American Journal of Information Science and Technology

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Media and Information Literacy of University Students in China: Status Quo, Issues, and Improvement

Received: 31 October 2018    Accepted: 27 November 2018    Published: 15 January 2019
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Abstract

In the Age of Information and Knowledge, the competence of media and information literacy of higher education students directly affect the quality and efficiency of their study, work and life. This paper’s data originated from UNESCO’s “International Media and Information Literacy Survey of the Research Habits and Practices of University Students” (IMILS), a project that aimed to understand the state of undergraduates' information literacy and media literacy, with an expectation to design and construct benchmarks of the two on the basis of the results. A survey by questionnaire was conducted in five regions of China, collecting 1,579 questionnaires in total, in which the university students’ behaviors in finishing coursework assignments, in daily life information searching, and in using media, were displayed. Through quantitative analysis the status quo of Chinese university undergraduates’ media and information literacy was reflected in terms of their media and information awareness, information needs, ability of information access and selection, ability of information evaluation, and ability to process and make use of information. Constructive opinions were also raised on the existing issues, including some up-to-date suggestions based on the authors’ observations and discoveries of the changes in information needs, information usage and information evaluation within Chinese higher education students in the social media and mobile Internet environment. It is also noticed that some problems highlighted in the IMILS investigation are also gradually being alleviated.

DOI 10.11648/j.ajist.20180204.11
Published in American Journal of Information Science and Technology (Volume 2, Issue 4, December 2018)
Page(s) 83-92
Creative Commons

This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.

Copyright

Copyright © The Author(s), 2024. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

University Students, Information Literacy, Media Literacy, China

References
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[3] Na, R., Wu, X. & Lü, J. (2010). Guonei wai xinxi suyang biaozhun yanjiu xianzhuang yu zhanwang [The present situation and prospects of information literacy standards: Research at home and overseas]. Library and Information Service, 3, 32-35.
[4] Zhang, Z. (2005). Jiedu “meiti suyang jiaoyu” [Interpreting “Media literacy education” ] Media Observer, 4, 23-24.
[5] Zhuang, S., Zhu, H. et al. (Eds). (2012). Fan zai zhishi huanjing xia daxuesheng xinxi suyang jiaoyu [Information literacy education of university students under a ubiquitous knowledge environment]. Beijing: Intellectual Property Publishing House.
[6] Zheng, L. Xin meiti shidai daxuesheng meijie suyang de peiyu he tisheng [Nurture and uplift of media literacy of university students in the age of new media]. News Research, 4, 73-75.
[7] Gustavson, A., Whitehurst, A. & Hisle, D. (2011). Laying the information literacy foundation: a multiple-media solution. Library Hi Tech, 29(4), 725-740.
[8] Gui, L. (2007). Xinxi suyang yu meijie suyang bianxi [Distinguishing and analyzing between information literacy and media literacy]. Chinese Adult Education, 12, 7-8.
[9] Feng, Y. & Yong, W. (2007). Meijie suyang jiaoyu: Kecheng, lishi he wenming de shijiao [Media literacy education: Perspectives from curriculum, history and civilization]. Chinese Education Technology, 8, 16-18.
[10] Lee, A. & So, C. (2014). Media literacy and information literacy: Similarities and differences, Communicators, 21(42), 137-145.
[11] Qiu, F. (2017). Woguo tushu guan cankao zixun zhong shejiao meiti liyong qingkuang diaocha yanjiu [Studying the usage of social media in reference consultations in Chinese libraries]. Researches in Library Science, 23, 65-69.
[12] Hong, Y., Fu, Y. et al. (2016). Guonei gaoxiao tushu guan xinxi suyang jiaoyu xianzhuang diaoyan fenxi [Investigation and Analysis of the University Information Literacy Education]. Library and Information Service, 6, 90-99.
[13] Huang, J. (2017). Shandong sheng gaoxiao xuesheng xinxi suyang diaocha yanjiu [Survey and research of information literacy of higher education students in Shandong Province]. (Unpublished master’s thesis). Anhui University, Hefei, China.
[14] Guo, J. (2018). MOOC huanjing xia gaoxiao xinxi suyang jiaoyu moshì tanjiu [Research on the Realization Mode of MOOC+ Information Literacy Education in Collges and Universities] Journal of Academic Library and Information Science, 36(5), 86-91.
[15] Zhou, X., Gu, S., Liu, T. et al. (2017). Daxuesheng wangluo xinxi anquan xianzhuang jiexi ji duice tantao—yi chengdu shi daxuesheng wei li [Current Situation and Countermeasure of College Students’ Network Information Security –- A Case of College Students in Chengdu]. Journal of Yunnan Agricultural University (Social Science), 11(3), 94-100.
Author Information
  • School of Information Management, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China

  • Information and Archives Center, Wuhan Second Ship Design and Research Institute, Wuhan, China

  • Records Management Office, Chengdu Aeronautic Polytechnic, Chengdu, China

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  • APA Style

    Xiaojuan Zhang, Shuyuan Li, Hanlu Zhang. (2019). Media and Information Literacy of University Students in China: Status Quo, Issues, and Improvement. American Journal of Information Science and Technology, 2(4), 83-92. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajist.20180204.11

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    ACS Style

    Xiaojuan Zhang; Shuyuan Li; Hanlu Zhang. Media and Information Literacy of University Students in China: Status Quo, Issues, and Improvement. Am. J. Inf. Sci. Technol. 2019, 2(4), 83-92. doi: 10.11648/j.ajist.20180204.11

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    AMA Style

    Xiaojuan Zhang, Shuyuan Li, Hanlu Zhang. Media and Information Literacy of University Students in China: Status Quo, Issues, and Improvement. Am J Inf Sci Technol. 2019;2(4):83-92. doi: 10.11648/j.ajist.20180204.11

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  • @article{10.11648/j.ajist.20180204.11,
      author = {Xiaojuan Zhang and Shuyuan Li and Hanlu Zhang},
      title = {Media and Information Literacy of University Students in China: Status Quo, Issues, and Improvement},
      journal = {American Journal of Information Science and Technology},
      volume = {2},
      number = {4},
      pages = {83-92},
      doi = {10.11648/j.ajist.20180204.11},
      url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajist.20180204.11},
      eprint = {https://download.sciencepg.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ajist.20180204.11},
      abstract = {In the Age of Information and Knowledge, the competence of media and information literacy of higher education students directly affect the quality and efficiency of their study, work and life. This paper’s data originated from UNESCO’s “International Media and Information Literacy Survey of the Research Habits and Practices of University Students” (IMILS), a project that aimed to understand the state of undergraduates' information literacy and media literacy, with an expectation to design and construct benchmarks of the two on the basis of the results. A survey by questionnaire was conducted in five regions of China, collecting 1,579 questionnaires in total, in which the university students’ behaviors in finishing coursework assignments, in daily life information searching, and in using media, were displayed. Through quantitative analysis the status quo of Chinese university undergraduates’ media and information literacy was reflected in terms of their media and information awareness, information needs, ability of information access and selection, ability of information evaluation, and ability to process and make use of information. Constructive opinions were also raised on the existing issues, including some up-to-date suggestions based on the authors’ observations and discoveries of the changes in information needs, information usage and information evaluation within Chinese higher education students in the social media and mobile Internet environment. It is also noticed that some problems highlighted in the IMILS investigation are also gradually being alleviated.},
     year = {2019}
    }
    

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    AU  - Xiaojuan Zhang
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    AU  - Hanlu Zhang
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    JO  - American Journal of Information Science and Technology
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    AB  - In the Age of Information and Knowledge, the competence of media and information literacy of higher education students directly affect the quality and efficiency of their study, work and life. This paper’s data originated from UNESCO’s “International Media and Information Literacy Survey of the Research Habits and Practices of University Students” (IMILS), a project that aimed to understand the state of undergraduates' information literacy and media literacy, with an expectation to design and construct benchmarks of the two on the basis of the results. A survey by questionnaire was conducted in five regions of China, collecting 1,579 questionnaires in total, in which the university students’ behaviors in finishing coursework assignments, in daily life information searching, and in using media, were displayed. Through quantitative analysis the status quo of Chinese university undergraduates’ media and information literacy was reflected in terms of their media and information awareness, information needs, ability of information access and selection, ability of information evaluation, and ability to process and make use of information. Constructive opinions were also raised on the existing issues, including some up-to-date suggestions based on the authors’ observations and discoveries of the changes in information needs, information usage and information evaluation within Chinese higher education students in the social media and mobile Internet environment. It is also noticed that some problems highlighted in the IMILS investigation are also gradually being alleviated.
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