According to a recent study by Educational Testing Service, today's college students show a deficiency in information technology literacy. The company's press release states that the findings are the result of a survey of 6,300 students who took part in the Information and Communication Technology Assessment earlier this year.
ETS spokesperson Karen Bogan said the survey was not a random sampling. She clarified that only those colleges that were concerned about the information literacy of their students participated in this study.
"We can't say that these results are representative of all college students," Bogan said.
She added, however, that the ICTA results are in line with what most colleges have come to expect. According to Bogan, participating schools knew their students were "tech-savvy" but were suspicious of the research skills of those students.
ETS is a non-profit organization that provides research to educational institutions around the globe.
Karen Marshall, director of humanities and social services at Alderman Library, said she thought this was indicative of a larger issue.
"We live in an information age," Marshall said. "You've got to know what information to trust."
According to Marshall, University students gain exposure to information literacy through classes such as certain ENWR courses. She said instructors have the opportunity to plan classes with a librarian so students can learn about different methods of research.
"It's so easy to find information ... that most people don't feel the need to ask for help," Marshall said.
She related student research anxiety to concerns about Virgo, the library system's cataloging service.
"We know it's not doing enough," Marshall said of Virgo, adding that she recognizes the need for a more intuitive system such as Google's "Did you mean?" option.
Bogan noted that education in information literacy is still developing in schools around the country.
"We assume that because we have the computers and the technical skills that students are, all of the sudden, able to do more than we have instructed them to do," Bogan said.
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