How information literate are the Google generation entering university?

Fiona Salisbury, Sharon Karasmanis (2011) Are they ready? Exploring student information literacy skills in the transition from secondary to tertiary education, Australian Academic & Research Libraries

How information literate are the Google generation, and what information literacy skills do they bring to university? For university libraries, understanding student prior knowledge provides a foundation on which to introduce appropriate learning activities during the first year. In 2009, in response to a new pedagogical model in health sciences, La Trobe University Library measured and analysed the entry-level information literacy skills of first year health science students. The data was gathered during the first week of semester and 1,029 responses were collected. This paper examines the results of the survey and its implications for programs that broaden and build on students’ existing knowledge base.

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