Publication Date

2025

Document Type

Dissertation/Thesis

First Advisor

Hsu, Pi-Sui

Degree Name

Ph.D. (Doctor of Philosophy)

Legacy Department

Department of Educational Technology, Research and Assessment (ETRA)

Abstract

The purpose of this parallel convergent mixed methods study was to assess how international students from non-native English-speaking backgrounds that represent significant subgroups of the U.S. international student population interact with an academic library website with a discovery tool, and the usability of the tool for these students. It explored the information-seeking behavior of a group of international students (n=14) from Asia, Saudi Arabia, and Africa, who were enrolled at a Midwestern National University. It provides usability information about the issues those students encountered and their experiences when completing 10 common academic research tasks using the university library’s discovery tool. The research took place in the university’s user experience (UX) lab using a PC, and the students’ interactions with the discovery system and library website were recorded with a remote eye-tracking system. Demographic data was collected through a survey prior to engaging in the search tasks. The tasks and the participants’ comments during the search process were recorded using eye-tracking, screen recording, and audio recording. After completing the tasks, the participants provided feedback using standard questionnaires, the NASA Task Load Index (NASA-TLX), and the System Usability Scale (SUS). After completing the questionnaires, the students engaged in a brief semi-structured interview with the researcher. The data was triangulated to provide a holistic understanding of their search experiences with the discovery layer. The results revealed that despite usability challenges with the system, the students believed the library has high-quality resources that are important for their academic work and that training in using the discovery system is needed to be able to use it effectively. Usability challenges students had with terminology, collection labeling, and limited search pathways hindered resource discoverability and were sources of confusion and frustration. The results also revealed that when students could complete tasks using natural language and multiple search pathways, resource discoverability and search success increased, while user frustration decreased. This study enriches our understanding of international students’ search behaviors and their experiences with discovery layers and academic library websites, and it provides practical insights for academic libraries.

Extent

231 pages

Language

en

Publisher

Northern Illinois University

Rights Statement

In Copyright

Rights Statement 2

NIU theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from Huskie Commons for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without the written permission of the authors.

Media Type

Text

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