Impact of Students Digital Literacy on Information use Behavior

Abstract

This research entitled Impact of Students digital literacy on Information Use Behavior was an attempt to identify the digital literacy level of students and its impact on their information use behavior. This study aimed to investigate campus level students’ digital literacy, its impact on their information use behavior and to compare students’ information use behavior in digital and non-digital environment. The sample for this study consisted of forty students of Nilkantha Multiple Campus, Nilkantha-3, Dhading and simple random sampling method was used to select the sample population. To fulfil the objectives of this study, a survey design was used to collect the data. A questionnaire including open-ended and closed-ended questions as a tool of survey research was administered to the students of Bachelor level to collect the data. The data have been analyzed both quantitatively and qualitatively following simple statistical tools as well as item analysis. The research findings reveal that a large number of students are able to access and integrate digital information in their learning process and create new information whereas they lacked the ability to evaluate information, consider ethical aspects and give proper citation and reference. Comparing the information use behavior in digital and non-digital environment, it is found out that the purpose of seeking any information and types of information they preferred for learning in digital and non-digital environment is same. Except them all other aspects related to information use behavior differed. This denotes that students lack and need to be provided proper knowledge on information use behavior in digital environment. This thesis is organized into five chapters. The first chapter deals with background of the study, statement of the problem, objective of the study, research questions, significance of the study, delimitations of the study and operational definitions of the key terms. The second chapter incorporates review of the related literature, implications of the review for the study and conceptual framework. In the same way, third chapter presents design of the study population of the study, sample and sampling strategies, data collection tools, data collection procedures and data analysis and interpretation procedures. The fourth chapter deals with the analysis, discussion and interpretation of results. Fifth chapter deals with findings, conclusion and recommendations in terms of three different areas, i.e. policy, practice and further research related. The final part of the thesis consists of references and appendices.