Quantitatively increasing information renders it important to possess the skills necessary for reaching the required information and using the information effectively in line with the requirements. These skills are discussed in the information literacy concept and educational institutions are expected to provide individuals with these skills. Within this scope, the study was conducted with university students and the effects of their education on the information literacy were sought. The study was performed on students at two different departments which are closely related to information and information technologies for the purpose of clearly explaining the relationship between the educational processes and information literacy. The two departments included in the study are the Department of Computer Education and Instructional Technology (CEIT) and the Department of Information Management (IM). The study aims to find the differences between these students regarding their levels of possessing information literacy skills. The analysis showed that, there are some significant differences in terms of information literacy skills between the students at the two different departments. The significant differences in the information literacy skills are related to synthesizing the information; or in other words, organizing the information.

1. A STUDY ON THE INFORMATION
LITERACY SKILLS OF STUDENTS IN
DIFFERENT UNDERGRADUATE
PROGRAMS
Turgay Bas
Mukaddes Erdem

2. INRODUCTION

3. Intruduction
In general terms, information literacy defines the ability to
locate the information for a given need and to effectively use
that information for the issue or problem at hand.
This concept has been used beginning from the early 1970s
and has been altered in the following years in its extent and
meaning.
3

4. Intruduction
American Library Association [ALA] (1989) defines the
information literacy is;
recognizing when information is needed and have the
ability to locate, evaluate, and use effectively the needed
information.
4

5. Introduction
5
The Big6 model evaluates information literacy skills
in six stages. The model indicates a process how an
information problem is solved.

6. Introduction
6
From these questions, this study determines the level of possessing
information literacy skills and the regarding self-efficacy beliefs of
undergraduates at the Department of Computer Education and
Instructional Technology (CEIT) and the Department of Information
Management (IM).
What percentage of the university students possess the
aforementioned skills which have been overemphasized
since the 2000s?
Does the university education have any effects on the
information literacy skills?

7. Introduction
7
 The study was performed on students at two
different departments which are closely related
to information and information technologies for
the purpose of clearly explaining the relationship
between the educational processes and
information literacy.

8. METHOD

9. Method
A scientific method was used in the study and the data was
collected by information literacy self-efficacy scale and
information literacy skills evaluation rubric.
9

10. Method -Data Collection Tools
10
 Information literacy self-efficacy scale: It is a scale developed by
Kurbanoglu and Akkoyunlu (2004) for the purpose of determining
information literacy self-efficacy beliefs. It is a 40-item seven-point
Likert scale. The reliability co-efficient of the scale is .71.
 Information literacy skills evaluation rubric: It is a rubric which was
developed by considering the students’ reports and presentations
along with the information literacy competencies defined in the body
of literature in order to evaluate the completed performance tasks in
terms of information literacy skills.

11. Information literacy skills evaluation rubric
11
Stages of Information
Literacy
Criteria 0 1 2
Task Definition
Literature review was made
Needed information was tried to be defined
Information Seeking
Strategies
Planning was made, a general frame was constructed
Information seeking strategies were diversified
Different sorts of sources were used (web, books, articles etc.)
Location and Access
Sources were evaluated
Selections were made among the sources available
Quotations were made
References section was provided
Use of Information
Informative information was given about the RFID technologies
Application areas were included
Critical information for the target market was cited
Synthesis
Synthesized information was used
Information was clearly organized
Unnecessary information was avoided
Suggestions for the intended application were provided
Visuals were used to make the complex process more meaningful
Target market was regarded while preparing the presentation
Efficiency of the content was ensured in the presentation
Visual design principles were respected in the presentation

12. Method - Participants
12
 The study was conducted on junior students at
 the Department of Computer Education and
Instructional Technology (CEIT) and
 the Department of Information Management (IM).

13. Method - Participants
13
 A total of 67 students (CEIT:37, IM:30)
participated in the study.
 With 10 students from each group, 20 students in
total participated in the second part of the study
which aimed to determine information literacy
skills.

14. Method - Research Process
14
 Students began with answering the information
literacy self-efficacy scales.
 Then, two groups with 10 students were formed
for the each part and the information literacy
skills of the groups were determined.

15. Method - Research Process
15
 Each group was assigned a common
performance task which was present in their
programs for the purpose of comparing their
information literacy skills.
 The common theme was chosen as the RFID
technologies for the performance task assigned.

16. Method - Research Process
16
 In the created scenario, students were asked to
prepare a presentation that includes suggestions
for using RFID technologies within the campus
perimeters.
 As per the scenario, this presentation is to be
prepared so as to be submitted to the university
administrative board which plans to make an
investment in the RFID technologies.

17. Method - Research Process
17
 At the end of the 3-day allocated period,
students submitted their presentations and the
reports explaining their processes.
 Evaluations on the information literacy skills
were made along these presentations and
reports.

18. Method - Data Analysis
18
 “T-tests for independent groups” was conducted
by using the data that was obtained from the
scales in order to determine whether there is any
difference in terms of information literacy and
self-efficacy beliefs between the students at the
two different departments.
 Mann-Whitney U statistic was applied along the
rubric data to show the difference in the
information literacy skills.

19. FINDINGS

20. Findings
20
 A t-test was applied concerning the significance
of the difference between the information
literacy self-efficacy beliefs of the two groups (t=
.342, p=.566>.05) and it was found that, there is
no significant difference between the groups.

21. Findings
21
 The significance of the difference between the
information literacy skills of the two groups was
tested using the Mann-Whitney U test, a
nonparametric test.
 The scores attained for each sub-stage of the
information literacy were tested separately and a
difference was detected between the two
groups in the “synthesis” stage. This difference
is in the favor of CEIT students.

22. Findings
22
Stages of Information Literacy
IM CEIT
Task Definition 2,9 2,6
Information Seeking Strategies 3,2 3,2
Location and Access 3 3,4
Use of Information 5,1 5,3
Synthesis 7,2 11,2
TOTAL 21,4 25,7

23. Findings
23
Criterion for the synthesis stage
IM CEIT
Synthesized information was used 0,3 0,6
*Information was clearly organized 1,1 1,8
Unnecessary information was avoided 0,8 1
Suggestions for the intended application were provided 1,7 1,6
*Visuals were used to make the complex process more meaningful 1,2 1,8
*Target market was regarded while preparing the presentation 0,8 1,9
Efficiency of the content was ensured in the presentation 1 1
*Visual design principles were respected in the presentation 0,3 1,5

24. Findings
24
The results show that, students at CEIT performed
better in
 organizing the information,
 using visuals to make the complex process more
meaningful,
 regarding the target market while preparing the
presentation and
 respecting the visual design principles in the
presentation.

25. CONCLUSIONS

26. Conclusion
26
 The results show that, students at the both
departments have strong information literacy
self-efficacy beliefs and that; there is no
significant difference thereof.
 Considering that a strong and positive self-
efficacy belief would be useful for dealing with
possible problems in the relevant subject, the
examined groups can be claimed to have an
advantage in overcoming information problems.

27. Conclusion
27
 When CEIT and IM students were analyzed in
terms of information literacy skills however, it
was found that they exhibited similarities in all
stages of the Big6 model except the “synthesis”
stage having significant differences in their
“synthesis” stage competences.
 Synthesis is related to organizing and presenting
the information (TheBIG6, 2013).

28. Conclusion
28
 The data obtained shows that, CEIT students
have superiority in synthesizing the information
and they share the information more effectively.

29. Conclusion
29
 The collected data did not prove the prediction
which was mentioned in the introduction part of
the study; “educational program of the CEIT
department supports students in terms of
providing them with the information
technologies which make it easier to reach the
information and IM department invests them
with the skills for organizing and sharing
information.

30. Conclusion
30
 Students who had similarities in using
information and communication technologies,
exhibited differences in synthesizing and
presenting the information.
 This result can be attributed to the fact that, CEIT
department prepares its students to be teachers
and thus, gives more importance to organizing
and sharing information.

31. Conclusion
31
 Conducting similar studies with different
scenarios and subjects and repeating the study
with larger participant groups is necessary for
determining the effects of the scenario and the
subject on the findings.

32. Thanks..
Turgay Bas
turgaybas@hacettepe.edu.tr
Mukaddes Erdem
erdemm@hacettepe.edu.tr