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Use of
The use of electronic resources by electronic
undergraduate students at the resources

University of Venda, South Africa

Tintswalo Pascalis Tlakula and Madeleine Fombad 861
Information Science Department, University of South Africa,
Pretoria, South Africa Received 22 June 2016
Revised 12 October 2016
Accepted 13 November 2016

Abstract
Purpose – This paper aims to establish the level of use of the electronic resources at the University of
Venda, which is one of the previously disadvantaged universities in South Africa. It identifies the different
electronic resources used at the university, determines the level of awareness and training in the use of these
resources and suggests ways in which electronic resources may be enhanced. The rapid changes in the
information and communication technology (ICTs) have influenced service delivery in academic libraries in
terms of how information is gathered, accessed, retrieved and used. Hence, electronic resources are invaluable
research tools in academic libraries in the twenty-first century.
Design/methodology/approach – A qualitative research methodology was adopted, and semi-
structured interviews were conducted with each participant to get in-depth information. The target
population was all third-year students registered with the School of Human and Social Sciences at the
University of Venda. The third year undergraduate students from this particular school where chosen
because statistics revealed that these students where ranked among the top in the use of computers.
Findings – The findings revealed that the level of usage of these resources by undergraduate students is
elementary and limited to SABINET and EBSCO host. Undergraduate student’s level of awareness of the
different electronic resources is low. They confused electronic resources to Web-based internet sources. It also
revealed that the level of awareness and training in the use of these resources is still generic, as training is
mostly a once off orientation at the first year.
Research limitations/implications – This paper focuses on third year undergraduate students who
were using computers because the researchers were interested in finding out whether students using
computers were also using electronic resources. It excluded other profiles such as age, gender and computer
usage behaviour of electronic resources.
Practical implications – Adequate use and knowledge of electronic resources at universities is
instrumental towards realisation of the country’s ICT Strategy and the outcome-based education (OBE) model
of teaching movement. Suggestions are made to the university, the university library, university librarians
and the Library Association of South Africa on how to enhance the use of electronic resources.
Originality/value – It establishes the level of use of electronic resources in one of South African
historically disadvantaged universities, a point of contact to other previously South African disadvantaged
universities and make suggestions on how electronic resources may be enhanced. It adds to the body of
knowledge on the use of electronic resources in academic libraries in South African universities.
Keywords Academic libraries, Qualitative research, South Africa, Students, Education,
Electronic resources, Information and communication technology, Disadvantaged universities,
Outcome based education, University of Venda
Paper type Research paper

The Electronic Library

Introduction Vol. 35 No. 5, 2017
pp. 861-881
The twentieth century was shaped by the emergence and then rapid changes in information © Emerald Publishing Limited
0264-0473
and communication technologies (ICTs) that influenced service delivery in academic DOI 10.1108/EL-06-2016-0140
EL libraries in the ways in which information is gathered, accessed, retrieved and used. ICTs
35,5 have resulted in an exponential growth in the acquisition of electronic resources (ERs) as an
integral part of academic libraries for research, teaching, and academic activities (Ayoo and
Lubega, 2014; Rioux, 2014). ERs are an information resource that the library provides access
to via a computer and in electronic format. Information in electronic format provides the
advantage of being available regardless of location or time and, possibly from the viewpoint
862 of end users, cost, especially if the resource is open access and the user is proxied into the
library’s site where there may be provided extensive links to additional resources related to
the topic in question (Dadzie, 2005). Library e-resources have evolved from the introduction
of machine-readable cataloguing (MARC) and online public access catalogues (OPACs) in
the late 1960s to CD-ROM databases in the late 1980s, to electronic journals, electronic
books, online databases and Web-based ERs at the end of the twentieth century (Hawthorne,
2008). These resources are delivered over the internet and require different searching skills
than print resources. Online resources comprised e-books; e-journals; electronic articles,
theses and dissertations; and online newspapers and databases, such as those offered
through EBSCOhost, e-journal packages offered by publishers such as Emerald and Sage,
indexing and abstracting databases, reference databases (biographies, dictionaries,
directories, encyclopaedias), numeric and statistical databases, e-images, e-audio/visual
resources, among others (Johnson et al., 2012). These items tend to enhance efficiency and
effectiveness for both patrons and libraries and enable patrons to access digital information
required for investigating issues, solving problems, making decisions and developing new
understandings in areas of learning and teaching (Aramide and Bello, 2009).

Contextualisation and problematisation

Research statistics show that African countries lag behind those in the rest of the world in the
development of ICT infrastructure (Ojedokun and Lumande, 2005; Stilwell, 2007). However, this
is not exactly the case in South Africa and in South African universities in particular, which
enjoy a high level of ICT integration and adequate ICT infrastructure. One of the milestones of
the country’s National Development Plan, a policy that charts the country’s development to
2030 (NPC, 2013) is to ensure that high-speed broadband internet is universally available at
competitive prices in South Africa. South Africa is ranked 111 of 183 countries in fixed
broadband penetration with 2.2 out of every 100 people enjoying fixed broadband
subscriptions (Satgoor, 2015). The South African national government’s Information and
Communication Technology Strategy (info.com 2025) is also evidence of the country’s
emphasis on the development of ICT. Info.com 2025 serves as a collective programme of ICT
projects designed to establish a networked information community and make South Africa
globally competitive. Info.com 2025 addresses issues of policy, infrastructure, human capacity
and local content within ICT industries. One of its objectives is to facilitate and promote
education and training through the use of telecommunications technologies. The plan is to
install public information terminals at the main post offices and to set up community
information centres. The Technology Enhanced Learning Initiative (TELI) is an example of an
important project adopted by the government which focuses on the use of ICT and the
development of the skills to use ICT (De Jager and Nassimbeni, 2002).
South African universities benefit from funding for new infrastructure and renovations
from the Department of Higher Education and Training and, thus, have adequate modern
software, ICT hardware and infrastructure. There are a total of 26 universities in the country
categorised into 11 traditional universities offering theory-oriented university degrees, nine
universities of technology focusing on vocationally oriented education and six comprehensive
universities offering a combination of both types of qualification (Business Tech, 2015). These
universities make a wide variety of electronic information resources available for use by Use of
students and staff, and they form an integral part of the reference services provided by these electronic
libraries (Ramlogan and Tedd, 2006; Satgoor, 2015). South African universities, in particular,
enjoy a high level of ICT integration and adequate ICT infrastructure. ERs serve as an integral
resources
part of research, teaching and academic activities. Although South African universities have
invested vast amounts of money in the acquisition of ERs, there are questions about the
efficiency and use of these resources. For example, Ashcroft (2011) observed that, while issues
regarding the introduction of e-journals, such as raising user awareness, bundling, the 863
proliferation of passwords and consortia purchase have been resolved, the situation regarding
e-book provision is less stable. Mogase and Kalema (2015) reported that students have made
little effort to use these resources. Pietersen and Raju (2015) noted that, while academic libraries
have had success in developing e-collections, the adoption of e-books in particular as part of
e-collections seems to have been slow.
The University of Venda is categorised as one of South Africa’s comprehensive rural-
based universities and is located in the Thulamela Municipality, Vhembe District, in the
Limpopo province of South Africa. The mission of the University of Venda is to provide a
comprehensive information service to its students, staff and the local community outside the
university. The university library seeks to accomplish this mission through the provision of
advanced ICT, well-trained staff and a comprehensive stock of information resources
(University of Venda, 2015a). To this end, the library subscribes to over 40 electronic
databases available over the internet and has rolled out provision of tablets to all registered
students (Egberongbe, 2011) This university was chosen specifically because it is one of the
historically black disadvantaged universities, located in a poor, rural area dominated by
students from disadvantaged backgrounds and serves, in the main, poor students who are
not well prepared for higher education. A statement by the then Minster of Higher
Education referred to the university as a rural university that attracts some of the poorest
students in the higher education sector (Nzimande, 2009). Most of the students who attend
this university for the first time lack basic information-handling skills, including basic
computer skills. A majority of these students also come from technologically disadvantaged
schools and, therefore, are poorly equipped to use computers for purposes of accessing
information that is largely available electronically.
The above scenario is not specific to the University of Venda. Underwood et al. (2002)
observed that a majority of South Africans suffered from a lack of or poor formal education
which largely affected their ability to read and write. Illiteracy remains an issue in the
country almost 16 years later. The 2006 Progress in International Reading Literacy Study
(PIRLS, 2006) evaluation of South African learners placed them last out of 40 countries
tested (PIRLS 2006/2007). The 2011 PIRLS survey of 49 countries revealed no significant
difference in the overall achievement of South African learners when compared to the 2006
study (PIRLS, 2011). A study by a research group in Stellenbosch on socio-economic policy
revealed that 60 per cent of the children in South Africa cannot read at a basic level by the
end of the fourth grade (Jannson, 2016). It is very likely that limited use of ERs in
universities may be attributed to a history of low level of information literacy from the
primary school years onward. This article seeks to study the usage of ERs by
undergraduate students at the University of Venda and some of the barriers to access they
may have. It is guided by the following research questions:
RQ1. What is the level of use of ERs by undergraduate students at the University of
Venda?
RQ2. Do undergraduate students have the necessary experience and skills to use ERs?
EL Literature review
35,5 This section reviews the literature on academic libraries and outcomes-based education
(OBE), the use of electronic information resources in academic libraries and the role of
information literary in the use of ERs.

Academic libraries and outcomes-based education

864 Academic libraries are attached to, or associated with, a university and are used to meet the
needs of the different stakeholders in the institution by supporting teaching, learning and
research activities. Among the stakeholders in academic libraries are students, teachers,
researchers, administrative staff and other research workers and alumni of the university
who serve or support the objectives of the parent organisation – that is, teaching, learning
and research – by catering to the information needs of these stakeholders (Gupta, 2011).
These libraries fulfil the educational needs of students that arise from their subject specific
curricula and the OBE model of teaching that emerged in the latter part of the twentieth
century.
OBE calls for a form of learner-centred education through the provision of information
literacy. It provides a basis for continuing learning in higher education by developing
critical learners and fostering a problem-solving approach. South Africa has steadily moved
towards a more democratic form of education resulting in a shift in the concept of education
from one that was elitist to one that advocates equal opportunity and lifelong learning, with
curriculum reforms and the OBE model at the centre. In essence, OBE, embedded in
Curriculum 2005, called for a new approach to teaching and learning within the South
African context geared towards developing critical, creative and responsible citizens
(Van der Horst and McDonald, 1997).
OBE is changing the context in which academic libraries operate in that, while learners
are challenged to locate, critique and use information to become lifelong learners, there is
growing pressure on academic institutions and, by extension, academic libraries to
demonstrate their impact on student learning, by establishing student learning outcomes.
The role of academic libraries has shifted from what may be termed as a passive and
supportive role to total involvement and increased participation with students and teaching
staff in the provision of information literary and ERs (Fallon and Breen, 2012; Khan and
Bhatti, 2012). Miller (2014) outlined several strategies that academic research libraries can
adopt to become future-present libraries, among which are positioning learners and learning
at the centre of all work; building broad, inclusive communities around teaching and
learning; staying true to the educational mission; inspiring questions by cultivating the
imagination; modelling peer-to-peer learning; and gathering, interpreting and sharing
evidence of student learning. Hernon et al. (2013) outlined several habits of mind that
libraries can develop to support student learning outcomes. Among these are civic
engagement, conflict mediation, creative thinking, critical thinking, ethical reasoning, global
citizenry, leadership, literacy (informational and visual), problem solving and quantitative
reasoning. Researchers at Indiana University, INpolis, explored how outcomes-based
instructional design can be used collect student data, assess student learning and improve
instruction (Lacy and Chen, 2013). Menchaca (2014) observed that measuring libraries in
terms of supporting improved undergraduate learning outcomes will lead increased funding
prospects and greater relevancy.

Electronic resources and information literacy

A positive relationship between information literacy (IL) and the use of ERs has been
observed in the literature. Ukachi (2015) observed a positive correlation between the level of
an undergraduate student’s IL skill and the use of ERs provided in the library. It is posited Use of
that, in many instances, ERs are not adequately used because undergraduate students do electronic
not possess adequate information literacy skills. Similarly, Adeleke and Emeahara (2016)
observed a significant relationship between IL and the use of ERs by postgraduate students
resources
of the University of Ibadan in Nigeria. Information literacy has been identified as a key part
of the solution to access to information and the management of information resources
(De Jager and Nassimbeni, 2002). The American Library Association (ALA) provided a
865
universally accepted definition of IL as the ability to recognise when information is needed
and to have the ability to locate, evaluate and use effectively needed information [American
Library Association (ALA), Association for College and Research Libraries (ACRL), 2000].
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO, 2008)
defined information literacy as one’s ability to recognise his/her information needs, locate
and evaluate the quality of information, store and retrieve information, make effective and
ethical use of information and apply information to create and communicate knowledge. The
South African government appreciates the value of IL and the government has taken several
measures to enhance information literacy in schools. The Council on Higher Education in
South Africa, for example, has specified information competence in all levels of qualification
granted by universities and Technikons. For example, at Exit Level 7, completion of a
general degree, the formulation for this competence is specified as developed information
retrieval skills and using information technology skills effectively (De Jager and
Nassimbeni, 2001).

The use of electronic resources in academic libraries

ERs in academic libraries broaden the range of available information within the library and
add value to the content by making them accessible through digital means (Daramola, 2016).
Oyewo and Bello (2014) observed that cyber restrictions, lack of guidance on use, slow
connectivity and poor computer literacy skills are some of the constraints affecting how
students access and use electronic information resources for academic study and research.
Their findings further revealed that electronic information resources are not adequately
used because undergraduate students have negative attitudes towards them. It was
recommended that special computing skills be acquired before one can be competent enough
to effectively use these resources.
Dadzie’s (2005) investigations into the use of ERs by students and faculty of the Ashesi
University in Ghana showed that general computer use for information access was high.
The study recommends the introduction of information competency across the curriculum
and the introduction of a one-unit course to be taught at all levels. Okite-Amughoro et al.
(2014) studied the use of ERs for academic research by postgraduate students and revealed
that they are aware of the existence of ERs, but the optimal use of them is hampered by
limited access due to a lack of information-searching skills, limited space, slow bandwidth
and erratic power supply.
Omosekejimi et al. (2015) revealed that the use of ERs has had a tremendous impact on
the academic performance of undergraduate students, but that there is a need to acquire
more skills in the use of these resources. Joshua (2014) investigated the extent to which
undergraduate and postgraduate students of the University of the Philippines use the
e-resources of the general reference section of the main library. It was found that students
barely used the e-resources because of inadequate awareness and mobilisation. Similarly,
Dukić and Strišković (2015) observed that variables, such as gender, level of study,
enrolment status and field of study, affect the use of ERs in Croatian university libraries.
EL The preceding section reveals recurrent challenges to the use of ERs in academic libraries
35,5 from the different studies carried out by students, researchers, scholars and teachers of
various universities all over the world. Among which are a lack of awareness, information
illiteracy, lack of skills, low bandwidth and ICT challenges. Simply put, physical and
personal barriers are the two major obstacles to the use of ERs in most of these universities
(Akporhonor and Akpojotor, 2016; Ingutia-Oyieke and Dick, 2010; MacMillan, 2009; Manda,
866 2005; Mutula, 2000; Odero-Musakali and Mutula, 2007). Physical barriers relate to inadequate
infrastructure networks, such as intranets and the internet; lack of native-language content;
software power outages; and restricted access to ICT facilities, especially the internet.
Personal barriers, on the other hand, is about not knowing what information is needed or
available; not knowing where to look for information; not knowing what sources of
information exist; lacking the confidence or technical skills required to use computers in the
case of online information searching; and becoming discouraged by long delays when trying
to access information resources, especially if the network connection is slow.
Another observation is that though the literature is rife with the use of ERs in libraries,
the focus has mostly been on the use of these resources by academics and postgraduate
students. The research method adopted in most of the studies have been quantitative (Dolo-
Ndlwana, 2013; Ingutia-Oyieke and Dick, 2010; Okite-Amughoro et al., 2014; Shuling, 2006).
This article adopts a qualitative approach to investigate the use of ERs by undergraduate
students in a historically disadvantaged university in South Africa to suggest ways in
which the use of these resources may be enhanced at this and other universities in South
Africa.

Research methodology
A qualitative research methodology was adopted, and semi-structured interviews were
conducted with each participant to get in-depth information. The target population was all
third-year students registered with the School of Human and Social Sciences at the
University of Venda. The third-year undergraduate students from this particular school
were chosen because statistics revealed that these students were ranked among the top in
the use of computers (University of Venda, 2015a). Given that the focus of this study was to
investigate the use of ERs by University of Venda students, choosing students who are
computer literate was a critical aspect of the study. For example, it was concluded in
Majid and Abazova’s (1999) study at the International Islamic University of Malaysia that
use of e-resources was influenced by the computing skills of academics. It was, therefore,
inferred that only students who are computer literate may take a step further in using
computers to access ERs. The third-year students were also specifically targeted because
they were frequent users of the library. It was assumed that these students should have been
exposed to the use of computers for at least three years and were a better target group in
realising the objectives of the research. The time frame for collecting data for this project
was only three weeks. Therefore, the researcher could not possibly explore students with
other profiles and other usage behaviours of ERs and different frequencies in academic
libraries. As Neuman (2011) posited, the researcher intended to capture all the details on the
use of ERs by third-year undergraduate students in an extremely detailed description.
A sample size consisting of ten students were interviewed because the information
was saturated, and the researcher was convinced that an in-depth information and
complex understanding of subjective experiences of participants has been attained.
Snowball sampling, a non-non-probability sampling technique, was adopted because it
was considered an easy and informal method to reach the target population. In snowball
sampling, a few participants are identified, and they refer the researcher to other
participants (Bless et al., 2015; De Vos et al., 2005). This method made it easy for the Use of
researcher to be initiated into a chain of referrals among the target group. The electronic
participants provided invaluable assistance in enabling the researcher to obtain the
confidence and trust of subsequent participants. The first third-year student was from
resources
the School of Human and Social Science and referred the researcher to other third-year
students at the same school. The six steps of analysing data in qualitative research listed
by Creswell (2014) were followed in a linear and hierarchical process as follows: data
collected on the use of ERs by undergraduate students at the University of Venda was 867
organised and prepared for analysis. After reading through it all, the data were coded and
categories for analysis were described. This was followed by the presentation and
interpretation of the results in the next section.

Findings
What is the level of use of electronic resources by undergraduate students at the University
of Venda?
To establish the level of use, the following questions were asked:
Q1. How often do you use ERs?

Q2. What type of ERs do you often use?

Q3. For what purpose do you use ERs?

The following responses where obtained with regards to the frequency of use:
P1: “I often come to the library to search for information because I prefer using them as
compared to books because they are quick and easy to use”.
P2: “I come to the library regularly to use the computers to search for information from
EIRs as they are quick and easy to use”.
P3: “I occasionally use the computers to search for online journals because the library
doesn’t have enough books for my subjects and they are easy to use and it’s quick
information”.
P4: “I don’t use electronic reserves that much because I am not conversant with the
computers unless my friends are willing to help”.
P5: “My studies require more of using online information because most topics need current
information. So I search for online information in a regular basis for its easy access”.
P6: “I don’t use them much often. I usually use the computers for searching information
from Google Scholar and Google. I also read the news as well as watch lifestyle videos and
lectures from You Tube”.
P7: “I usually use electronic resources twice a week”.
P8: “I regularly use electronic resources because they are easy to use, saves time and offer
recent information in a social work field”.
P9: “Regularly. My field of study requires regular use of current journal articles. I therefore
prefer electronic journals because they can be easily accessed, saved and printed”.
EL P10: “I occasionally use electronic resources”.
35,5 In sum, five of the participants used ERs regularly, three used them occasionally, one used it
twice a week, and one did not use it that much because he/she was computer illiterate.
Although they all claim to have been using ERs, their level of understanding of ERs as revealed
in their responses to subsequent questions is limited. Participants considered an ER as the use
of the internet for Google search and the use of Wikipedia, which in reality are not ERs for
868 scholarly information. Wikipedia is a free online encyclopaedia that provides internet users
with articles on a broad range of topics. It is not a primary nor reliable source of information,
and even Wikipedia suggests that its articles should not be used to make critical decisions
(Moran, 2011). Google and Google Scholar, on the other hand, are easy-to-use search engines
that search the internet to identify items that match the keywords entered. Google Scholar is a
search engine for scholarly works that indexes the content of some scholarly material
published on the internet and in some electronic books and journals. For many researchers,
Google is often the starting point for research as it provides access to useful full-text academic
material such that “googling” has become synonymous with doing research. However, it is
important to note that Google is a search engine and is not as elaborate as a library’s databases.
Rather, Google provides fast, easy access to unlimited, full-text content using interfaces that
require no critical thought or evaluation (Bell, 2004). On the other hand, ERs provide reliable,
accessible and credible full-text articles. ERs, on the other hand, are systems in which
information is stored electronically and made accessible through electronic systems and
computer networks, and have become the major source of information for research and study
offered by academic libraries (Akpojotor, 2016). Examples of ERs are databases, e-journals, e-
books, online newspapers, electronic articles, theses, dissertations and CD-ROMs.
The second question, with regards to the ERs mostly used, elicited the following responses:
P1: “I usually search the databases such as SABINET, EBSCOhost to access e-journals[. . .]
I also use Google-scholar as well as Google website”.
P2: “I use Google, Google Scholar, EBSCOhost and SABINET to access e-journals because
they are quick and easy to use”.
P3: “I usually use online journals directly from Google-Scholar”.
P4: “When I search for information, I use Google web site and SABINET to access online
journals”.
P5: “I search for electronic journals from Google-Scholar and SABINET as well as Google
website and EBSCOhost”.
P6: “As I indicated, I use Google and Google Scholar, OPAC and a bit of SABINET to
access journal articles and ebooks”.
P7: “I search Sabinet, Google (Academia, Wikipedia) and a bit of Google Scholar for journal
articles and e-books”.
P8: “I usually search Sabinet, Google Scholar, and, of course, Google to retrieve electronic
journal articles and Acts”.
P9: “I usually search for journal articles from SABINET, EBSCOhost, Google Scholar, and
Google”.
P10: “I use SABINET, Google Scholar, Google and EBSCOhost to obtain journal articles Use of
and speeches as well as Acts”. electronic
All participants are using SABINET, Google and Google Scholar to search for e-journals. In resources
addition, six participants are using EBSCOhost. As observed in the preceding section,
Google and Google Scholar, which are used by almost all of the participants, are Web-based
internet search engines and not ERs. Referring to Google and Google Scholar as ERs is an
indication of the low level of awareness of the existence of ERs in the library. This is 869
particularly so because participants are not using notable scholarly databases, except for
EBSCOhost, while one indicates the use of e-books. Pietersen and Raju (2015) observed that
e-books are underused at universities. SABINET is a comprehensive, searchable collection
of full-text African electronic journals available on one platform which focuses on
information originating from or pertaining to Africa. One may infer that one reason why
participants are mostly using this database is because it indexes writings on South Africa,
making it easy for librarians to illustrate to the students. It may also be that the participants
are not aware of any other resources that exist in the library other than SABINET and
EBSCOhost because these are the ones they were exposed to during the one-off trainings, as
indicated in the subsequent responses on the level of their skills in the use of ERs. This
finding concurs with Ramlogan and Tedd’s (2006) and Adeniran’s (2013) results on the use
of electronic information resources by undergraduate students, where a lack of awareness of
the availability of resources and limited searching skills were the main factors reducing the
effective use of scholarly electronic journals. In contrast, the findings of Akpojotor (2016)
revealed that postgraduate students of library and information science are quite aware of
and frequently use electronic information resources. Understandably, information science
students are supposed to be knowledgeable in the use of ERs because they are a core module
in the undergraduate programme for information sciences in universities. Kaur and Verma’s
(2009) study on the use of electronic information resources revealed that awareness of
e-resources encouraged users to use such resources as much as possible.
The third question, with regard to the purpose to which these databases are used, yielded
the following responses:
P1: “I search for electronic journals in order to write my assignments, during test period
and for general knowledge since I am an assistant at the Research Department”.
P2: “I access online journals to be able to respond to my assignments. EBSCOhost enables
me to do my referencing properly because different referencing styles are provided, such as
APA, Harvard, etc. So I just choose one of them”.
P3: “I mostly use SABINET for my own researching on a topic after a class and for
assignments”.
P4: “I use the Internet to search for online journals to respond to assignment questions and
to add to my knowledge on a particular topic after a lecturer”.
P5: “In order to pass in a social work field, I need to access e-journals when I do my
assignments, write tests and just to expand to what I am already taught in class”.
P6: “I use them when I have to write assignments and tests because they are easy to use,
fast and have recent information”.
P7: “I use them when I have an assignment and tests. I also use them to increase my
EL knowledge on a particular topic as they give access to recent information and easy to access
35,5 information than books”.
P8: “I use electronic resources to acquire information [for] my assignments and to
complement lectures. Sometimes I use them to update my knowledge on certain topics”.
P9: “I use electronic journals to enhance my knowledge on a lecture, to gather information
870 for my assignments, tests and examination. I also use the Internet to read news”.
P10: “I use electronic resources for general knowledge, information for completing of
assignments, tests and examination”.
All participants search ERs to prepare for assignments and tests. Eight participants
indicated that they searched Google to gain more information to complement their lectures.
Participants indicated the use of ERs “for general knowledge, information, tests and
examination”. The indication by most of the participants that they search Google for
assignments further confirms the limitation of their understanding of databases. However,
the fact that most of the participants are at least aware of the reason for using ERs, although
only very few are actually using them, affirms their recognition of the importance of these
types of resources towards enhancing their studies.

Do undergraduate students have the necessary experience and skills to use electronic
resources?
To determine whether the students had the necessary experience and skills in the use of
electronic information resources, the following three questions were asked:
Q1. How did you become aware of electronic information resources?
Q2. Did you receive any training in the use of ERs?
Q3. How satisfied are you with your skills and knowledge of ERs?
Responses with regards to how participants become aware of ERs are as follows:
P1: “During orientation for first year students”.
P2: “I became aware ERZs during library orientation when I first came to the university”.
P3: “Through library orientation offered at the beginning of the year and my lecturer
introduced SABINET to me”.
P4: “Electronic resources were verbally introduced to us during library orientation and
during training”.
P5: “Electronic resources were introduced to me when I joined the university during library
orientation”.
P6: “My friend informed me and a senior student registered for the same degree as mine”.
P7: “Electronic resources were introduced to me during library orientation and in
information literacy classes”.
P8: “They were briefly introduced to me during library orientation when I joined the
university as a first year student and my lecturer”.
P9: “If I remember clearly, they talked about them during orientation and during training Use of
with the information librarian”. electronic
P10: “I knew about electronic resources from my lecturer and other students in my class”. resources
Most of the participants became aware of library resources during a one-off library
orientation received during their first year at the university, while a few learnt from their
lecturers, and some learnt from other students. This again confirms the view that there is 871
inadequate marketing of these services.
The second question, with regards to whether participants received any training in the
use of ERs, received the following responses:
P1: “Training was done through the Information Librarian”.
P2: “Basic training on how to search for information was arranged with the Information
Librarian”.
P3: “I am able to use the Internet therefore searching google-scholar was not a problem and
my lecturer showed me how to search SABINET because I missed training because I had
another class”.
P4: “I was trained but couldn’t follow well as I am not computer literate”.
P5: “Basic training on how to use electronic resources was given to us but we didn’t explore
all databases”.
P6: “I was trained after my friend told me that there is training”.
P7: “I was trained by the School Librarian”.
P8: “I received training which was done by the information librarian when I was in second
year and again this year when I am in third year”.
P9: “Yes, I was trained by the information librarian”.
P10: “Training was offered to all second year students, which was basic in 2014 and again
this year”.
Based on the responses, the training was basic and one-off, and received during first year
orientation or the beginning of each year. Participants were also referred to training by
friends. The implication being that perhaps training was not fully publicised and marketed.
One participant noted that he was self-trained as he knows how to use the internet. The
assumption by this participant is that knowledge of the internet translates into knowledge
on the use of ERs which are two different things. Egberongbe’s (2011) study on the use of
ERs at the University of Lagos revealed inadequate training in the use of ERs as a major
factor hindering the use of these resources. Bhukuvhani et al. (2012) established the
correlations between library information literacy training and the use of Web-based
resources. Computer literary was also a challenge in acquiring training. One is not surprised
by P4’s response that “I was trained but couldn’t follow well as I am not computer literate”
as an indication that lack of computer skills and computer illiteracy affect the level of
student satisfaction on the use of electronic information resources. As observed, most of the
participants who attend the university come from schools that are poorly equipped
EL technologically and lack basic information-handling skills, including basic computer skills.
35,5 The role of the school librarian in enhancing IL was apparent as P7 indicated that “I was
trained by the School Librarian”.
The third question with regards to how satisfied participants are with skills and
knowledge of ERs revealed the following:
P1: “There’s a need for more training for students and for marketing these services because
872 technology has advanced that sooner the library will only be digital. Therefore, I am in
between satisfied and unsatisfied”.
P2: “My skills [are] still lack[ing] because the time that was allocated for training was short
and not all databases were introduced to us”.
P3: “It would be great if the students with no computer background could be given
computer literacy training because it is impossible to access electronic training without
computer skills”.
P4: “I would like to learn how to use e-books but all in all I can search for articles”.
P5: “Training was not enough, this makes me not be confident in what I am doing because I
am not sure if I am searching correctly”.
P6: “I need more training and enough time should be allocated for the training which has to
be hands on”.
P7: “I am partially satisfied because training was not sufficient. I therefore still have
difficulties in searching some databases especially EBSCOhost. This affects my
performance because I only can search SABINET”.
P8: “I am satisfied with my skills though my problem is that the databases that the library
offers are not enough, I wish there were more”.
P9: “I believe my skills are those of an average person because training that was offered
was inadequate since she was fast as the time allocated was insufficient”.
P10: “I am able to access and retrieve information/electronic journals from the databases
especially SABINET and EBSCOhost”.
Almost all of the participants expressed dissatisfaction with the level of training and skills
acquired in searching ERs. The fact that the one participant who indicated satisfaction with
the searching skills indicated that he/she is able to search information only from EBSCOhost
and SABINET, two out of the many databases subscribed to by the university, is an
indication of a lack of skills and training in the use of the other databases and the lack of
awareness of the different ERs available in the library. The findings of Adeleke and
Emeahara (2016), Okite-Amughoro et al. (2014) and Rehman and Ramzy (2004) revealed that
optimal use of ERs is hampered by a lack of information searching skills, among other
factors. Oyekanmu and Ranti performed a study on the accessibility and utilisation of ERs
in a selected monotechnic’s library in Oyo State Nigeria and recommended improved
training on computer literacy skills for students to be able to fully explore the online
learning resources. Also, the librarians and information professionals working in the library
were implored to encourage students in effective utilisation of ERs. Adeleke and Emeahara
(2016) further indicated a significant relationship between IL skills and the use of electronic
information resources because the lack of adequate skills of postgraduate students resulted Use of
in the non-encouragement of expected research-led enquiry in using ERs. electronic
resources
How can the use of information resources be enhanced at the University of Venda?
It is clear from the overall findings that, unlike most universities in sub-Saharan Africa,
where both personal and physical barriers as examined in preceding sections affect the use
of ERs, only personal barriers affected the use of electronic sources at this university.
Among the personal barriers are the low level of awareness, lack of training or only basic
873
training, limited skills, computer illiteracy and improper marketing. These findings concur
with the results of Akporhonor and Akpojotor (2016), Ingutia-Oyieke and Dick (2010),
MacMillan (2009), Manda (2005), Mutula (2000) and Odero-Musakali and Mutula (2007). The
absence of physical barriers affecting the use of ERs is evident in the fact that the South
African Government is investing through the Department of Higher Education in the
acquisition of ICTs and ERs and in improving bandwidth and connectivity at universities.
Also, part of the country’s info.com 2025 strategy is to make the country globally
competitive by promoting education and training though the use of telecommunication
technologies.
However, if the University of Venda and other universities in South Africa are to
obtain value for money in their investment and budget for ERs, personal barriers in the
use of ERs need to be overcome. This will involve intensifying the efforts in information
literacy, adequate training in the use of electronic sources, skills development
marketing and awareness campaigns at the University of Venda. Subsequent
paragraphs draw from the overall findings of this article to suggest ways in which ERs
may be enhanced at the University of Venda. Information literary, adequate training
and skills development in the use of ERs may be realised if the current university
library training sessions move beyond the present basic one-off information and
orientation sessions to ongoing information literacy instruction at all levels of study.
Information literary instruction should be considered part of an academic qualification.
It is worth noting that the Library and Information Science (LIS) Transformation
Charter (2009) of the National Council for Library and Information Services of South
Africa identifies information education as a priority for academic libraries (The
Transformation Charter, 2009; The Library and Information Science Transformation
Charter, 2009). Furthermore, the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA) lists
information as a cross-field critical outcome for students. Nonetheless, IL has not been
fully integrated in most universities in South Africa and, specifically, in most
previously disadvantaged academic universities. South African universities with
promising IL programmes are mostly historically white and highly privileged, such as
the University of Pretoria and the University of Cape Town. These universities
currently offer information literacy programmes aligned to the American Library
Association’s Information Literacy Competency Standards for Higher Education (De
Jager and Nassimbeni, 2001; Jiyane and Onyancha, 2010). An Integrated Information
Literacy programme is also offered at the University of Venda to the Foundation Phase
that contributes 30 per cent of the total grade for students doing the entrepreneurial
course in management sciences (University of Venda, 2015b). One therefore questions
why such a good initiative is limited to only one programme at the university. Thus,
information literacy at the University of Venda should be curriculum-integrated, with
more time allocated for the training of undergraduate students. The content of the IL
curriculum should include information skills, computer skills (given that some of these
students are computer illiterates), subject-related skills, library skills, problem-solving
EL and cognitive skills and the attitudes and values that enable learners to function
35,5 effectively in the information landscape. The content should go beyond generic
information skills to knowledge of the discipline and the ability to handle complex
information. In the USA, for example, librarians have tried to advance the IL agenda by
teaching for-credit information literacy courses, participating in first-year experience
courses, implementing embedded librarian initiatives, designing collaborative
874 assignments and proposing campus-wide IL action plans (Jarson, 2010).
To ensure the successful implementation of curriculum integrated IL, the university
and library and professional associations need to consider information literary as a
shared endeavour, whereby the library and librarians are portrayed mainly as
facilitators. Therefore, the University of Venda should consider integrating IL as a
major strategic objective directly relevant to providing quality education and in
determining the objectives of OBE. To this end, computer literacy policies and training
programmes should form an integral part of the university’s strategic plan. This
applies to all other historically disadvantaged and rural academic universities in South
Africa, which, like Venda, show that the lack of computer skills is one of the reasons for
non-use of ERs; most of the first-year students do not even know how to hold a mouse.
Ukachi et al. (2014) observed that ERs are not adequately used by undergraduate
students who have a negative attitude towards its use because they are computer
illiterate. Therefore, ICT centres should be established at the University of Venda with
well-trained ICT personnel who may impact skills at no cost to all registered first-year
students. These computer courses should include all of the basic components of
Microsoft Office. The emphasis on no fee attached is crucial. Lessons should be drawn
from the Computer Centre at University of Fort Hare, South Africa (Somi and De Jager,
2005), where very few students were able to participate in the computer literacy
training courses because they were unable to pay the required fee.
In the same vein, the University of Venda library should seek to incorporate, integrate
and implement IL in their mission statement and attempt new ways of teaching that
encourages critical thinking beyond the current initiative that is limited to one-off
orientation classes to first-year students. Some South African academic libraries have long
taken an interest in IL by incorporating it into their mission statements (De Jager and
Nassimbeni, 2005). However, the fact that the level of use of ERs remains a challenge in most
South African universities may be indicative that there have been little or no practical steps
towards the implementation of curriculum integrated information literary. Therefore,
academic libraries should go beyond incorporating sentences on IL into their mission
statements to developing policies that seek to incorporate and integrate information literacy
in the curriculum, taking into consideration the level, content and frequency of delivery of
the programme. US academic libraries have embraced as their strategic mission the need to
embed information literary in the curriculum (Yang and Chou, 2014).
It should be noted that the evolution of Web 2.0 and the revolution of social media
and social networking require a fundamental shift in how to think about IL in the
twenty-first century. Today’s lifelong learners communicate, create and share
information using a range of emerging technologies, such as social networks, blogs,
microblogs, wikis, mobile devices and apps, virtual worlds, online communities, cloud
computing and massive open online courses which may be used for marketing these
resources.
Furthermore, librarians should regularly attend IL skill workshops and programmes to
learn about and keep up with the trends in information literacy. For example, the Librarians’
Information Literacy Annual Conference (LILAC) is held in the UK. It is an international
conference aimed at librarians and information professionals who teach IL skills, and who Use of
are interested in digital literacies and want to improve the information seeking and electronic
evaluation skills of all library users.
With regards to professional associations, the Library Association of South Africa
resources
(LIASA), a registered non-profit professional association that represents the South
African LIS sector nationally and internationally, should be at the forefront of enhancing
the effective use of ERs at the University of Venda by advocating for the inclusion of
information literacy in the curricula. In the USA, the Association of College and Research 875
Libraries (ACRL) has been at the forefront of the inclusion of IL in the curriculum of
higher education (Yang and Chou, 2014). Some degree of curriculum integrated IL already
offered in some of the previously advantaged South African universities is based on the
ALA’s information literacy competency standards. However, the onus is on LIASA to
follow ALA’s leadership and develop context-specific curriculum integrated information
literacy competency standards, particularly in previously disadvantaged South African
universities that reflect the current trends in information creation, storage, retrieval,
dissemination and use.
Furthermore, in addition to implementing curriculum integrated IL, adequate
mobilisation and marketing of ERs are crucial. As observed in the findings, most of the
participants did not quite understand the meaning of ER and, therefore, equated ERs to
mean the internet. Those who were aware of these resources appear to be using only
SABINET and EBSCOhost. More so, a few of the participants were referred to training
sessions by friends and lecturers. Therefore, awareness of electronic information resources
should start during library orientation and should be an ongoing process. Librarians need to
be properly trained on the use of resources, so that they may be in a position to sensitise
students on the importance of these resources. Furthermore, librarians need to organise
awareness workshops and programmes to market ERs. Enough time should be allocated in
the librarian’s key performance area for the training of undergraduate students on how to
use ERs. The library web site should be updated on a regular basis to include new databases
subscribed to by the library. Joshua (2014) observed that inadequate awareness and
mobilisation is the reason for the non-use of ERs.
Furthermore, a joint partnership between academic librarians, the library, academic
staff and students is critical in this process (McDowell, 2002). Librarian as lecturers are
key partnerships for effective information literary development (Khan and Bhatti,
2012). The findings revealed that some students learned how to use ERs from their
lecturers. Therefore, partnerships between academics and librarians are a way forward
in helping students to develop as autonomous information users. Clear communication
between library and academic staff will facilitate the process of selection and use of
library e-resources and facilitate the role of the librarian in the process of curriculum
changes. Digital items should be included on course reading lists and librarians should
work with academic staff to provide subject-specific training which may be able to
assist students.
With regard to the role of students in the partnership, the examples of the University of
Cape Town and the University of Pretoria are worth emulating. University of Pretoria has
adopted the train-the-trainer approach in the provision of information literacy programmes.
Although this method aims to cater to the shortage of staff to handle large numbers of
students in need of IL, this may also be considered an awareness-raising method amongst
students. Through this process, the University of Pretoria identifies and trains students in
IL skills who intend to offer information literacy to other students registered for the
programmes. At the University of Cape Town, trained learners are expected to impart their
EL acquired skills and knowledge to the community where they will be working once they have
35,5 completed their studies (Jiyane and Onyancha, 2010).
Also, with the evolution of Web 2.0 and the revolution of social media, the University
of Venda, like most USA universities, should also plan to market and deliver information
literacy services on the web, both as a service and as a concept, through the provision of
tutorials and research guides (Mackey and Jacobson, 2014). For example, Mackey and
876 Jacobson (2014) advocate meta-literacy, a massive open online course (MOOC) which
presents a comprehensive framework for IL that unifies related literacies to advance
critical thinking. Meta-literacy expands the scope of traditional information skills that
focus on determining, accessing, locating, understanding, producing and using
information to include the collaborative production and sharing of information in
participatory digital environments and massive open online courses. Higher education at
the University of West England encourages a more comprehensive and heuristic
approach to accessing, retrieving and evaluating information through ResIDe (Research,
Information, Delivery). In this process, the librarian is working in close partnership with
academics to devise ways in which a joint academic/librarian team might, through
ResIDe, encourage a more comprehensive and heuristic approach to accessing, retrieving
and evaluating information (Dugdale, 1999). Secker and Coonan (2013) presented a new
dynamic where they adopt ten strands of the new curriculum. Academic librarians need
to understand the internet information-seeking behaviour of students and how they
perceive ERs to effectively fulfil their mission of equipping students with relevant and
contemporary knowledge and skills (Dukić and Strišković, 2015).

Conclusion
This article adopted a qualitative research approach to establish the level of use of ERs
at the University of Venda, one of the South African historically disadvantaged
universities, and to make suggestions on how ERs may be enhanced at the university.
The findings revealed that the level of use of these resources by undergraduate
students is elementary and limited to SABINET and EBSCOhost. Undergraduate
students have a low level of awareness about the different ERs. They confused ERs
with web-based internet sources. Findings also revealed that the level of awareness and
training in the use of these resources is generic as training is mainly a one-off
orientation in the first year. The article suggests that library training sessions should
move beyond the current one-off sessions to ongoing information literacy season
instructions at different levels of study as part of an academic qualification. This can
only be realised if information literacy is fully integrated at universities and forms an
integral part of their strategic objectives. In turn, librarians, as facilitators of OBE, are
called on to re-examine information literacy standards that will enable them to be
supportive and provide new ways of teaching that encourage critical thinking and
independent thought. LIASA should be at the forefront of enhancing the effective use of
ERs in academic libraries by advocating the inclusion of information literacy in the
curricula. Furthermore, adequate mobilisation and marketing of ERs and partnerships
between academics and librarians is a way to help students to develop as autonomous
information users.
The reality is that adequate use and knowledge of ERs at universities is one of the steps
towards the realisation of the country’s ICT strategy (info.com 2025, 2014) and the OBE
model of the teaching movement. There is no doubt that the South African Government
appreciates the value of integration and use of ICT and information literacy in universities,
and has made a concerted effort towards the realisation of an information literate society.
The onus is on the University of Venda to seek to integrate and ensure the proper utilisation Use of
of these resources in their institutions. electronic
This article focuses on third-year undergraduate students who were using computers
because the researchers were interested in finding out whether students using computers
resources
were also using ERs. Another study may include students with differing profiles, such as
age, gender and computer usage behaviour of ERs. For example, Dukić and Strišković (2015)
observed that variables, such as gender, level of study, enrolment status and field of study,
affect the use of ERs in Croatian university libraries. An additional study may use a
877
quantitative analysis to establish the level of awareness of ERs by all the students in this
university. Furthermore, a study may seek to determine the use of ERs in historically
advantaged universities in South Africa, as this will provide a comparative perspective.

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