DLSZ LRC: Enhancing Utility and Addressing Difficulties in the Post-Pandemic Era

• Main Author: Afurong, Roi Louise P.
• Format: text
• Published: Animo Repository 2024
• Online Access: https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/conf_dlsplc/2024/schedule/8
• Institution: De La Salle University

ABSTRACT Purpose/objectives: The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly altered the educational landscape, leading to a reliance on e-resources for teaching, learning, research, and professional development. Understanding the utility and challenges of e-resources is crucial in this context. This study aimed to explore the e-resources landscape in the post-pandemic era, focusing on the knowledge, usage frequency, and difficulties encountered by Senior High School (SHS) students at Br. Rafael Donato FSC Night High School (BRafeNHS). It also sought to identify associations between knowledge and usage frequency and between usage frequency and difficulties encountered. Design, methodology, approach: The study used a quantitative research design, employing a survey method for data collection from 92 BRafeNHS SHS students for the Academic Year 2023-2024, selected through convenient sampling. The primary data source was student survey responses, with usage statistics of e-resources as a secondary source. A self-made survey questionnaire assessed students' knowledge levels, usage frequency, and difficulties encountered in utilizing e-resources available at the De La Salle Santiago Zobel (DLSZ) Learning Resource Center (LRC). Descriptive statistical and correlational analysis determined the knowledge, usage frequency, and difficulties encountered, and explored relationships among these factors. Findings: The majority of the SHS students possess a high to very high level of knowledge regarding DLSZ LRC e-resources, indicating strong awareness except for the PressReader. They also showed a higher usage frequency with EBSCOhost and ProQuest resources than in any other learning resources identified in this study reflecting active engagement with full text and journal articles databases for their academic needs. The difficulties identified include finding relevant information, lack of knowledge or training to navigate the platform, and lack of enough gadgets/computers in the library. The study found significant relationships between students' knowledge levels and usage frequency. The lower number of usage frequency can be attributed to lack of awareness of the resources available and training to navigate the platform. Research limitations and implication: These findings are important for addressing access limitations and enhancing the effectiveness of e-resource utilization in education. The study's limitations include a lack of information on post-pandemic e-resource usage. Future research should explore strategies to improve access and maximize the benefits of e-resources, ultimately enhancing educational quality in the digital age. Keywords: e-resources, post-pandemic era, e-resources usage, digital age