Young learners’ use of social media for information seeking : exploring core LIS journals from 2010-2014

Abstract

ABSTRACTBackground. Increased use of media for information seeking and learning calls for more and knowledge of how these emerging technologies can support students' learning.Objectives. The focus is on recent studies of young learners' use of media for information seeking in an academic context.Methods. The is based on critical reading of core library and information science (LIS) journals and a selected number of conference proceedings spanning 2010 to 2014. The examination of the selected journals and proceedings was guided by two general questions: 1) Which information seeking activities, strategies and preferences can be identified when young learners use media for information seeking in relation to course work and other study-related work tasks? 2) What motivations can be identified among young learners for using media for information seeking in a study context?Results. Seven studies were identified and reviewed. According to the reported results, use of media tends to afford certain types of behavior. Specific strategies, tactics and criteria were used when requesting and evaluating information or formulating information needs. The reported factors motivating information seeking were convenience and easy access to information, in addition to the content associated with specific media types. Students' use of media for information seeking was associated primarily with their private information landscape.Contributions. The challenges of using non-traditional sources for information seeking identified in the studies raise questions of how teachers and information professionals can educate young learners to use media competently as information seekers and authors of information.INTRODUCTIONIn recent years a growing interest in on media has emerged in many disciplines in the humanities and sciences. The development is demonstrated by an increasing number of scholars now labeling their social media research and by more conferences on the topic. Use of media has also drawn significant attention from educators with an increasing number of practitioners using media in their teaching. This interest is further reflected by the appearance of a new International Journal of Social Media and Interactive Learning Environments (IJSMILE).In information science, a similar tendency of increased interest in media has been observed. In 2011 a new International Conference on Information Science and Social Media (ISSOME, 2013) was established to discuss the role of information science in this new area. Themes of interest are the perspectives and values that information scientists can add to the study of media and vice versa. A recent Workshop on Information Behavior on Social Media at the Information Seeking in Context (ISIC) Conference 2014 further highlights this new interest. Social media have introduced new opportunities and challenges to LIS and practice: the traditional conception of user and author has changed fundamentally, individuals seek and share information in new ways, and critical approaches to information have become even more crucial.Turning to young learners, an increasing use of media and mobile technology for course work has recently been reported (Dahlstrom, 2012; Dahlstrom, Walker and Dziuban, 2013). More undergraduate students, for example, use Twitter and studying sites (such as CourseHero) with peers and friends. Parallel to this tendency more researchers and practitioners are concerned with questions related to young learners' digital competences. At a national level, media and information seeking has, for example, become one of four strategic elements in a Danish national policy paper on digital fluency and secondary schools (DEFF, 2012).Given that media have become a part of young peoples' digital information behavior and learning, more knowledge is needed on how and why they use media in a study context. …