Key factors in the transfer of information‐related competencies between academic, workplace, and daily life contexts

Abstract

Personal information behavior has been studied within a large number of different contexts; however, individuals show different information‐related competencies in their professional, academic or daily life contexts. Literature suggests that if a person is information‐related competent in one context, then he or she will be competent in the rest of the contexts of action. But this is only true for a basic level of information competencies. This article reports results from 24 interviews performed to mature e‐learning students and suggests that in a more advanced level of information competencies, some competencies that appear in one context are not manifested in another context. Several factors have been found to be related with information competencies transfer between contexts. Attitude is a key factor and feelings regarding Internet use is another critical factor. Specifically in learning environments, the results suggest that canned content and planned learning strategies can discourage a proactive attitude and enthusiasm for information and communication technologies, and therefore the acquisition of information‐related competencies. Understanding the differences and common patterns between these contexts may be useful for designing better information systems, services and instruction.

Book or NOOK? Information behavior of academic librarians

“…The other half read digital texts only for work or only for leisure. These findings can be interpreted in light of prior research that suggested a degree of information competencies transfer between professional, academic, and personal contexts (Ferran-Ferrer et al, 2013;Ingwersen and Jarvelin, 2005;Yuelin and Belkin, 2008).…”

What USC Upstate Alumni Say About Information Literacy in the Workplace

“…Several studies have shown that such transfer may be limited because of differences in context (Eyre, 2012;Ferran-Ferrer, Minguillon, & Perez-Montoro, 2013) and point to the need to broaden the way information literacy is articulated and taught to students (D'Angelo, 2012;Hoyer, 2011). While confirming that people who develop information competency in one context will also be information competent in other contexts, Ferran-Ferrer et al (2013) observe that transfer of information competencies occurs on the basic level of searching for and retrieving information, with more advanced skills being not directly transferrable: assessing the quality of information resources, assessing which resources are best for each situation, how to manage information resources, and how to respect ethical issues when using information resources (p. 1119).…”

Towards a framework for untangling complexity: The interprofessional decision‐making model for the complex patient

“…Healthcare decision making can be seen as a generative dance between patient data, information, and evidence‐based literature, and between physicians' critical reasoning as it is formed from previous experiences (Angell et al., ; Begun, Zimmerman, & Dooley, ; Durning et al., ; Fackler et al., ; Lundgrén‐Laine, 2011) in the context of hospital guidelines and practiced information behavior (Ferran‐Ferrer, Minguillón, & Pérez‐Montoro, ).…”

“…Recent publications on the correlation between organizational memory and information behavior (Dow, Hackbarth, & Wong, ; Ferran‐Ferrer et al., ) emphasize the importance of constantly examining not only the content elements but also the associated meaning. In the context of the challenge presented in this case, medical evidence alone could not balance opportunities and threats.…”