| dc.description.abstract | Background: The Internet is a valuable information tool, but users often struggle
to locate good quality information from within the vast amount of information
available.
Objectives: The aim of the study was to identify the online information
resources available to assist students develop Internet searching skills, and to
explore the students' priorities in online guides.
Methods: A qualitative approach was adopted with two phases. The first was a
structured search of available online study skills resources. The second comprised
10group interviews with a total of 60 students at all stages of five undergraduate
health and social care related courses at a UK university.
Results: The study found that there were good online guides available, but that,
perversely, the better guides tended to require the best searching skills to locate
them. A few students were enthusiastic about using online support, however
the majority felt that if they had the skills to locate such resources they wouldn't
use a study guide to improve these skills, and if they did not have the skills they
would not think of using an online guide to develop them.
Conclusions: Students wanted assistance when they had problems or questions,
rather than sites that offered structured learning experiences. Personal support
rather than virtual support was also considered to be most important to the
students in this study. | en_US |
