How do students use the internet to answer scientific questions? This afternoon, Dana Kirkwood-Watts will share results of her research into information searching behaviors of biology students.
Authors:
D. Kirkwood-Watts, A. Upchurch, S. Spier, G. Johnson, L. Wheeler, K. Brazeal, B. Couch
Title:
Search Strategies: Information seeking behaviors of undergraduate biology students
Abstract:
In this study, we investigated how biology students use the internet to answer biology questions. To do this, we recorded 25 undergraduate biology students as they answered as many as 16 different biology questions using the internet while also expressing verbally their thought processes. We used a comprehensive internet search strategies framework developed by Hinostroza et al. (2018), as well as the information-seeking behaviors frameworks of Ellis (1993) and Meho & Tibbo (2003) to characterize the strategies students used to find biology information on the internet. We explored different question types to determine if there was variation in the student search strategies when faced with varying levels of complexity. The data collected included video recordings of the searches, audio of the comments, and answers to the biology questions. Results show that the process the students use to formulate their answers is iterative, rarely taking a linear path from reading the question to searching to answering the question. Our results also show that they seldom do more than one or two searches despite the complexity of the question, nor do they always click a website for the answer after a search, preferring to use the results page; however, when a website is clicked, the students tended to use a scientific source. Potential applications of these results include developing more meaningful at-home assignments that help student leverage the internet as a resource to support their learning.
Date: Thursday, 10/27, from 2-3pm
Place: 109 Bessey Hall or via Zoom at https://unl.zoom.us/j/212107342