Knowledge, access, and utilization of electronic resources among the students of a private university in Iloilo City

Abstract

This study was conducted to determine the knowledge, access, and utilization of electronic resources among the students of a Private University in Iloilo City.

The respondents of the study were the undergraduate students from the seven departments/ colleges. Based on the total population of 8,273 undergraduate students, the sample size of 382 was from the colleges offering undergraduate courses.

Descriptive-correlational method was used in this study to determine the knowledge, access, and utilization of electronic resources.

Multi-stage sampling was used to determine the number of respondents of the study. The researcher-made instrument used in the study was made up of two parts. The first part dealt with the respondents’ personal profile such as their sex, department, and year level, while the second part dealt with the knowledge, access, and extent of utilization of the electronic resources among the respondents. The instrument was subjected to content validation and reliability testing. Frequency, chi square test, Cramer’s V, and Gamma were the statistical tools employed in the study in order to analyze the data gathered.

The result of the study revealed that female students were more likely to continue a college degree than male. The college of business and accountancy still attracts more students than the other department and most of them were in second year college because of the retention policy during third year.

Respondents were moderately knowledgeable about electronic resources though most of them have not accessed it. Majority of the respondents have accessed specific online databases occasionally and in various places of access. Electronic resources were utilized by the majority of the respondents for the purpose of research.

Respondents’ departmental affiliation and year level were the factors which determined their knowledge about electronic resources. It was further revealed that the respondents’ access to electronic resources was dependent on the department where they are enrolled in and their year level. As to the type of online databases, respondents’ access to electronic resources was dependent on sex whereas, the other categories such as department and year level did not differ.

Moreover, respondents’ access was dependent on their knowledge about electronic resources. With regards to their knowledge and access to type of online databases, it shows that respondents’ knowledge about electronic resources had a correlation as to type of online databases accessed and to the place of access. The respondents’ knowledge also shows a relationship with the extent of utilization of electronic resources in terms of purpose.

The study concludes that the undergraduate students were moderately knowledgeable about electronic resources, most of them have not accessed electronic resources and they utilized electronic resources for the purpose of research.