Examining Decision-Making Processes and Heuristics in Academic Help-Seeking and Instructional Environments

Abstract

College students often need to seek academic help, especially in online environments. Students may choose from variety of options for help, including their instructor, the internet, and friends. Current research efforts fail to fully explain undergraduate students’ source selection process available in a real-world context. A holistic, learner-centered approach to understanding the decision-making process may result in more effective instructional practices to increase student help-seeking behavior. This study explored how college students describe their decision-making process regarding the selection of help-seeking sources. Interviews were conducted with 25 undergraduate students in their third or fourth year of study to explore their decision-making process when selecting academic help sources. Several themes emerged from the data regarding how participants described their decision-making process checkpoints. The examination of decision-making heuristics may provide a new method to explore help-seeking behavior. Implications for further research exploring decision-making processes associated with academic help-seeking are discussed.