Human Information Interaction

Background and Aim: University students due to having better media literacy are among the groups that use social networks more. Aim of this research was to study the use of social networks by university students based on demographic and educational variables.

Method: This quantitative applied research utilized survey design. Data collection instrument was a questionnaire developed by the investigator. Validity of questionnaire was evaluated by expert colleagues and samples of respondents. Reliability of tool was tested by Spilt Half reliability. Population of the study was 4524 undergraduate students of Azarbaijan Shahid Madani University. The sample size was 393 students. Descriptive statistics (percent, frequency and mean) and inferential nonparametric statistics (Spearman,Mann-Whitney and Kruskal Wallis) was used in order to analysis data. SPSS17 was used to analysis the data and Excel was used to draw the charts.

Results: Majority of the students used social networks. Viber and Line was the most preferred social networks. Daily average use of social networks was 140 minutes. The most important reason of using social networks was fun. Friends of respondents in social networks were mostly the face to face visited individuals. Hand-phone was the important medium used in social networks. According to the majority of students validity of information in social networks was not valid. There was significant correlation between proportion of social network use and Grade Point Average (GPA), number of friends in social networks and features of information in social networks. There was significant difference in use of social networks between students of four studied domains.

Conclusion: Usage of social networks is usual among university students. Students almost used social networks as a medium for fun and communication. The students with higher GPA used social networks fewer.

Background and Aim: Information literacy is a key element in the development of an independent and effective learning in higher education in the 21st century. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between information literacy and learning motivation in undergraduate students. In addition, the mean score of information literacy was measured based on educational and demographic variables.
Methods: This applied research carried out with a quantitative approach and survey method. The data collection instrument was a questionnaire. The study population was undergraduate students at Azarbaijan Shahid Madani University and 379 samples were selected using stratified random sampling. Descriptive and inferential statistics analyses (Pearson correlation, independent T and ANOVA) were performed using SPSS software.
Results: Students' information literacy based on five standards was 2.48. Based on the findings of the Pearson correlation coefficient with 99 percent confident there was positive and significant relationship between information literacy and learning motivation. In addition there was positive and significant relationship between information literacy and Grade Point Average (GPA)  of students with 99 percent confident. Based on independent T-test was not observed a significant difference in male and female students' information literacy. ANOVA test showed a significant difference with 99 percent confident between information literacy and entrance year of students. Based on ANOVA test there was no significant differences on students' information literacy based on field of study.
Conclusion: Students' information literacy unsatisfactory. Information literacy had a positive relationship with learning motivation. Also there was a positive relationship between information literacy and academic performance (GPA). Information literacy of senior students was more than freshmen. Information literacy of students in four areas of study (Humanities, Engineering, Agriculture and Science) was almost similar.