Accounting for the knowledge gained during a web search: An empirical study on learning transfer indicators

Searches with learning intent typically require the users to interact with the searching environment and perform knowledge acquisition features such as scan, read, and process the online content to fulfill their information needs. To capture indicators from searching behaviors that could account for the knowledge gained during a Web search, a qualitative study was performed using the Concurrent Think-Aloud protocol to observe the mechanisms of transfer and map knowledge flows during 78 search sessions. Findings indicate evidence of transfer of learning in the form of sixteen online information searching strategy indicators. This research aids the understanding of how knowledge is gained during search sessions and how to identify behaviors that could indicate that learning has occurred, which could be used to represent knowledge gain on Web search engines. In this way, it can aid search engines to become not only better tools of searching, but also tools of learning.