of the use of the Internet as a reference source, there were few studies presenting the faculty side and there was a lot of anecdotal evidence and personal experience presented in the literature. Steven Knowlton (1997)states that
“They (faculty) are concerned that they Internet makes readily available so much information, much of it unreliable, that students think research is far easier than it really is. As a result, educators say, students are producing superficial research papers, full of data – some of it suspect – and little thought.” (p.18)
David Rothenberg, an associate professor at New Jersey Institute of Technology, says that “My class had fallen victim to the latest easy way of writing a paper: doing their research on the World Wide Web. (p. 59)” Rothenberg also believes that it is his responsibility to teach his students how assess sources and determine their credibility so that the quality of their work will improve (1998). Kari Boyd McBride (1998) took a positive approach to the advent of the Internet as a research tool. Even though she realizes that students no longer get their information from reliable print sources, she sees the Internet as a great opportunity to teach students how to become “better readers, writers, and thinkers (p. B6).”
In two separate articles based on a survey of faculty at colleges and universities in Alabama, Susan Davis Herring studies faculty acceptance of the Internet as a research tool. In the first article, Herring (College, 1998) contemplates two questions asked in the Alabama survey, “1. Have faculty accepted the Web as a suitable resources for their undergraduate students’ research? 2. Do faculty encourage their undergraduate students to use the Web as a resource in their course-related research assignments? (p. 253)” Herring found that the majority of faculty encourage their students to use Internet resources, whether as specifically stated by the assignment, or on their own. These faculty members, however, are also concerned with the accuracy of the information found on the Internet.
In the second article in The Journal of Academic Librarianship, about the Alabama study, Herring studies whether faculty find the Internet as an acceptable resource for their own research and does academic discipline play a role in the acceptance of the Internet as a research tool. What Herring discovered was that researchers were happy with the expanding information present on the Internet, even though they were skeptical about accuracy. As well, Herring discovered that academic discipline does play a role in the acceptance of the Internet as a research tool, science disciplines were more likely to accept research from the Internet than social science or language disciplines (1998).
In another study by Liz McDowell, faculty members were interviewed to gain their perspectives on the role of electronic information in their classes. Three areas were discussed, the concept of an electronic academic library, bringing electronic information into the classroom, and student use of electronic resources for their work. As with other studies, this study found that faculty were willing to accept some resources from the Internet, but that peer reviewed and scholarly resources were more welcome. The faculty members also expressed concern about the quality of the materials found on the Internet and about plagiarism from Internet sources (2002).
Finally, a study was conducted using faculty from a business school. The data received from this study is different from the other studies. Faculty members in the business discipline actively encourage their students to use the Internet as primary sources of information. This is due to the information that can be found on the Internet relating to business matters (Dewald, 2005).
As can be seen from the studies presented, for the most part, faculty members appear to be wary of Internet resources as reference sources for class assignments. The lone exception to this is in business classes. Also, it appears that some faculty believe that it is partly their responsibility to teach their students which types of sources are acceptable for assignments and which sources need to be evaluated for accuracy and credibility. As the Internet changes and grows, reliable resources have made their way onto the Internet. Some believe that faculty should be encouraging students to use Internet resources and teach they ways to evaluate the sources (Harmon, 2007).
Critical Thinking
From the beginning of Internet in academic work, there has been a call for faculty and librarians to teach students how to evaluate information found on the Internet as well as to think critically about the information retrieved, not only from the Internet, but from traditional as well. To begin with, librarians were called upon to create tools for students to use while performing research on the Internet. For the most part, these tools called for students to check and recheck the accuracy of their sources (Brandt, 1996).
As more students used the Internet as a resource, studies began to appear that addressed the issue of critical thinking in terms of Internet use. Once such study found that if students used critical thinking when searching the Internet, they could find more in-depth information than was readily available from traditional sources. The study also found that interactivity also played a role in critical thinking about Internet sources. Students had the ability to contact the author through electronic means. The study found, however, that students were missing the importance of the context of information which led to a narrower understanding of the topic they were researching (Browne, 2000).
A study produced by Burton and Chadwick studied the criteria students used for evaluating Internet resources and the type of instruction these student had received to evaluate the resources. The majority of student involved in the study had received at least some instruction on evaluating reference sources, either traditional or Internet. The researchers also found that do evaluate the sources they plan to use for assignments. These evaluation techniques, however, are not necessarily the correct ones for the type of resource they are evaluating. Students tended to use one set of evaluation criteria for both traditional and Internet sources. This leads to questionable accuracy of materials based on inappropriate evaluation (2000).
Grimes and Boening created a study to determine if students were using inaccurate or inappropriate resources from the Internet for their academic work. The results from the study showed that students were evaluating Internet resources on a superficial lever, if at all. They also found that students were not taking advantage of web guides provided by the library or of the databases located within the libraries’ electronic resources. Grimes and Boening recommend more faculty guidelines regarding resources, as well as instruction in determining good Internet resources (2001).
Additional studies found that critical thinking and evaluation skills are crucial to successfully using the Internet as a research tool. Connor-Greene used an in-class exercise as the basis for a study on student evaluation of Internet sources. The exercise posed a series of questions that could be answered by using the Internet. She found that the majority of students used the first source they could find to complete the questions, without verifying the information from one or two additional sources. She also found that this information was not always correct or was taken from an Internet site that had an agenda to pursue. Connor-Greene found the exercise as a good starting point for teaching her students how to critically think about the sources they were using (2002).
In more recent literature, researchers discuss how students trust Internet resources without evaluating the sources for reliability. They are also discussing how critical thinking needs to be taught to students so that they may confidently use a resource that has continually gained popularity since its inception (Graham, 2003).
Researchers are also looking into the research methods of Generation Y as they enter their college years. This is the first generation that has grown up having computers available to them. They started junior high and high school as the Internet came on the scene. Weiler explores the various research on information retrieval and critical thinking to open up discussion on these processes as they pertain to this new group of students. She found that Generation Y students are used to sound bites, videos and images in their day-to-day lives and this translates into the types of research they perform for academic work. They want to find information quickly and are not necessarily concerned with the accuracy of that information. The Internet suits their style of learning (2005).
It is apparent that the studies have uncovered a need for college students to think critically about the information they retrieve from both traditional resources and Internet resources. This critical thinking will help them decide which resources best suit their needs and give them accurate and current information for their academic work. The studies also find that critical thinking skills are either not being taught at the university level, or students are not absorbing these lessons. This lack of acquiring critical thinking skills has effected the learning that students achieve during their college years.
As more students used the Internet as a resource, studies began to appear that addressed the issue of critical thinking in terms of Internet use. Once such study found that if students used critical thinking when searching the Internet, they could find more in-depth information than was readily available from traditional sources. The study also found that interactivity also played a role in critical thinking about Internet sources. Students had the ability to contact the author through electronic means. The study found, however, that students were missing the importance of the context of information which led to a narrower understanding of the topic they were researching (Browne, 2000).
A study produced by Burton and Chadwick studied the criteria students used for evaluating Internet resources and the type of instruction these student had received to evaluate the resources. The majority of student involved in the study had received at least some instruction on evaluating reference sources, either traditional or Internet. The researchers also found that do evaluate the sources they plan to use for assignments. These evaluation techniques, however, are not necessarily the correct ones for the type of resource they are evaluating. Students tended to use one set of evaluation criteria for both traditional and Internet sources. This leads to questionable accuracy of materials based on inappropriate evaluation (2000).
Grimes and Boening created a study to determine if students were using inaccurate or inappropriate resources from the Internet for their academic work. The results from the study showed that students were evaluating Internet resources on a superficial lever, if at all. They also found that students were not taking advantage of web guides provided by the library or of the databases located within the libraries’ electronic resources. Grimes and Boening recommend more faculty guidelines regarding resources, as well as instruction in determining good Internet resources (2001).
Additional studies found that critical thinking and evaluation skills are crucial to successfully using the Internet as a research tool. Connor-Greene used an in-class exercise as the basis for a study on student evaluation of Internet sources. The exercise posed a series of questions that could be answered by using the Internet. She found that the majority of students used the first source they could find to complete the questions, without verifying the information from one or two additional sources. She also found that this information was not always correct or was taken from an Internet site that had an agenda to pursue. Connor-Greene found the exercise as a good starting point for teaching her students how to critically think about the sources they were using (2002).
In more recent literature, researchers discuss how students trust Internet resources without evaluating the sources for reliability. They are also discussing how critical thinking needs to be taught to students so that they may confidently use a resource that has continually gained popularity since its inception (Graham, 2003).
Researchers are also looking into the research methods of Generation Y as they enter their college years. This is the first generation that has grown up having computers available to them. They started junior high and high school as the Internet came on the scene. Weiler explores the various research on information retrieval and critical thinking to open up discussion on these processes as they pertain to this new group of students. She found that Generation Y students are used to sound bites, videos and images in their day-to-day lives and this translates into the types of research they perform for academic work. They want to find information quickly and are not necessarily concerned with the accuracy of that information. The Internet suits their style of learning (2005).
It is apparent that the studies have uncovered a need for college students to think critically about the information they retrieve from both traditional resources and Internet resources. This critical thinking will help them decide which resources best suit their needs and give them accurate and current information for their academic work. The studies also find that critical thinking skills are either not being taught at the university level, or students are not absorbing these lessons. This lack of acquiring critical thinking skills has effected the learning that students achieve during their college years.
Further Research
All the areas of this research paper could be further researched. The data on student use of the Internet is several years old and no new studies could be found in ths area. Additionally, studies could be completed just on student use of the Internet as a research tool for their academic work. As seen in the studies mentioned above, this area of research was limited to a couple of questions, while the majority of the survey was interested in all other types of Internet use.
In addition, new studies based on faculty acceptance of Internet sources in course work should be studied. As with the student use, the studies mentioned are not current. As well, the ideas of critical thinking and instruction in critical thinking need to be included in future studies of faculty acceptance of the Internet. This appears to be the direction thought on the Internet is moving towards and new research should be completed on this topic.
This new research is particularly important since the Internet continues to grow and change. Have beliefs about accuracy and quality changed? Do faculty members still need to provide their students with guidelines for how many Internet sources they will accept? Do students still feel that accuracy isn’t really important when dealing with Internet sources? These are all areas that need further and expanded research.
In addition, new studies based on faculty acceptance of Internet sources in course work should be studied. As with the student use, the studies mentioned are not current. As well, the ideas of critical thinking and instruction in critical thinking need to be included in future studies of faculty acceptance of the Internet. This appears to be the direction thought on the Internet is moving towards and new research should be completed on this topic.
This new research is particularly important since the Internet continues to grow and change. Have beliefs about accuracy and quality changed? Do faculty members still need to provide their students with guidelines for how many Internet sources they will accept? Do students still feel that accuracy isn’t really important when dealing with Internet sources? These are all areas that need further and expanded research.
Summary
The studies found for this research paper indicate several common threads with regard to the use of Internet sources for academic work. First, as the Internet came into use on a widespread basis, so did use of the Internet by college students. Students have increased their use of the Internet for three reasons, they can research schoolwork from their rooms and it is easy to locate information to use for their assignments, and they save time by researching assignments on the Internet. Second, students seem unconcerned about the quality and accuracy of information they find on the Internet. Third, faculty members are concerned with the increase in Internet resources cited for class assignments. Fourth, faculty members are concerned with the accuracy and quality of the resources used on the Internet. Fifth, faculty and librarians are concerned with educating students to better use the Internet and other electronic resources for their work.
Further study needs to be done on this topic. To date, much of the research has been done on a small scale. The larger studies are now five or more years old. Since the Internet is an ever changing resource, new studies need to be completed as to the perceptions of accuracy and quality of the resources, as well as faculty and student beliefs about using the Internet as a source of information.
Further study needs to be done on this topic. To date, much of the research has been done on a small scale. The larger studies are now five or more years old. Since the Internet is an ever changing resource, new studies need to be completed as to the perceptions of accuracy and quality of the resources, as well as faculty and student beliefs about using the Internet as a source of information.
Works Cited
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Brandt, D. S. (1996). Evaluating information on the internet. Computers in Libraries, 16(5), 44-46. Retrieved April 15, 2007, from Academic Search Premier database.
Browne, M. N., Freeman, K. E., & Williamson, C. L. (2000). The importance of critical thinking for student use of the internet. College Student Journal, 34(3), 391-398. Retrieved April 15, 2007, from Education Full Text database.
Burton, V. T., & Chadwick, S. A. (2000). Investigating the practices of student researchers: patterns of use and criteria for use of internet and library sources. Computers and Composition, 17(3), 309-328. Retrieved April 15, 2007, from ScienceDirect database.
Connor-Greene, P. A., & Greene, D. J. (2002). Science or snake oil? Teaching critical evaluation of ‘Research’ reports on the internet. Teaching of Psychology, 29(4), 321-324. Retrieved April 10, 2007, from Academic Search Premier database.
Davis, P. M. (2003). Effect of the web on undergraduate citation behavior: guiding student scholarship in a networked age. portal: Libraries and the Academy, 3(1), 41-51. Retrieved April 15, 2007, from Project MUSE database.
D’Esposito, J. E., & Gardner, R. M. (1999). University students’ perceptions of the internet: an exploratory study. The Journal of Academic Librarianship, 25(6), 456-461. Retrieved April 10, 2007, from Academic Search Premier database.
Dewald, N. H., (2005). What do they tell their students? business faculty acceptance of the web and library databases for student research. The Journal of Academic Librarianship, 31(3), 209-215. Retrieve February 21, 2007, from Library Literature & Information Science Full Text database.
Ford, N., Miller, D., & Moss, N. (2001). The role of individual differences in internet searching: an empirical study. Journal of the American Society for Information Science and Technology, 52(12), 1049-1066. Retrieved February 21, 2007, from ProQuest database.
Grimes, D. J., & Boening, C. H. (2001). Worries with the web: a look at student use of web resources. College & Research Libraries, 62(1), 11-23. Retrieved April 10, 2007, from Education Full Text database.
Graham, L., & Metaxas, P. T. (2003). ‘Of course it’s true; I saw it on the internet!’: critical thinking in the internet era. Communications of the ACM, 46(5), 71-75. Retrieved April 15, 2007, from Business Source Premier database.
Harmon, J. C. (2007). Let them use the internet: why college instructors should encourage student internet use. College Teaching, 55(1), 2-4. Retrieved April 12, 2007, from Academic Search Premier database.
Herring, S. D. (1998). Faculty acceptance of the world wide web for student research. College & Research Libraries, 62(3), 251-258. Retrieved April 10, 2007, from Education Full Text database.
Herring, S. D. (1998). Using the world wide web for research: are faculty satisfied? The Journal of Academic Librarianship, 27(3), 213-219. Retrieved February 22, 2007, from Academic Search Premier database.
Jones, S. (2002, September 15). The internet goes to college: how students are living in the future with today’s technology. Retrieved April 15, 2007, from
http://www.pewinternet.org/pdfs/PIP_College_Report.pdf
Klein, T. (1995). Electronic revolution at the educational crossroads. College Teaching, 43(4), 151-156. Retrieved March 26, 2007, from Academic Search Premier database.
Knowlton, S. R. (1997, November 2). How students get lost in cyberspace. The New York Times. Retrieved April 15, 2007, from Factiva database.
Lubans Jr., J. (1999). When students hit the surf. School Library Journal, 45(9), 144-147. Retrieved April 15, 2007 from Academic Search Premier database.
Lubans Jr., J. (1998, April 8). How first-year university students use and regard internet resources. Retrieved April 15, 2007, from http://www.lubans.org/docs/1styear/
firstyear.html
Malone, D., & Videon, C. (1997). Assessing undergraduate use of electronic resources: a quantitative analysis of works cited. Research Strategies, 15(3), 151-158. Retrieved April 15, 2007, from ScienceDirect database.
McBride, K. B., & Dickstein, R. (1998). The web demands critical thinking by students. The Chronicle of Higher Education, 44(28), B6. Retrieved April 15, 2007, from LexisNexis Academic database.
McDowell, L. (2002). Electronic information resources in undergraduate education: an exploratory study of opportunities for student learning and independence. British Journal of Educational Technology, 33(3), 255-266. Retrieved April 15, 2007, from Education Full Text database.
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. Retrieved April 10, 2007, from ScienceDirect database.
OCLC White Paper. (2002, June). How academic librarians can influence students’ web-based information choices. Retrieved April 15, 2007, from http://www5.oclc.org/
downloads/community/informationhabits.pdf
Pascoe, C., Applebee, A., & Clayton, P. (1996). Tidal wave or ripple? the impact of internet on the academic. Australian Library Review, 13(2), 147-155.
Quarton, B. (2003). Research skills and the new undergraduate. Journal of Instructional Psychology, 30(2), 120-124. Retrieved February 23, 2007, from Education Full Text database.
Rothenberg, D. (1998). How the web destroys student research papers. Education Digest, 63(6), 59-61. Retrieved April 15, 2007, from Academic Search Premier database.
Rowland, R., & Kinnaman, D. (1995). Researching on the internet. Rocklin, CA: Prima Publishing.
Weiler, A. (2005). Information-seeking behavior in Generation Y students: motivation, critical thinking, and learning theory. The Journal of Academic Librarianship, 31(1), 46-53. Retrieved March 26, 2007, from Education Full Text database.
Young, N. J., & Von Seggern, M. (2001). General information seeking in changing times: a focus group study. Reference & User Services Quarterly, 41(2), 159-169. Retrieved April 10, 2007, from Library Literature & Information Science Full Text database.
Brandt, D. S. (1996). Evaluating information on the internet. Computers in Libraries, 16(5), 44-46. Retrieved April 15, 2007, from Academic Search Premier database.
Browne, M. N., Freeman, K. E., & Williamson, C. L. (2000). The importance of critical thinking for student use of the internet. College Student Journal, 34(3), 391-398. Retrieved April 15, 2007, from Education Full Text database.
Burton, V. T., & Chadwick, S. A. (2000). Investigating the practices of student researchers: patterns of use and criteria for use of internet and library sources. Computers and Composition, 17(3), 309-328. Retrieved April 15, 2007, from ScienceDirect database.
Connor-Greene, P. A., & Greene, D. J. (2002). Science or snake oil? Teaching critical evaluation of ‘Research’ reports on the internet. Teaching of Psychology, 29(4), 321-324. Retrieved April 10, 2007, from Academic Search Premier database.
Davis, P. M. (2003). Effect of the web on undergraduate citation behavior: guiding student scholarship in a networked age. portal: Libraries and the Academy, 3(1), 41-51. Retrieved April 15, 2007, from Project MUSE database.
D’Esposito, J. E., & Gardner, R. M. (1999). University students’ perceptions of the internet: an exploratory study. The Journal of Academic Librarianship, 25(6), 456-461. Retrieved April 10, 2007, from Academic Search Premier database.
Dewald, N. H., (2005). What do they tell their students? business faculty acceptance of the web and library databases for student research. The Journal of Academic Librarianship, 31(3), 209-215. Retrieve February 21, 2007, from Library Literature & Information Science Full Text database.
Ford, N., Miller, D., & Moss, N. (2001). The role of individual differences in internet searching: an empirical study. Journal of the American Society for Information Science and Technology, 52(12), 1049-1066. Retrieved February 21, 2007, from ProQuest database.
Grimes, D. J., & Boening, C. H. (2001). Worries with the web: a look at student use of web resources. College & Research Libraries, 62(1), 11-23. Retrieved April 10, 2007, from Education Full Text database.
Graham, L., & Metaxas, P. T. (2003). ‘Of course it’s true; I saw it on the internet!’: critical thinking in the internet era. Communications of the ACM, 46(5), 71-75. Retrieved April 15, 2007, from Business Source Premier database.
Harmon, J. C. (2007). Let them use the internet: why college instructors should encourage student internet use. College Teaching, 55(1), 2-4. Retrieved April 12, 2007, from Academic Search Premier database.
Herring, S. D. (1998). Faculty acceptance of the world wide web for student research. College & Research Libraries, 62(3), 251-258. Retrieved April 10, 2007, from Education Full Text database.
Herring, S. D. (1998). Using the world wide web for research: are faculty satisfied? The Journal of Academic Librarianship, 27(3), 213-219. Retrieved February 22, 2007, from Academic Search Premier database.
Jones, S. (2002, September 15). The internet goes to college: how students are living in the future with today’s technology. Retrieved April 15, 2007, from
http://www.pewinternet.org/pdfs/PIP_College_Report.pdf
Klein, T. (1995). Electronic revolution at the educational crossroads. College Teaching, 43(4), 151-156. Retrieved March 26, 2007, from Academic Search Premier database.
Knowlton, S. R. (1997, November 2). How students get lost in cyberspace. The New York Times. Retrieved April 15, 2007, from Factiva database.
Lubans Jr., J. (1999). When students hit the surf. School Library Journal, 45(9), 144-147. Retrieved April 15, 2007 from Academic Search Premier database.
Lubans Jr., J. (1998, April 8). How first-year university students use and regard internet resources. Retrieved April 15, 2007, from http://www.lubans.org/docs/1styear/
firstyear.html
Malone, D., & Videon, C. (1997). Assessing undergraduate use of electronic resources: a quantitative analysis of works cited. Research Strategies, 15(3), 151-158. Retrieved April 15, 2007, from ScienceDirect database.
McBride, K. B., & Dickstein, R. (1998). The web demands critical thinking by students. The Chronicle of Higher Education, 44(28), B6. Retrieved April 15, 2007, from LexisNexis Academic database.
McDowell, L. (2002). Electronic information resources in undergraduate education: an exploratory study of opportunities for student learning and independence. British Journal of Educational Technology, 33(3), 255-266. Retrieved April 15, 2007, from Education Full Text database.
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. Retrieved April 10, 2007, from ScienceDirect database.
OCLC White Paper. (2002, June). How academic librarians can influence students’ web-based information choices. Retrieved April 15, 2007, from http://www5.oclc.org/
downloads/community/informationhabits.pdf
Pascoe, C., Applebee, A., & Clayton, P. (1996). Tidal wave or ripple? the impact of internet on the academic. Australian Library Review, 13(2), 147-155.
Quarton, B. (2003). Research skills and the new undergraduate. Journal of Instructional Psychology, 30(2), 120-124. Retrieved February 23, 2007, from Education Full Text database.
Rothenberg, D. (1998). How the web destroys student research papers. Education Digest, 63(6), 59-61. Retrieved April 15, 2007, from Academic Search Premier database.
Rowland, R., & Kinnaman, D. (1995). Researching on the internet. Rocklin, CA: Prima Publishing.
Weiler, A. (2005). Information-seeking behavior in Generation Y students: motivation, critical thinking, and learning theory. The Journal of Academic Librarianship, 31(1), 46-53. Retrieved March 26, 2007, from Education Full Text database.
Young, N. J., & Von Seggern, M. (2001). General information seeking in changing times: a focus group study. Reference & User Services Quarterly, 41(2), 159-169. Retrieved April 10, 2007, from Library Literature & Information Science Full Text database.
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