Purpose The continuous spread of the corona virus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has generated public health concern with avalanche of information accompanied by series of fake news. Thus, this study examined the effect of Information Literacy Competency (ILC) in curtailing the spread of fake news among Library and Information Science (LIS) undergraduates in Nigeria. Design/methodology/approach Survey research design of the descriptive type was used to generate data from a group of LIS undergraduates online. The population of the study consisted of 138 LIS undergraduate students who participated in the survey (thus, n = 138). The data retrieved was subjected to descriptive analysis. Findings The study revealed that the students had high level of ILC (x ¯ = 3.42), and there was low prevalence level of COVID-19 pandemic fake news (x ¯ = 2.35) among them. The major causes of COVID-19 fake news were too much information in circulation concerning COVID-19 (x ¯ = 3.44) and the resultant inability to discern or spot fake news from verified and authentic news (x ¯ = 3.28). The study also revealed that ILC had a significant effect in curtailing the spread of COVID-19 fake news with a grand mean of 3.28 against the criterion mean of 2.5. It is implied that LIS undergraduates are educationally position to acquire ILC which is crucial to their identification of fake news and helps to curtail its spread. Research limitations/implications The study is limited in its use of online group for data elicitation within a limited period of three weeks. Also, in its adoption of self-evaluation scale to measure ILC instead of standard information literacy test. Also, the high chances of social desirability bias in sections C and E serve as a limitation to the study. Practical implications The study reinforces the need to enhance structures that flags fake news on social media platforms and integrating IL into schools’ curriculum at all levels. Originality/value This study seeks to pioneer a new area of focus on the relevance of ILC to different global issues that concern the health and well-being.
The study focused on technological readiness and computer self-efficacy as predictors of E-learning adoption by Library and Information Science (LIS) students in Nigeria. While literatures have suggested that E-learning adoption is context based, there is a need to examine the predictors of E-learning adoption within the Nigerian context, given the increasing need for E-learning adoption as a result of the COVID-19 Pandemic. As a result, the study used the descriptive correlational research design to study a group of LIS students in Nigeria. Consequently, LIS students in the Nigeria Library and Information Science Students (NLISS) Facebook group were used for the study. The population of the group was 1,807 at the time the study was conducted and the sample size for the study was 320 randomly selected respondents. The sample size was achieved using the Krejcie, R. V., and D. W. Morgan. 1970. “Determining Sample Size for Research Activities.” Educational and Psychological Measurement 30: 607–10 table for determining sample size. Data was collected from the respondents using a closed-ended questionnaire consisting of adapted scales for all the variables. The 223 responses retrieved within a period of three weeks were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics. The findings from the investigation showed technological readiness, computer self-efficacy and E-learning adoption of the LIS students is very high. Though technological readiness and computer self-efficacy had relative contribution to E-learning adoption, computer self-efficacy had higher contribution. The study also revealed that significant relationships exist between technological readiness and E-learning adoption, computer self-efficacy and E-learning adoption, technological readiness and computer self-efficacy, while technological readiness and computer self-efficacy had joint prediction on E-learning adoption by LIS students in Nigeria. The study therefore emphasized the need to consider certain individual factors as criteria to the successful adoption of E-learning among LIS students in Nigeria.
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