Children's Roles Using Keyword Search Interfaces in the Home
Abstract
Children want to find information about their world, but
there are barriers to finding what they seek. Young people
have varying abilities to formulate multi-step queries and
comprehend search results. Challenges in understanding
where to type, confusion about what tools are available, and
frustration with how to parse the results page all have led to
a lack of perceived search success for children 7-11 years
old. In this paper, we describe seven search roles children
display as information seekers using Internet keyword
interfaces, based on a home study of 83 children ages 7, 9,
and 11. These roles are defined not only by the children’s
search actions, but also by who influences their searching,
their perceived success, and trends in age and gender.
These roles suggest a need for new interfaces that expand
the notion of keywords, scaffold results, and develop a
search culture among children.
there are barriers to finding what they seek. Young people
have varying abilities to formulate multi-step queries and
comprehend search results. Challenges in understanding
where to type, confusion about what tools are available, and
frustration with how to parse the results page all have led to
a lack of perceived search success for children 7-11 years
old. In this paper, we describe seven search roles children
display as information seekers using Internet keyword
interfaces, based on a home study of 83 children ages 7, 9,
and 11. These roles are defined not only by the children’s
search actions, but also by who influences their searching,
their perceived success, and trends in age and gender.
These roles suggest a need for new interfaces that expand
the notion of keywords, scaffold results, and develop a
search culture among children.
Research Areas
