ERIC Number: EJ1283942
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2021-Jan
Pages: 10
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-8756-3894
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Available Date: N/A
Examining Decision-Making Processes and Heuristics in Academic Help-Seeking and Instructional Environments
Giblin, Joan; Stefaniak, Jill
TechTrends: Linking Research and Practice to Improve Learning, v65 n1 p101-110 Jan 2021
College students often need to seek academic help, especially in online environments. Students may choose from variety of options for help, including their instructor, the internet, and friends. Current research efforts fail to fully explain undergraduate students' source selection process available in a real-world context. A holistic, learner-centered approach to understanding the decision-making process may result in more effective instructional practices to increase student help-seeking behavior. This study explored how college students describe their decision-making process regarding the selection of help-seeking sources. Interviews were conducted with 25 undergraduate students in their third or fourth year of study to explore their decision-making process when selecting academic help sources. Several themes emerged from the data regarding how participants described their decision-making process checkpoints. The examination of decision-making heuristics may provide a new method to explore help-seeking behavior. Implications for further research exploring decision-making processes associated with academic help-seeking are discussed.
Descriptors: Decision Making, Heuristics, Help Seeking, Undergraduate Students, Information Sources, Electronic Learning
Springer. Available from: Springer Nature. One New York Plaza, Suite 4600, New York, NY 10004. Tel: 800-777-4643; Tel: 212-460-1500; Fax: 212-460-1700; e-mail: customerservice@springernature.com; Web site: https://link.springer.com/
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
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Authoring Institution: N/A
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