Analysis of Students’ Online Information Searching Strategies, Exposure to Internet Information Pollution And Cognitive Absorption Levels Based on Various Variables

Abstract

The objective of the present study was to examine students’ online information searching strategies, their cognitive absorption levels and the information pollution levels on the Internet based on different variables and to determine the correlation between these variables. The study was designed with the survey model, the study group included 198 students attending Computer Engineering and Computer Education and Instructional Technologies (CEIT) Departments in two universities located two cities in the Central Anatolian Region in 2016-2017 academic year fall semester. The data collection tools were Online Information Searching Strategy Inventory, Internet Information Pollution Scale and Cognitive Absorption Scale. In the study, it was found that the scores of the students related to these variables were above the average. It was also found in the study that there were low levels of positive correlations between the students’ level of cognitive absorption and encountering information pollution on the Internet and online information searching strategies. Another finding was that male students’ average score for online information searching strategies was higher than that of the female students. Furthermore, the common interaction between department and grade level variables based on the Internet information pollution scores was statistically significant.