Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
5th International Conference of Educational Technology and Online Learning, 26 - 29 Ağustos 2025, ss.1-2, (Özet Bildiri)
This study aims to examine the effects of university students’ usage of artificial
intelligence-based search engine on online information search strategies, metacognitive
awareness and internet self-efficacy skills and to determine the opinions of university students
who use the AI-based search engine regarding the use of the search engine. The study was
conducted with an interventional mixed method design in which quantitative and qualitative
methods were used together. Quantitative data were collected from 42 university students, 17
of whom were in the experimental group and 25 in the control group. Then, qualitative data
were obtained from seven students in the experimental group. In this study, while the
quantitative findings revealed that the use of AI-based search engine did not create a
statistically significant difference in the university students’ online information search
strategies, metacognitive awareness and internet self-efficacy, the qualitative findings showed
that the use of AI-based search engine created significant positive effects in these areas. This
demonstrates the complementary nature of the mixed methods approach. Qualitative data
showed that university students developed numerous strategies (e.g., keyword identification,
filtering, problem solving, evaluation) that overlap with Tsai’s (2009) model of online
information search strategies during the use of AI-based search engine. At the same time, it
was determined that the participants exhibited various strategies in metacognitive awareness
dimensions such as explanatory, situational, planning, monitoring, evaluation, and debugging.
However, in terms of internet self-efficacy, the use of AI-based search engine supported
university students to develop creative thinking, information organization, and personalized
learning experiences. These findings reveal that short-term experimental practices may limit
their effects on some skills, but it can be observed through qualitative data that individuals are
active in cognitive and metacognitive processes.