Students learning to research are often faced with with the dilemma of how to think critically about their basic query, what do they want to know and how to they search for the answers. First and foremost their search behavior determines the results they find. If students don't care about the topic, or find no relevancy or immediacy, why do it? So what?
I appreciate that professors often will allow students to research topics of their own choosing, however unimportant it may seem to the professor; giving students the chance to stake a claim, find relevancy in their search, and search a variety of sources is good practice. Important to that search is conversation and dialogue about it for the student to clarify and express their interest and reasoning for the research in the first place. Upon having these conversations with students, I have found an underlying desire to solve a problem they have experienced or stand up for an issue they believe in. Gone are the days of the pro/con debate over abortion, marijuana legalization, or the benefits of same-sex marriage, not only because professors have adamantly refused to read any more such papers, but also because professors have required students to do a bit of thinking, and perhaps should require more of that.
Is critical thinking lost on the digital native? Is the ability to post anything anyone wants online, and retrieve anything anyone wants causing a "so what?" attitude in research? Even about topics they care about? Many of today's college students are unconcerned about issues not of their choosing or not "liked" by them. They seem more intent on just finishing, doing good enough work, to be through, and to move on...to what or where is yet to be determined.
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