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Information-seeking behaviour and academic success in higher education: Which search strategies matter for grade differences among university students and how does this relevance differ by field of study?

April 2019
Higher Education 77(3)

DOI:10.1007/s10734-018-0296-4

Authors:

Dominik Becker

Bundesinstitut für Berufsbildung

Steffen Hillmert

University of Tuebingen

Today, most college students use the Internet when preparing for exams or homework. Yet, research has shown that undergraduates’ information literacy skills are often insufficient. In this paper, we empirically test the relation between information-seeking strategies and grades in university. We synthesise arguments from the literature on information-seeking behaviour and approaches to learning in tertiary education. Building on the distinction between deep- and surface-level learning, we develop a classification of online search strategies and contrast it with traditional information behaviour. Multivariate analyses using a two-wave online survey among undergraduate students at a German university indicate that using advanced online information-seeking strategies is a significant and robust predictor of better grades. However, there are notable differences between subject groups: Traditional information behaviour is still crucial in the humanities. Advanced search strategies are beneficial in all settings, but only one in four students uses these early on, while this share increases to around 50% over the course of studies.

Conceptual arguments

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Percentage values for the share of respondents’ reported usage of the six sources representing our three factors of information behaviour: traditional search strategies (upper two panels), basic online search strategies (Google and Wikipedia), and advanced online search strategies (bottom panels)

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Predicted values for grades as a function of traditional search strategies, by subject group

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Predicted values for grades as a function of basic online search strategies, by subject group

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Predicted values for grades as a function of advanced online search strategies, by subject group

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Hannes Weber

&Dominik Becker

&Steffen Hillmert

Published online: 18 July 2018

#Springer Nature B.V. 2018

Abstract Today, most college students use the Internet when preparing for exams or

homework. Yet, research has shown that undergraduates’information literacy skills are

often insufficient. In this paper, we empirically test the relation between information-

seeking strategies and grades in university. We synthesise arguments from the litera-

ture on information-seeking behaviour and approaches to learning in tertiary educa-

tion. Building on the distinction between deep- and surface-level learning, we develop

a classification of online search strategies and contrast it with traditional information

behaviour. Multivariate analyses using a two-wave online survey among undergraduate

students at a German university indicate that using advanced online information-

seeking strategies is a significant and robust predictor of better grades. However,

there are notable differences between subjectgroups:Traditionalinformationbehav-

iour is still crucial in the humanities. Advanced search strategies are beneficial in all

settings, but only one in four students uses these early on, while this share increases

to around 50% over the course of studies.

Keywords Information-seekingbehaviour.Approachestolearning.Informationliteracyskills.

Learning environments .Achievement .Higher education

High Educ (2019) 77:657–678

https://doi.org/10.1007/s10734-018-0296-4

*Hannes Weber

hannes.weber@uni-tuebingen.de

Dominik Becker

dominik.becker@uni-tuebingen.de

Steffen Hillmert

steffen.hillmert@uni-tuebingen.de

Department of Sociology, University of Tuebingen, Wilhelmstr. 36, 72074 Tuebingen, Germany

Information-seeking behaviour and academic success

in higher education: Which search strategies matter

for grade differences among university students and how

does this relevance differ by field of study?

Content courtesy of Springer Nature, terms of use apply. Rights reserved.

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