Make it short and snappy

Students more often turn to short, high quality articles online when seeking information especially in a second language, with long complex articles and research papers stirring a sense of anxiety. These were among the findings shared by Ken Scott, Library Superviser at the Sharjah Higher Colleges of Technology and facilitator of a recent workshop organised by the Information Literacy Network of the Gulf at the Michigan State University Dubai.
The workshop brought together librarians from various academic institutions to review the concepts of information literacy and explore ways to enhance non-native English speaking university students’ learning and research experiences.
After analysing student interviews conducted by Scott, participants found that students turn away from textbooks and prefer online journal articles and websites.

Learning blocks
Scott introduced the group of 43 librarians to the Affective Filter Theory perpetuated by Stephen Krashen, explaining the theory as an idea of factors blocking a student’s ability to learn. One of the main filters to learning languages and new information has been identified as anxiety.
Participants at the workshop acknowledged that anxiety is common among many students seeking information in a language other than their mother tongue, resulting in them getting “lost in the internet”.

Independent minded learning
Scott said he was working with librarians and learning support staff to encourage students to be more independent-minded learners and critical thinkers.
He said more often than not students in high school are not encouraged to do independent research and are “just given the information”. He said when it comes to academic learning and research, this gap between high school spoon-feeding and university independence can often pose a serious struggle for students.

Focus on student learning
Speaking to Campus Notes, Scott said that at times librarians are extremely focused on their library collections rather than on the students’ learning experience.
“It’s good to have a collection, but if the students don’t know how to access that information it’s no good in having the library there,” he said.

The importance of English
Scott also underscored the necessity for students to be able to research in English. “That is where the bulk of information is available,” he said.
He referred to disciplines such as science, technology and engineering where students must be able to access high-quality information and research in English. “At the university level English is very important; we have to help students get the most out of it,” he said.