Comparison of Native Chinese-speaking and Native English-speaking Engineering Students' Information Literacy Challenges

Type of resource
Authors/collaborators
Title
Comparison of Native Chinese-speaking and Native English-speaking Engineering Students' Information Literacy Challenges
Abstract
The authors identify challenges that native Chinese-speaking undergraduate engineering students face in researching and writing an academic paper in comparison with their native English-speaking peers. With growing enrolment of Chinese students in North America, the question of how best to enhance these students' learning experiences through library instruction and services is increasingly important. In this study, researchers recruited seventeen participants (eight native Chinese-speaking and nine native English-speaking students) from a communication in engineering course at McGill University, and conducted a preliminary interview, an online survey, and an in-depth interview to gather data about each student's research experience. The authors' findings show that native Chinese-speaking students have unique information-related challenges in the areas of searching, evaluating information, reading, writing, and citing. Challenges with specific elements of searching (such as locating full text) and writing (such as creating an outline) were shared among members of both groups.
Publication
The Journal of Academic Librarianship
Volume
Vol. 41
Issue
no. 6
Pages
712-724
Date
November 2015
Language
en
URL
Citation
Zhao, Jennifer Congyan, and Tara Mawhinney. “Comparison of Native Chinese-Speaking and Native English-Speaking Engineering Students’ Information Literacy Challenges.” The Journal of Academic Librarianship Vol. 41, no. 6 (November 2015): 712–724. https://escholarship.mcgill.ca/concern/articles/wp988p765?locale=en.
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