Abstract
The fashion curriculum is an under investigated field of research and the role of the Internet in fashion education is an area in which no substantial research has already been undertaken. This thesis explores the issues faced by fashion students when they are sourcing textiles using the Internet and the World Wide Web as research tools. This research also investigates whether these tools are effective and useful in the sourcing process. The findings show that the Internet and World Wide Web have great potential to meet the textile sourcing needs of students but that there are a number of factors that need to be taken into account. There are many barriers that prevent fashion students from using these tools effectively. The Internet is a complex domain and the students in this study required a wide range of skills and knowledge in order to be able to conduct an effective search. They also need to have the appropriate levels of confidence and experience in using information technology (IT) and access to the Internet. The range of knowledge that students require to be effective includes knowledge of the subject domain as well as knowledge of computers. However, the attitude of the industry toward fashion students seeking to improve their subject knowledge is often negative. The information seeking skills of even the most experienced users of the Internet were found to be underdeveloped and this led to ineffective strategies being employed. This thesis offers recommendations for educators wishing to use the Internet as a research tool and the various pedagogical theories that have been applied to learning on the Internet are related to the findings of the study. The findings, whilst directly relating to students of fashion, are reflected in studies in other disciplines and should therefore be applicable to a wider population.