The information-seeking behavior has proven vital in understanding people's search behavior while seeking information about a particular topic or field. However, in some geographical regions, studies that focus on information-seeking behavior are few, specifically studying Arabic users' information-seeking behavior. A handful of studies…

This paper addresses the need for enhancing our awareness of user-centered design in educational technology through a more explicit and systematic alignment between the needs of educational technology users (learners and educators) and the affordances provided by the technology. First, we define the term "affordance" and discuss it from…

LibGuides are an essential resource in academic libraries. Although librarians use LibGuides primarily as instructional tools there is little discussion about the application of pedagogical and learner-centered design principles to the design of LibGuides. Current research focuses almost exclusively on issues of usability, resulting in best…

The role of the academic library, student library usage, and faculty perceptions of student learning have been ongoing discussions for many years. The purpose of this study was to bring those conversations together and illustrate how students at a mid-size university are currently using their library, preferences for library space usage, and…

This article focuses on practices, perspectives and values by healthcare workers, by analyzing how they experience the use of eHealth systems. The empirical data is from a qualitative case study, is derived from a number of eight participating health clinics use of eHealth systems, by healthcare workers. The analysis shows that by adopting a…

Telephone interviews were conducted with 18 blind academic library users around the United States about their experiences using their library and its website. The study uses the perspective that blind users' insights are fundamental. A common theme was that navigating a webpage is time consuming on the first visit. Issues identified include the…

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a neurobiological disorder that is characterised by inattention, hyperactivity, and impulse control problems. Students with ADHD are entering higher education at an increased rate and although there is some research on this population in higher education, library specific literature on the topic…

Purpose: Personas are lifelike characters that are driven by potential or real users' personal goals and experiences when interacting with a product. Personas support user-centered design by focusing on real users' needs. However, the use of personas in educational research and design requires certain adjustments from its original use in…

Colleges and universities increasingly rely on their websites to recruit students and convey information about tuition and costs of attendance. Given evidence of growing complexity in institutional tuition policies and cost-setting practices, the study examined how institutions' websites present financial information to the public. Through content…

Writing in plain language aims to help users find what they need and ensures that the information is both useful and understandable. This is key for distance students whose primary library interaction may be with the library Website. A mix of user research and readability scores can be used to measure whether content is findable, useful, and…

District leaders have invested widely in the creation of parent portals, but have paid less attention to ensuring that they are achieving their purpose in providing information that parents can use in supporting their children's academic success. This study, based on qualitative field note data from a larger four-year study of a continuous…

The academic library is changing. No longer simply a warehouse of information, the university library is a place for students and patrons to study, collaborate, socialize, and learn through social activities. This change in use reflects a paradigmatic shift from understanding the library as information repository to understanding the library as…

Frequently noted in library and information science literature and popular press, libraries are undergoing a rapid public makeover (Martin, 2015; Wernick, 2011). As part of a recent initiative supported by the American Library Association, librarians are striving to raise public awareness of the importance of libraries and library services in…

Recent policy and research efforts have focused on simplifying the college-going process, improving transparency around college costs, and helping students make informed decisions. In 2012, the Obama administration released the "shopping sheet," a standardized financial aid offer that is intended to provide students with simplified…

District leaders have invested widely in the creation of parent portals, but have paid less attention to ensuring that they are achieving their purpose in providing information that parents can use in supporting their children's academic success. This study, based on qualitative field note data from a larger four-year study of a continuous…