Container Collapse and the Information Remix: Students’ Evaluations of Scientific Research Recast
in Scholarly vs. Popular Sources
Amy Buhler
Ixchel M. Faniel
Brittany Brannon
#ContainerCollapse
@RSICStudy
Scientific Communication Lifecycle
Image from https://cms.uflib.ufl.edu/msl/Services/Tutorials/Finding_articles/Tutorial_3
Informal Communication
Formal Communication
Popularization
#ContainerCollapse
Today’s Scientific Communication Lifecycle
Images from http://phdcomics.com/comics/archive.php?comicid=1174 and http://phdcomics.com/comics/archive.php?comicid=1175 #ContainerCollapse
“Marsh rabbit mortalities tie pythons to the precipitous decline of mammals in the Everglades” Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences (RSPB)
#ContainerCollapse
“Snakes wipe out Everglades rabbits” Nature
#ContainerCollapse
“Burmese Pythons are Taking Over the Everglades” Time
#ContainerCollapse
Methods
#ContainerCollapse
For This Presentation
Participants• 26 High School
• 30 Community College
• 30 University Undergraduate
• 30 University Graduate
Tasks• Helpful
• Citable
• Credible
#ContainerCollapse
Results
Percentage of Students Who Chose Each Resource as Helpful
69%65%
31%
73%70%
43%
87%
67%
43%
83%
67%
53%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
RSPB Time Nature
High School Community College Undergraduate Graduate
Given the RSIC study design, the sample size varies across student groups, simulation tasks, and resources. Please refer the paper for more information: http://www.ala.org/acrl/sites/ala.org.acrl/files/content/conferences/confsandpreconfs/2019/ContainerCollapseandInformationRemix.pdf #ContainerCollapse
Percentage of Students Who Chose To Cite the Helpful Resource
89%
82%
88%
77%
57%
46%
96%
50%
77%
100%
35%
88%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
RSPB Time Nature
High School Community College Undergradute Graduate
Given the RSIC study design, the sample size varies across student groups, simulation tasks, and resources. Please refer the paper for more information: http://www.ala.org/acrl/sites/ala.org.acrl/files/content/conferences/confsandpreconfs/2019/ContainerCollapseandInformationRemix.pdf #ContainerCollapse
Citation Differences by Education Level
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
High school Community college Undergraduate Graduate
Pre
dic
ted
Pro
bab
ility
(%
)
RSPB Nature TimeN=116#ContainerCollapse
Average Credibility Rating of the Helpful Resources on a Scale of 1 to 5
1
2
3
4
5
RSPB Time Nature
High School Community College Undergraduate Graduate
Given the RSIC study design, the sample size varies across student groups, simulation tasks, and resources. Please refer the paper for more information: http://www.ala.org/acrl/sites/ala.org.acrl/files/content/conferences/confsandpreconfs/2019/ContainerCollapseandInformationRemix.pdf #ContainerCollapse
Role of Clicking and Time on Task
Clicking a Resource
• More likely to find it helpful & citable
More Time on Task
• Less likely to find Nature helpful
• Less likely to find Nature & Time citable
#ContainerCollapse
Discussion
#ContainerCollapse
RSPB
Nature
Time
Summary of Findings
• Ranking across the three tasks linked to resource characteristics
• Students may rely on source, when they should be evaluating the resource
• Clicking and Time on Task are related to student judgments in surprising ways
• Education level plays a role in students’ decisions
#ContainerCollapse
Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education
Authority is Constructed
and Contextual
Information Creation as a Process
Searching as Strategic Exploration
#ContainerCollapse
Presentation Attendee Poll Responses
Conversation
1. Based on these findings, how can we help students recognize and overcome some of these struggles?
2. How do we teach students to recognize and critically engage with recasted content?
#ContainerCollapse
Thank You & Questions
This project was made possible in part by the Institute of Museum and Library Services grant number LG-81-15-0155
@RSICStudy
#ContainerCollapse