A Case Study Assessing the Effects of Training on Conducting Website Searches Using Control and Treatment Groups of College Students

Abstract

 The Internet and Web-based technologies have become a popular platform in all walks of life, including the academic world. An increasing number of college students use this media for conducting searches. The students’ ability to successfully interact with the computer and conduct web searches is, however, dependent upon their prior knowledgeof web searching, critical thinking skills, motivation, and competency with computers and related applications.The study is designed to discover if differences in students’ information technology skills and critical thinking skills affect their ability to conduct effective searches on the Internet. The purpose of study is to test the impact of information technology applications training focused on conducting Web searches of varying difficulty.The findings are obtained by analyzing data provided from a survey conducted at Lane College in Jackson, Tennessee, consisting of junior and senior students ranging between the ages of 20 to 24.  The results illustrate accuracy and time scores for students conducting web searches. They were given three levels of difficulty. Throughout the analysis, the treatment group consistently had higher scores than the control group.