IASL Research Abstracts: 243

Luther, F. D., & Lerat, P. (2009). Using Digital Resources: Perceptions of First Nations University Students

Abstract: Canada’s indigenous peoples face many educational challenges, including the need to learn how to use digital resources. The purpose of this study was to examine the perceptions of one group of indigenous students regarding their use of digital resources. The First Nations students who participated in the study were students at the First Nations University of Canada in the province of Saskatchewan. First Nations people are indigenous or Aboriginal peoples in Canada who are neither Inuit nor Métis people. This collaborative research project was intended to provide recommendations for policy and practice to teachers, teacher-librarians and administrators working with First Nations students in Kindergarten to grade 12 schools as well as to administrators and librarians in universities serving First nations students. A community-based planning approach to the research emphasized listening to the voices of the First Nations students and developing recommendations based on their perceptions of their access to, use of and capacity to use digital databases.

Subject categories: Education for school librarianship (4), Information & communication technologies (ICTs) (9), Information literacy, information processing models (10), Special populations (16), Policy (17), Professional development (19), Teacher education issues (22)

Abstract submitted by Janice Newsum, Florida State University