Investigating University Student Learning Conceptions and Approaches of Web- Searching

Abstract

Studies have shown that learners with more learning conceptions about their learning always have better learning outcomes. Nowadays while the majority of students who acquire information via using search engines or by visiting various websites, web-searching is not just a way of gathering information, but a process of learning. This study presented an investigation about current university students’ conceptions of and approaches to learning via web-searching. Through analyzing the data from the focus group and in-depth interviews, the findings revealed the following: First, almost all of the interviewed university students agreed that web-searching itself was a way of learning and it correlated to and coexisted with other learning activities. Moreover, almost all of the interviewed university students stated that the most valuable learning aspect of web-searching was the opportunity provided to do critical thinking and develop self-directed learning ability. Most of them self-declared that their web-searching skills were acquired through personal experiences toward web. It was suggested the curriculum should be designed to teach systematically to university students about how to learn from web-searching.