Higher Education students' perceptions towards Information Literacy

a study in Macau

Authors

  • Tatiana Sanches UIDEF, Instituto de Educação, Universidade de Lisboa
  • Emily Chan University of Saint Joseph, School of Education

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.54886/ibersid.v17i2.4910

Keywords:

Information Literacy, Higher Education, Learning, Information Skills, Students

Abstract

Integrating information literacy into learning improves student performance and, for that reason, academic librarians can play a significant role by collaborating in the design and training programs in these areas. In Macao, there is no known study on the information literacy performance of higher education students, so we seek to diagnose this area. For that purpose, a survey was applied to higher education students to assess students' perception of information literacy and their self-characterization regarding the use of resources and the type of skills needed for academic work. A semi-structured interview was also carried out with teachers about the same reality. Students perceive themselves to have a low level of confidence in the performance of their academic tasks, which affects their fulfilment. Faculty are aligned with this diagnosis, revealing the students’ weaknesses in the information search and presentation. Overall, information needs are evident among students as also is the use of preferred information resources in pursuit of their studies. The training aimed at students in search, retrieval, analysis, and use of information seems to be essential, which is why the construction of a tailormade training program in Information Literacy is anticipated.

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Author Biography

Emily Chan, University of Saint Joseph, School of Education

Head Librarian at the Library of the University of São José, in Macau, and a Ph.D. student at the Faculty of Social Sciences and Education at the same university. Her current research interests include information literacy (digital resources) and the learning process in higher education; as well as information literacy programs.

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Published

2023-11-30

How to Cite

Sanches, T., & Chan, E. (2023). Higher Education students’ perceptions towards Information Literacy: a study in Macau. Ibersid: Journal of Information and Documentation Systems (ISSNe 2174-081X; ISSN 1888-0967), 17(2), 41–48. https://doi.org/10.54886/ibersid.v17i2.4910

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