Linking digital literacy and online information searching strategies of Philippine university students: The moderating role of mindfulness

Abstract

The extent to which students are able to maximize the potential benefits of information from the online world depends, in great measure, on the development of a set of skills that would make them effective users and decision-makers. While previous studies have revealed the role of prior knowledge, availability of ICT resources and infrastructure in the development of information-type skills, the identification of other unexplored variables remains important in information science. This paper seeks to ascertain the moderating role of mindfulness on digital literacy and online information searching strategies on a select group of university students in the Philippines. Structural equation modeling was used to test a hypothesized model and explore the factors affecting the information-seeking behavior of 321 students from the largest comprehensive university in the Philippines. A multi-aspect instrument, consisting of a robotfoto, and three scales such as the Langer Mindfulness Scale (LMS), Internet Skills Scale (ISS), and Online Information Searching Strategies Inventory (OISSI), was used in this study. Results revealed that digital literacy had a direct positive relationship with the online information searching strategies of students. Surprisingly, mindfulness did not moderate the relationship between digital literacy and online information searching strategies. Further, digital literacy was found to be a mediating factor to university students’ information searching strategies. Implications of these for library practice and policy are discussed in this paper.