The Value of Information Literacy Instructions in Academic settings: A Developing Country Perspective

Abstract

Information is increasing at a great speed where users, especially the university students get confused whether the information they get is the right one or not. New developments in education and technology are affecting user learning and leading to the emergence of information literacy. That is why the value of information literacy has become a burning question in every sector even more specifically in academic settings. Purpose: The main aim of this study was to provide the value of information literacy instructions in educational systems in developing country perspective. The objectives were to: derive the perceptions of university students regarding IL skills; identify their IL skill levels; and test the derived value of information literacy through IL training. Methods: This study method basically involves two data collection techniques. One is a comprehensive questionnaire and the other one is experimental research design. A comprehensive survey of questionnaires was conducted to examine the concepts and perceptions of IL by university students. An experimental study was conducted to identify the value of information literacy instructions through pre- and post-training sessions. Results: The results showed that students had positive perceptions of information literacy. In experimental study, it was found that students’ performed poorly in the pre-training session. But their success score in the post-training session improved significantly. All participating students agreed to the fact that IL instructions should be incorporated into academic curricula.