navigating the information-scape: do information visualization activities impact student search...
DESCRIPTION
Presentation slides from LOEX of the West 2012 in Burbank, California. Abstract: Identifying appropriate keywords is an essential component of information research. However, many students struggle with translating topics into effective search syntax. This session will describe our study exploring the use of information visualization strategies to help students generate terms for database searching. We compared three pedagogies for identifying and displaying keywords with a control condition, and measured their impact on search behaviors in a sample of 50 undergraduate students. We will share the findings of our qualitative and quantitative data analysis, and discuss their implications for library instruction sessions.TRANSCRIPT
NAVIGATING THE
INFORMATION-SCAPE:
Do Information Visualization
Activities Impact Student
Search Behavior?
LOEX OF THE WEST
JUNE 8TH
2012
Matt Conner
Melissa Browne
Visualizing
the
Context
INFORMATION VISUALIZATION?
Synthesis of computer science, psychology
of learning, statistics, quantitative analysis
Based on assumption that vision and cognition
are fundamentally (anatomically) connected
Represents data with visual designs that assist
comprehension and insight
VISION/THOUGHT
WHAT NOT TO DO
STATE OF INSTRUCTION
SEARCH BEHAVIOR
Search strategies:
single words/long
strings
Reading habits:
tendency to skim
Cues: graphic/visual
LIBRARY INSTRUCTION
Timeframe: One-shot
sessions
Instructor/Librarian
Interactions: content vs
process
Result: 50% of catalog
subject searches fail!
Study Design
HYPOTHESIS
Pedagogies grounded in principles
of information visualization improve
students’ abilities to generate terms
for academic information research.
SPECIFIC AIMS
Do information visualization techniques help students formulate more systematicsearches?
Does the use of information visualization techniques result in more efficient search behavior?
Do information visualization techniques increase student satisfaction with their search strategy?
THREE PEDAGOGIES
1. Keyword Matrix
THREE PEDAGOGIES
1. Keyword Matrix2. Wonder Wheel (Google)
THREE PEDAGOGIES
1. Keyword Matrix2. Wonder Wheel (Google)3. Visual Search (EBSCO)
LOGISTICS
SEARCH PROTOCOL
Recruiting subjects
Pretest search
Overview of Information
Visualization technique
Two post-test searches
DATA PROTOCOL
Collection
Adobe Captivate
Investigator Notes
Student Evaluations
Management
Saturate (qualitative)
Excel (quantitative)
Analysis
SAS
Results
SUBJECTS BY YEAR & GENDER
2
2
12
1
3
11
19
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20
Freshmen
Sophomore
Junior
Senior+
# Subjects (n = 50)
Year
in S
ch
oo
l
Females Males
SUBJECTS BY FIELD OF STUDY
Average number of
research papers =
5.34
46% of students
reported attending
a library session
Social
Sciences46%
Humanities
14%
Sciences
40%
HOW DO YOU IDENTIFY TERMS?
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
Topic Itself Google/ Google Scholar
Assignment/ Course Materials
Wikipedia Library Databases Results
# R
esp
on
ses
Sources
BRAINSTORMING BEHAVIOR
TIME BRAINSTORMING
0
50
100
150
200
250
Keyword Matrix Wonder Wheel*
Me
dia
n T
ime
(s
ec
on
ds
)
Condition
BRAINSTORMED TERMS
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
Keyword Matrix Wonder Wheel
Me
dia
n #
Te
rms
Condition
SUCCESS & BRAINSTORMED TERMS
USED IN SEARCH STRATEGY
SUCCESSFUL SEARCHES UNSUCCESSFUL SEARCHES
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
Keyword Matrix Wonder Wheel
% b
rain
sto
rmed
term
s u
sed
in
searc
h
Condition
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
Keyword Matrix Wonder Wheel
% b
rain
sto
rmed
term
s u
sed
in
searc
h
Condition
SEARCH BEHAVIOR
SEARCH ATTEMPTS
0
0.5
1
1.5
2
2.5
3
Control Keyword Matrix Wonder Wheel Visual Search
Co
ncep
ts (
Lo
g)
Condition
Pretest
Posttest
SEARCH CONCEPTS
0
0.5
1
1.5
2
2.5
3
Control Keyword Matrix Wonder Wheel Visual Search
Att
em
pts
(L
og
)
Condition
Pretest
Posttest
SEARCH BEHAVIOR
SEARCH BEHAVIOR
SEARCH BEHAVIOR
STUDENT EVALUATIONSEARCH SUCCESS
(INVESTIGATOR)
BEHAVIOR & SUCCESS
ANALYSIS PAPER COMPOSING
1.56
0.93
0
0.5
1
1.5
2
Successful n = 78 Unsuccessful n = 57
Pap
er
com
po
sin
g (m
ean
)
Trials
1.76
1.12
0
0.5
1
1.5
2
Successful n = 78 Unsuccessful n = 57
An
alys
is (
me
an)
Trials
30% of successful trials included
no evidence of paper composing
18% of successful trials included
no evidence of analysis
STUDENT COMMENTS
Broadening/Narrowing
“I thought it was very helpful b/c you could go back and forth from general to specific.” --Visual Search
Search Terms
“It helped me see the other key related topics” and “…helped me come across topics I may have not come up with initially to write in my paper…” --Visual Search
Efficiency
“I think it also helped me search for articles faster than by just figuring out keywords myself.” --Wonder Wheel
Results
“I also noticed that although I generated keywords prior to my search, I did not use all the keywords that I generated. This was probably because I found more enticing keywords during my search...” --Keyword Matrix
Discussion
SUMMARY
Visual Search subjects demonstrated the most frequent broadening/narrowing behaviors
Visual Search students utilized more subject terms
The Wonder Wheel and Visual Search prompted more search attempts
Investigators rated Visual Search sessions as most successful
CONCLUSIONS
In our study population, the Keyword Matrix and the Wonder Wheel did appear to help students see topics from different angles, but they did not really improve search strategies.
The type of visual design may be less important than that there is a visual design.
We assert that the main benefit of Visual Search is that the design is integrated into the search interface.
NEW SEARCH PARADIGM
Keywords vs. Links
PRIMORDIAL ORGANIZATION OUT OF CHAOS
WEB 2.9?
Internet Surfing
Database Search Methodology
Paper Composing
Results over Keywords
Broadening/Narrowing
Classification
“I think it makes
writing a paper
easier.”
“As I narrowed
down the general
topic I quickly
found arguments I
could use in my
paper.”
EDUCATIONAL IMPLICATIONS
Librarians:
Currently available information visualization tools may be most effective during the early stages of research, when students are working with unfamiliar topics
Coordinate with instructors
Take opportunities to become more involved in database interface design
EDUCATIONAL IMPLICATIONS
Instructors:
Terminology use in research/writing
assignments
Consider online searching as part of paper
composing process
Coordinate with librarians
PHOTO CREDITS
"Head up Display." 2009. http://www.immersiveux.com/2009/03/jet-fighter-heads-up-displays-huds.html
"Poll Analysis: Obama Vs. Romney." 2007. http://hominidviews.com/?p=1183(Please use attached pic as a substitute for color-coded political map)
"About Nez Perce Tribe Gis." 2012. http://www.nezpercegis.org/about.htm
"Eye and Brain Function." 2009. http://eyemakeart.wordpress.com/2009/07/25/eye-brain-funktion/
Army, U.S. "Afghan Stability/Coin Dynamics." New York: New York Times, 2010. http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/i/MSNBC/Components/Photo/2009/December/091202/091203-engel-big-9a.jpg
"Googlebot." 2011. http://expresswriterteam.wordpress.com/2011/06/24/what-do-spiders-web-crawlers-robots-have-to-do-with-web-content/
"Swamp Thing." 2011. http://sportstalk.triblive.com/node/61
THANK YOU!
We thank CARL and LAUC-Davis for funding our project.
We gratefully acknowledge the expertise of Neil Willits, UC Davis Dept of Statistics.
Matt Conner
Melissa [email protected]