Information and digital literacy in education via the digital path

The study of human perception is not easy, but it can be a lot of fun. How do we know for example, that we all represent reality in the same way? How do I know that my perception of the colour blue is the same as yours? We can't really know for certain. Human perception has its limitations, and we can be highly suggestible. Human perception is absolutely fascinating, and studying the processes by which we represent reality through our senses is completely engaging. Some of my digital literacy students discovered how thoroughly absorbing it can be to learn about perception this week. I took them on a brief tour of cognitive processes, including the human senses, memory and recall, and the representation of reality through perception.

Faculty and student perceptions and behaviours related to information literacy: a pilot study using triangulation...

This pilot study was developed to determine if the University’s students were proficient in information literacy (IL) based on the requisite skills defined by ALA (2000), to define faculty and student perceptions and behaviours related to IL and to test an evaluation rubric using empirical inquiry and triangulated methods. Findings suggested that not all students (n=164) had satisfactory IL skills even at the senior student level. While 4th year college students (seniors n=91) fared better on an IL survey when compared to 1st year college students (freshmen n=53), analysis of the senior students’ theses led researchers to believe that students were most likely not skilled in this area, and had an inflated opinion of their own IL abilities. Overall, students felt they were less IL challenged compared to the faculty’s (n=55) observation of the IL challenges experienced by the students.

The library literature on plagiarism instruction focuses on students’ understanding of what plagiarism is and is not. This study evaluates the effect of library instruction from a broader perspective by examining the pre- and posttest (instruction) levels of students’ perceptions towards plagiarism ethics. Eighty-six students completed a pre- and posttest survey that measured their ethical perceptions of plagiarism scenarios. The survey used the multidimensional ethics scale (MES) developed by Reidenbach and Robin which is used commonly in business ethics research. The study found that the MES is a reliable tool to measure changes in ethical perceptions of plagiarism. Further, results indicate that students had higher posttest perceptions of plagiarism ethics than they did prior to library instruction. These results suggest that library instruction was effective and had a meaningful impact on students’ perceptions towards plagiarism ethics.