Children learn online search skills with guided support
Beyond Retrieval: Scaffolding Children's Online Learning
Information RetrievalHuman-Computer Interaction
Summary
Children often use online search systems that are designed for adults, which can make it hard for them to find information effectively and develop good search habits. This paper looks at ways to help children become more active and supported learners during online searches instead of just trying to get quick answers. The authors suggest that search tools should guide children through the search process to boost their curiosity and teach critical skills. They base their ideas on research about children’s information searching and how people interact with computers.
What this means in practice
- •For software developers: Design online search tools that actively guide children through searching to teach them better habits and increase engagement.
- •For educational technology companies: Develop new educational apps that scaffold children’s online research to support critical thinking and curiosity while searching.$Commercial implications: This paper enables creating targeted learning apps that improve children’s search skills, meeting a growing market for educational technology.
A position paper. It proposes an approach and reports no results.
Authors
Diletta Micol Tobia, Hrishita Chakrabarti, Maria Soledad Pera, Monica Landoni
Abstract
Children increasingly turn to online information access systems that are primarily designed for the mainstream population, e.g., adults, but possess a limited understanding of how these systems work, contributing to their unstructured and ineffective search practices. This lack of knowledge can hinder their curiosity and the development of critical search skills. Grounded on the existing literature of both child-oriented Information Retrieval and Human Computer Interaction, our work positions children as active participants in the search process, framing it as a scaffolded learning experience rather than a simple retrieval task.