ABSTRACT
Information literacy competency has become inevitable especially with the rapid growth
of information resources and advancement in technology. The need for
information literacy competence among medical students is essential for their
continuous access, retrieval and effective use of information resources.
Literature and discussion with Colleagues indicated that medical students
encounter difficulty when using library resources which could be attributed to
the lack of search or retrieval competencies for exploiting resources, thus
making the level of use of resources low. Hence it becomes necessary to
investigate the information literacy competence and use of information
resources by medical students in two
universities in Lagos State, Nigeria.
Survey
research design was used for the study. The population consisted of 387 medical students in the 3rd year of
study from the University of Lagos College of Medicine and Lagos State
University College of Medicine. Sampling was enumerative as all 387 members of
the population were included in
the study. A structured questionnaire title “
Information Literacy Competence and Use of Information Resources (ILIRUQ)was used for data collection. The response
rate was 90%. The questionnaire was pretested using the Cronbach’s Alpha
method. The reliability coefficient for the respective scales that made up the
questionnaire were:(0.97) types of information resources available, (0.94) for
information resources use, (0.87) for extent of information literacy competency
and (0.93) for the challenges faced by students. Data collected was analyzed
using frequency distribution, mean, standard deviation; and Pearson Product
Moment Correlation (PPMC).
Findings revealed that information literacy
competence (r=600, p>.05) had asignificant positive
relationship on the use of information resources by medical students. Findings
also revealed that newspaper/magazine (Mean=3.72) was the highest available
resource, followed by maps (mean=3.71), medical records/cases (mean=3.71) and
pamphlets (mean= 3.70). Information resources were mostly used for preparing for examination
(mean= 3.61), getting information about patient diagnosis/intervention (mean=
3.60) knowing what has been done in the field of research in their subject areas (mean =3.45). In the aspect of information literacy
competency, most of the respondents were found to be competent as they could
identify search topic (mean=2.92), identify a lack of knowledge in a given
subject area (mean=2.91) and identify different formats in which information is
provided. The major challenges faced inacquiring
information literacy competence is lack of well-equipped library where information literacy could be practiced
and inadequate information and communication technologies infrastructure for
teaching information literacy were identified.
The
study concluded that the importance of information literacy competence to the
use of information resources cannot be overemphasized and therefore recommended
that medical students, should acquire
information literacy competence to effectively use information resources for
academic, personal development and for excellence in professional practice
activities. However, it is recommended that medical students should continue to
improve their information literacy competence by training and
retraining. Likewise, institutions should put in place an assessment programme to further strengthen the information
literacy competence of students with the view to
further improve their use of information resources.
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background
to the Study
University libraries are set up to
provide the information requirements of students, staff, and others within the institution community. Oyewusi and Oyeboade,
(2009) Stated that the
key reason for establishing university libraries is to uphold the teaching,
learning, and research in a manner reliable with, and helpful of, the
institution's mission and goals. Moreover, the library resources and services
should be satisfactory in worth, depth, variety, and up to date to support the
institution's curriculum. Iyanda and Salawu (2006) defined
the library as an educational and self improvement place that functions as a
vital component of a university or a school. Adeoye
and Popoola(2011)
stated that libraries make available information resources that offer knowledge
attainment, for leisure, for individual interest and lastly for inter-personal relations
for everygroup of clientele; however in an academic environment, attention is placed
basically on academic, non-academic staff, students and researchers.
Information resources/library
resources on the other hand according to Popoola and Haliso (2009) are all manner of information materials which are
both printed and electronic formats: Like textbooks, journals, indexes,
abstracts, newspapers and magazines, reports, CD-ROM databases,
internet/E-mail, video tapes/cassettes, diskettes magnetic disk, computers,
micro forms etc. In time past, library resources were usually in the print
format like books, journals, encyclopedias, gazetteers, atlases, newspapers,
and maps, and also audiovisual materials like records, audiocassettes, videocassettes,
etc. But with the advancement in technology,
most libraries have now expanded their collections to include electronic
resources such as: CD-ROM, online
databases, e-books, e-journals. The change in formats
of information resources and their availability, which is now in various media,
calls for users of libraries to be guided and educated in their use. To educate
users, most university libraries organize seminars, one on one instruction and
orientation for new students in order to
continually update users with knowledge on the retrieval and ethical use of
information resources which is also known as information literacy.
The term Information literacy is synonymous to user education and orientation in the use of
libraries. Information
literacy has been expanded to deal with the needs by the concept such as
information over load brought about by the speedy growth in digital
technologies, and the desire of the information society for competent
information patrons, and as well as meet with the prerequisites of the knowledge
economy for a sensitive and well-versed labour force amongst medical practitioners
(Andretta, 2005).
Bruce (2003), affirmed that information literacy is further than the capacity
to read and write any type of information to the desired audience, it is also
the capability to locate, access, evaluate, organize and use information to
learn, solve problems and make right decisions, in any contexts, either at
work, at home and even inlearning
situations. Information literacy competence as described by Kovalik, Jesen,
Schloman and Tipton (2010) is an individual’s aptitude to recognize the need
for information, and be capable ofidentifying, locating, evaluating, and
effectively use the information for the problem. Mitchell (2009) specified that
information literacy skills are displayed by ideas such as the abilities to
find, retrieve, and use information, the capability to handle information, and
the ability to make decisive choices about information resources.
Pejowa (2002) added that theinadequate
information literacy competencies possess by users of information resources in
developing nations like Nigeria might continue to under use technology related
resources that are provided for their use cause of low information literacy
skills, there by leading to waste of resources.Boekhorst (2003) observedthat every single definition
orwhichever way IL has been described or
brought to the fore over the years can only be reduced into three concepts such
as: The concept of Information Communication Technology, this refers to the
competence which is required for the utilization of I CT for retrieval and
dissemination of information. The information
resources concept, this is the competence required to locate and make
use of information by one’s self or by means of the help of intermediaries, lastly,,
the information process concept of information literacy, this means the process
of knowingthe need for information, getting information, assessing, using and
disseminating information to obtain or expand knowledge. Both the ICT and use
of information sources are all included in the concept.
Several studies (Sahead& Saad
(2012); Ojo and Akande (2005)
corroborated withthe fact that users/students of the library are often
confronted with the challenge to effectively and efficiently locate, evaluate,
manage and use information from a variety of sources. These challenges not only
hinder the effective use of library resources but also result in time wastage
for library users. Sahak and Saad (2012) investigated the usage of information
resources, services and facilities among first and third - year medical
students in the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Putra
Malaysia (UPM). All respondents, 205 (100%) claimed that they visited the
library to study and use the Internet. Majority of the students 199 (97.1%)also
regularly visited the library to do their assignments discussions with friends.
Online databases, library (OPAC), project papers, full text journals, encyclopedia, thesis and statistical reports
were, however, found to be less frequently used. The low rate of use allied
with these resources, particularly the OPAC which is the pointer to library
resources impliesthat respondentsmay possibly have poor
knowledge of how to exploit these resources due to lack of information literacy
skills.
In the same view, Ojo and Akande (2005) examined undergraduates’
access, usage and awareness of e-resources at the University College Hospital
(UCH) Ibadan, Nigeria. The study establishes the low level of electronic
resources usage. It also acknowledged the lack
of information retrieval skill for exploiting e-resources as a major restriction
to the use of information resources.It is in line with this
that Mwiges (1990)
as cited in Kavulya (2003) commented that not being familiar with exploring,
discovering and retrieving information from the library sources, bring about a
waste of time going through wrong sources and using retrieval tools on trial
and error basis.The
concept of information literacy isvital to the library profession; hence, theAssociation
of College and Research Libraries, (ACRL, 2000) provided a standard for
information literacy in higher education. The standard asserts that information
literate individuals should be able to: discern the extent of information
needed, access the needed information effectively and efficiently, evaluate
information and its sources, assimilate information into one's knowledge base,
use information effectively to achieve the particular goal, comprehendthe
economic, legal, and social matters thathas to do with the use of information
and also the access, ethical and legaluse information.
On the basis of this affirmation, it is evident
that users of information resources should possess information literacy
competence so that they can benefit from the information resources available to
them. In order to be abreast and effectivelyrespond to an always -changing technological
environment,all categories of users of information resources need not only
knowledge base, but they also need techniques for exploring it, this in turn
will connect to other knowledge bases and thus making practical use of it for
rational decision-making or problem solving in their area of specialization; In
order for students to access and use the various information resources that
meet up their needs, they have toacquire information literacy competence and
knowledge to use the available resources(Owusu-Ansah, 2004).
Medical students are acquiring
university education and training for lifelong learning to serve as information
providers and medical practitioners. Hence it is vital for medical students to
acquire information literacy competencies to enable them to discern when and
why information is required, where to find it, how to evaluate, use and
communicate information ethically and legally. Lifelong learning will help a
medical student to have a profound understanding of how and where to find
information, and also the ability to evaluate if that information is important
or not, and how best that information can be integrated into solving the
problem. Information literacy enables students’ to get used to and comprehend
course content and widen their study further than the classroom, this will make
students become more autonomous and will help them to take good control over their own learning activities.
Nevertheless, medical students need
knowledge and competence to explore the information resources of the university
library. Due to the importance of technology in the provision of information in
the 21st Century, information literacy can no more be consideredor
be defined without taking into consideration technology literacy. For
individuals to function in an information rich, technology infused world, it is
imperative, for everyone to be ICT literate because Information and
Communication Technology (ICT) literacy will empower and allow individual or
groups and indeed medical students to work productively in their search for
information.
Medical students in universities in
Lagos State are, therefore, expected to possess all the attributes and
competencies necessary to:
determine the extent of information needed, access needed information
effectively and efficiently, evaluate information and its’ sources critically,
incorporate selected information into one's intellectual capacity, use
information effectively to bring about a specific purpose understand the
economic, legal, and the social issues surrounding the use of information. bearing
in mindthe challenges associated with the lack of competencies needed to access
and use library resources and the inappropriate or unethical use of electronic
information resources generally referred to as “cut and paste” which has come
to characterize information use due to the ease of copying electronic
materials, thisstudy, therefore,
investigates the information literacy competency and use of information
resources by medical students in universities in some Lagos State, Nigeria.
1.2 Statement of the Problem
Information literacy competency is essential in today’s
information- rich environment due to the rapid growth in information resources
which comes in various media and with the advancement in information
communication technology (ICT). Literature has also established the importance
of information literacy, as a means of empowering people in all walks of life
to access, evaluate and use information effectively and efficiently to achieve
their personal, social, occupational and educational goals. However,
observation and research indicate that medical students encounter difficulty
when using library resources which could be attributed to the fact that they
lack search or retrieval competencies for exploiting resources, thus, making
the level of use of resources very low.Likewise, information retrieval tools are
often used on a trial and error basis, thereby resulting in time wasting.
No matter how rich or enormous the resources provided by the
library, without the competencies to use them, these resources will end up
wasted. Therefore, it is pertinent to carry out a research to investigate the
information literacy competence and use of information resources by medical students
in universities in some Lagos State, Nigeria.
1.3 Objective of the Study
The main objective of this study is
to investigate the relationship between information literacy competence and use
of information resources by medical students in universities in some Lagos
State. The specific objectives are to:
1. examine the types of information resources
available to medical students in universities in Lagos State;
2. ascertain the use of information resources by
medical students in universities in Lagos State;
3.
determine the degree of information
literacy competency of medical studentsin universities in Lagos State;
4.
establish the relationship between
information literacy competence and the use of information resources by medical
students in universities in LagosState and
5.
find out the
challenges medical students face in acquiring information literacy competence in universities
in Lagos State.
1.4 Research Questions
This study was guided by the
following research questions:
1. What
are the types of information resources available to medical students in
universities in Lagos State?
2. To
what extent do medical students in universities in Lagos State use information
resources?
3. What
is the degree of information literacy competency of medical students in
universities in Lagos State?
4. What
challenges do Medical Students face in acquiring information literacy
competence in universities in Lagos State?
1.5 Hypothesis
The null hypothesis for this study
was tested at 0.05 level of significance:
Ho1There is no significant relationship between
information literacy competence and
use of information
resources by medical students.
1.6 Scope of the Study
The focus of this study was limited
to information literacy competenceas it influenced the efficient and effective
use of information resources required for the medical students’academic,
personal and professional purposes. Information literacy competence was be measured in terms of their ability to: Identify,Scope
(assess),Plan,Gather, Evaluate, Manage and Present information. On the other
hand, use of information resources was considered in terms of print and
electronic resources except for audio-visual resources such as microforms and
filmstrips because these facilities are obsolete. It also considered the
information resources available to medical students, purpose of use, frequency
of use and ease of use.
The geographical location of this
study was limited to medical students in Lagos State. A total of 387 students
in their 3rd year of study from two universities in Lagos State
constituted the research population. The research focused only on 300 level
medical students because 100 and 200 level medical students still do general
courses while the 300 level students have specialization areas such as the
Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) and the Bachelor of DentistrySurgery
(BDS)respectively. On the other hand the 400, 500 and 600 level medical
students are posted out for clinical practice and consequently, they could not
be included in this study
1.7
Significance of the Study
This study would create awareness
among students on the need to possess information literacy competence in order to
increase their search efficiency thus bringing about effective and efficient use of information resources. It would
further expose information providers and librarians to the challenges faced by
users/students in locating and using information resources both in print and
electronic format.The finding of this study wouldequally enable policy makers
in the library to put in place machinery to assist library users with the
acquisition of information literacy competenciesin order to reduce challenges
faced in the quest for information. Finally, it would contribute to existing
literature on information literacy
1.8
Operational Definition of Terms
The following
terms are defined as used in the context of this study:
Library:
it is a storehouse of knowledge wherein all human knowledge in various formats
are acquired, processed, organized, and preserved for easy retrieval and use by
patrons.
Information
Resources: These are print and non- print resources
that could be sourced or accessed manually or electronically by information
seekers in the library. Such as: books, journal, monographs, magazines, on-line
databases, e-books, e-journals, audio books etc.
Information
Literacy: Information literacy is the ability to locate,
evaluate, manage and use information resources from a variety of sourcesfor
problem solving, decision-making and research purposes
Information
literacy competency: This is the knowledge, skills and attitude which are applied towards
recognizing information and is used to interpret, locate, access, retrieve, use
and communicate information ethically and legally to a particular situation for
successful learning and living.
Use
of Information resources:This is the utilization of both
print and electronic resources and this is measured in terms of frequency,
purpose, ease of access and use.
Medical Students: A
university student who has not yet earned bachelor’s of MBBS or BDS degree.================================================================
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