This paper, written by James P. Purdy, Ph.D., assistant professor of English/writing studies
and director of the University Writing Center at Duquesne University, reports results of a preliminary study on why first–year
college students select certain online research resources as their
favorite.
Results, based on a survey of over 500 U.S. college students in first–year writing classes, offer a more complex picture of student motivation than popular accounts of these students as disinterested, lazy, and ignorant.
Students reported most frequently that they favored resources for reasons of ease, quality, and connectivity.
They reported least frequently that they favored resources for reasons of relevance, variety, and speed. These results suggest that students value finding scholarly sources above relevant sources.Why first–year college students select certain online research resources as their favorite by James Purdy
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