This study explored the information behavior of students at a large historically black college and university (HBCU) using Wilson's model of information behavior. The study found that students' information behavior was dominated by considerations of speed, clarity, accuracy, and convenience. Students placed high demands on the speed and straightforward presentation of information from sources. While students recognized the need to corroborate information, about half failed to detect manipulated search results, suggesting a prioritization of efficiency over critical evaluation. The study serves as a proof of concept for further exploration of gaps between self-reported and actual information literacy skills, especially in comparing HBCUs to other institutions.

1. Information Behavior of HBCU
College Students:
An Exploratory Case Study
Alex Gorelik, Anton Bezuglov
Benedict College

2. Information Literacy
• Essential
• Personal
• Inadequate

3. Wilson’s (1994) Model of information behavior

4. Study objectives:
• Explore the elements of the Wilson’s
model, focusing on
o “Needs”
o Information seeking behaviors
o Demands on info systems / other sources
• Build an exploratory case study of
information behavior (at a large HBCU)

5. Method:
• Scope: Benedict college students from
HASS and STEM (n=43)
• Information search task
o Search engine requests intercepted by a
server, compiled specifically for the study
• Exit Interview
• Recorded observations

6. Tools
• Proxy server intercepts all traffic from
the machine to the Web
• If (1) traffic goes to Google Search
Engine and (2) it contains a keyword, the
results of HTTP Get are modified;
• The first search result is changed: For
instance Solipsism -> Solarism

7. Tools

8. Findings
o Reasons for preferring a specific
resource:
o Speed of access (20%)
o Reliability / Credibility (17%)
o Authoritativeness (17%)
o Convenience (15%)
o Stem different from HASS, Seniors
different from Sophomors / Juniors

9. Findings
Major of respondent
Mass Comm / English Comp Sci / Engineer. Total
Count Col. N % Count Col. N % Count Col. N %
Dictionary 11 44.0% 10 55.6% 21 48.8%
EBSCO web
4 16.0% 1 5.6% 5 11.6%
interface
Derived ranks of
Electronic
sources 11 44.0% 9 50.0% 20 46.5%
Dictionary
Google search 15 60.0% 16 88.9% 31 72.1%
Total 25 100.0% 18 100.0% 43 100.0%

10. Findings
Classification - Collapsed
Senior Junior/Soph. Total
Count Col. N % Count Col. N % Count Col. N %
Dictionary 10 55.6% 11 44.0% 21 48.8%
EBSCO web
3 16.7% 2 8.0% 5 11.6%
interface
Derived ranks of
Electronic
sources 10 55.6% 10 40.0% 20 46.5%
Dictionary
Google search 12 66.7% 19 76.0% 31 72.1%
Total 18 100.0% 25 100.0% 43 100.0%

11. Information behavior
o Behavior dominated by considerations of
o speed of access
o clarity
o accuracy
o convenience / familiarity

12. Information behavior
o Demands on sources:
o speed
o straightforward presentation of information

13. Information behavior
o “Success” = ability to quickly match the
answer to the question

14. Information behavior
o About half of those presented with a
“modified” answer failed to detect that
o The necessity to critically evaluate and
corroborate is trumped by the
considerations of speed, clarity and
convenience of access

15. Information behavior
o Students recognize the need to
corroborate the information
o …even if not all of them may decide to do so

16. Information behavior
o This study is a “proof of concept”,
what’s next?
o looking at the gap between the self-
reported level of information literacy and
the actual performance on test tasks
o comparing the resulting among HBCUs and
mainstream academic institutions

17. Questions, please?
Q?