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Students’ online information use and learning progress in higher education – A critical literature review

ABSTRACT Learning using the Internet has become a vital factor for academic success in higher education. Students increasingly rely on the Internet as their main information source. However, related research is still an emerging and highly fragmented field. Therefore, this study aims to provide a comprehensive and integrative review of research literature on student learning vis-à-vis using the Internet. The review encompasses research on students' strategies for searching, evaluating, and selecting online information, the use of this information for domain-specific learning, and the influence of the characteristics of both online information sources and learners on searching, evaluating, and selecting online information. Moreover, research on how this information-related behavior develops and affects learning outcomes is considered. The literature research, conducted in 2020, employed the database Education Resources Information Center (ERIC) and the search engine Google Scholar. Based on relevant search phrases and keywords, over 500 publications were found. After a second search, 55 fitting publications from 2009 onwards were identified. The review reveals a lack of research on the characteristics of online information, how these characteristics affect student learning in higher education, and how student learning can be fostered by improving students' information-related strategies. Research integrating these different perspectives is even scarcer.