College of Communication and Information doctoral students Shelley Blundell and Heather Flynn presented their research projects at the April 15 graduate colloquium hosted by the college.
Both are alumni of the School of Library and Information Science and are pursuing an LIS-focused area of study in the college's interdisciplinary doctoral program.
Blundell's research topic is "Exploring the Academic Information-Seeking Experience of Remedial Undergraduate Students." According to her abstract, "Relatively little is known about the information-seeking behaviors of remedial undergraduate students at U.S. state universities. This population has a lower persistence to graduation rate than college-ready undergraduates, yet they are under-addressed in library and information science literature. Previous research with college-ready undergraduates indicates information-seeking behaviors are directly related to information literacy skills — necessary components for lifelong learning in the Information Age." Blundell’s dissertation study seeks to create a research foundation in this under-explored area, which can be used to create targeted information literacy instruction for remedial undergraduates. She hopes to solicit peer feedback toward enhancing study analysis.
Flynn presented on "Exploring International Students’ Cultural Perceptions of the Academic Library to Enhance Library Services." Her abstract states: "The study explores international students’ library usage behaviors as influenced by their cultural perspectives of the library system. International students at Kent State University were interviewed and asked comparative questions of their home country and the Kent State University library regarding their conceptions of the academic library, their personal use of the library, and what they believe the library could do to improve its services for international students. The research attempts to evaluate the gaps of international students’ understanding of the purpose of the academic library and address international students’ needs in order to increase and enhance international students’ library use within American academic libraries."