Faculty Use of the World Wide Web: Modeling Information Seeking Behavior in a Digital Environment Page: 100

                                
this trend was a new emphasis on studying small groups via observation or unstructured
interviews (Ellis & Haugan, 1997, pp. 384-685).
The previously developed models of information seeking behavior and activities
were developed before the advent of and widespread use of the Intemnet. This research
project helped to identify the Intemrnet as a new tool in the information seeking behavior
and activities of faculty members.
When Reneker (1993 & 1992) studied the information needs of faculty members
at Stanford University, she found that they had a wide variety of information needs. Just
like the faculty members at Stanford, faculty members at Angelo State University used
the Intemrnet to satisfy their personal, academic, scholarly, work-related, political, and
entertainment information needs.
The findings from this research project confirmed the research of Kovacs,
Robinson, and Dixon (1995) that faculty members made increasing use of the Intemrnet to
stay in touch (communicating) with their colleagues. As with the respondents to Kovacs,
Robinson, and Dixon's survey, Angelo State University faculty members made use of
listservs and personal contacts to test ideas, collaborate on research projects, submit
abstracts and publications for review, and plan professional activities.
Beacham and Kester (1994), Cunningham (1994), Harris (1995-1996), Kenny
(1995), and Olsen (1992) discussed the need for faculty members to gain skills in the use
of the Intemrnet; and, in turn, to train their students to make use of the Intemnet. Angelo
State University faculty members provided their students with ample guidance in
evaluating Web sites, opportunities to train students in searching for information on the

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