Evidence Summary
Use of Diverse Online Resources amongst Politically Active University
Students Fosters Civic Knowledge Integration
A Review of:
Soe, Y. (2018) Understanding politics more thoroughly: How highly
engaged young citizens use the Internet for civic knowledge integration. First Monday, 23(6), 1-17. http://doi.org/10.5210/fm.v23i6.7923
Reviewed by:
Joanne Muellenbach
Director, Jay Sexter Library
Touro University Nevada
Henderson, Nevada, United States of America
E-mail: joanne.muellenbach@tun.touro.edu
Received: 20 Nov. 2018 Accepted: 27 Feb.
2019
2019 Muellenbach.
This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative
Commons‐Attribution‐Noncommercial‐Share Alike License 4.0
International (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/),
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same or similar license to this one.
DOI: 10.18438/eblip29529
Abstract
Objective
– To examine the process by which university students with a high interest in
politics and public affairs incorporate new information into their
understanding of politics and public affairs, a process referred to as civic
knowledge integration.
Design – This study
utilized a qualitative research design that consisted of focus group interviews
and essay questions.
Setting – Two
large four-year Midwestern public universities and two four-year East coast
private universities in the United States of America in 2008 and 2010.
Subjects – A
total of 65 undergraduate and graduate (masters) students participated in the
focus group interviews and answered essay questions by e-mail.
Methods – In 2008,
the researcher conducted 11 focus groups consisting of 5 to 7 participants per
group. In 2010, additional data were collected from students at another large
four-year Midwestern public university who responded by e-mail to essay
questions that were adapted from those used in the focus groups. Recruitment of
participants was achieved by contacting professors of media and political
science at the universities and targeting students with interest in media,
politics, and public affairs, and who were politically active. Course credit or
a small monetary incentive was offered to students as compensation. Data
resulting from the focus group and essay responses were combined and imported
into the QDA Miner software. Data analysis, which used some techniques of
grounded theory, was conducted in two phases. In the first phase, 120
analyzable subsets were identified, and open coding of 36 subsets was performed
to determine themes. These themes were then modified and renamed using an axial
and selective coding process. Examples of resulting topics included
collaborative layering of ideas, comparison of differing viewpoints, and
monitorial scanning. The second phase involved coding of the 120 subsets, and
65 subgroups that focused on civic knowledge integration were identified.
Ultimately, open, thematic coding of the 65 subsets was performed to identify
comments that contained the most common themes.
Main Results
– An analysis of the data revealed that participants used the resulting themes
as self-guided learning strategies when searching the Internet for civic
knowledge integration, the process by which university students with a high
interest in politics and public affairs incorporate new information into their
understanding of these areas. One of the strategies used was a two-step process
of monitorial scanning and opinion sampling. Monitorial scanning involves the
careful selection of search engines in order to scan the news and determine
their potential levels of interest, and the use of online encyclopedias such as
Wikipedia to locate background information and other details. Opinion sampling
involves the process of sorting the sources found, such as blogs and
candidates’ web pages. Another strategy used was verification (cross-checking),
which consisted of checking multiple sources to find more information on a
particular news item or news show, such as those watched on CNN.com. Comparison
of differing and opposing viewpoints was another strategy used, that involved
the comparing of information about political candidates' perspectives or views
to justify their own opinions. Finally, collaborative layering of ideas was a
strategy that involved participation in online forums, such as Facebook. This
strategy provided participants with the opportunity to express their thoughts
and opinions globally, and to contribute to a change in a set practice.
Conclusion –
Through the use of strategies for self-guided learning, participants were able
to add new information to their knowledge base and to develop new points of
view. These students developed advanced search strategies and took pleasure in
finding opposing perspectives, and as a result, enhanced their critical
thinking skills. The conclusions also increased general knowledge of why young
people used specific online platforms, information resources, or social media
sites to enhance their understanding of politics and public affairs. These
findings may also challenge media and political science to investigate the
long-term effects of self-guided learning strategies for civic knowledge
integration practiced by some young people.
Commentary
This study examined how university
students with a high interest in politics and media use the Internet to learn
about politics and public affairs, a process referred to as civic knowledge
integration. The findings build upon experiences reported in a study by
Moeller, Kühne, and De Vreese (2018) that surveyed Dutch youth who had not yet
reached voting age. Moeller et al. found that exposure to digital news
influenced their political participation, and developed their sense of civic
duty and information efficacy. In another study, Vromen, Loader, Xenos, and
Bailo (2016) surveyed young people in Australia, the United Kingdom, and the
United States of America, and found that social media had become a regular
source of information on politics and that youth engagement through social
media is a form of political participation worthy of our attention.
Glynn’s (2006) “Critical Appraisal
Checklist” confirmed that this study was valid in several areas: Institutional
Review Board approval was received, and focus group interview and essay
questions were provided. Also, results provided a descriptive summary, with
applications and areas for further research. However, concerning the study
population, it’s unclear if there was a total of 65 participants for the focus
group interviews and online essays, or just for the focus groups. Knowing the
exact number of participants in the focus groups and responders to essay
questions could increase confidence in the study design overall. Also, the
homogeneity of the study participants may have been a limitation. Knowing
whether the survey tools were pre-tested would also ensure other researchers
that the questions were understandable and designed to elicit the desired
outcomes. The results of the data analysis described two types of coding used –
axial coding and open-thematic coding – both of which are techniques of
grounded theory design. A study by Moghaddan (2006) describes axial and open
thematic coding as two different approaches, and since it is unlikely that both
were used, the coding process is unclear. In terms of the results, considering
the ten-year gap between collecting and publishing the data, and given the
degree to which the Internet and the social media landscape has changed during
this period, one may question how relevant these findings are to how today’s
young people acquire, evaluate, and share political and public affairs
news.
There is a significant focus on “fake
news” these days, and while this may not have been a big issue in 2008 when the
study began, these results could inspire librarians who are interested in this
topic. Librarians could incorporate “fake news” into their curricula. They
could also highlight the self-guided learning strategies used by study
participants, and create exciting and engaging active learning sessions in the
areas of monitorial scanning, opinion sampling, verification, comparing
viewpoints, and collaborative layering of ideas.
References
Glynn, L. (2006). A critical appraisal tool for library and
information research. Library Hi Tech,
24(3), 387-399. https://doi.org/10.1108/07378830610692154
Moeller, J., Kühne, R., & De Vreese, C. (2018).
Mobilizing youth in the 21st century: How digital media use fosters
civic duty, information efficacy, and political participation. Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic
Media, 62(3), 445-460. https://doi.org/10.1080/08838151.2018.1451866
Moghaddam, A. (2006). Coding issues in grounded theory. Issues in Educational Research, 16(1), 52-66. Retrieved from http://www.iier.org.au/iier16/moghaddam.html
Vromen, A., Loader, B. D., Xenos, M. A., & Bailo, F.
(2016). Everyday making through Facebook engagement: Young citizens' political
interactions in Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States. Political Studies, 64(3), 513-533. https://doi.org/10.1177/0032321715614012