Human Information Interaction

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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.

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Background and Aim: Information literacy is a foundation for all information-related professional skills for preparing them for better performing their careers. This applied survey aimed at determining the rate and level of DIL skills among Iranian students in the academic year 2017-2018.
Method: A 20 item  researcher-made valid and reliable questionnaire on DIL was prepared by conducting a comprehensive literature review. Questionnaires were completed by 1875 male/female students as a purposeful sample, majoring in different disciplines, academic levels at different Iranian Universities in the academic year of 2017-2018.  Data was analyzed by descriptive and inferential statistics.
Findings: Findings showed that several students (39.6%) had a relatively low DIL level and the mean rate of their DIL skills was a moderate (8.34 %). Differences were significant in regard to discipline, academic levels and Universities. Further, there was no significant difference between male and female students in their DIL levels. However, there was a significant difference in DIL scores among students majoring basic sciences. Considering the educational levels, Doctorate candidates had significantly higher DIL scores than undergraduate and graduate students.  Students in private Universities had significantly lower DIL scores than students in State Universities.
Conclusion: Disciplinary-based information literacy has not been very efficacious in Iranian Universities. Designing an IL-synthesized curriculum and turning    toward the information literate University in training professionally information-literate students  is the drive for achieving a successful higher education  system in Iran.
Originality/Value: This study has equally theoretical and practical implications. Practically, depicts the general state of Iranian students' DIL levels, it can apprise Iran's higher educational system of the inevitability of drill skills as such in academic curriculum in all educational levels and scientific disciplines. As DIL is initially introduced in this study, it can be inspiring the theoretical approach of information literacy and its literature by adding a newly-emerged notion of "disciplinary-based information literacy."