search results are the new black: how students make decisions d4d 2016
TRANSCRIPT
SEARCH RESULTS ARE THE NEW BLACK How Students Make Decisions
Deirdre Costello
PRINCIPAL UX RESEARCHER
[email protected] @deirdre_lyon
OUR PROJECTS
SECONDARY RESEARCH
Literature review of elementary, middle, high school and college/grad school search habits.
VIDEO DIARY STUDY
High school students demonstrating their research habits.
CONTEXTUAL INQUIRY
Participant-driven sessions with high school, college and graduate students.
PARTICIPATORY DESIGN
College students working in teams to design their ideal search experience
MULTI-METHOD ITERATIVE
Wireframe feedback & prototype testing for important aspects of the search experience.
CONTEXTUAL INQUIRY Lets you see the tools & services students are using to do research
AND HOW THEY FIT INTO THE REST OF THEIR LIVES.
Our Biggest Learning: Motivation
External Social Support
Mentorship Finding Their
Subject
Internal
OTHER INFLUENCES
COMPETING PRIORITIES
“EYE BYTE CULTURE” -Dr. Maryanne Wolfe, Tufts
SKIMMING &
SCANNING
COMPETING PRIORITIES FEELINGS
HOW ARE STUDENTS INTERACTING WITH
I TRUST IT.
I GET IT.
I’M THE JUDGE.
TRUSTING
COMPETENT CONFIDENT
ON GOOGLE, STUDENTS FEEL:
1. SCANNING FOR SEARCH TERMS
2. LEARNING ABOUT TOPIC
PIVOT TO LIBRARY
1. SAME SEARCH
2. SCANNING FOR SEARCH TERMS
3. SCANNING FOR SECONDARY TERMS
SNIPPETS ARE HARD TO INTERPRET
SOURCE INFO DOESN’T PROVIDE CLUES
FILTERS MIGHT HELP…
#FOMO
Cons Pros
Credible
Teacher-Approved
Friends Use It
Anxiety
Clues aren’t right
Too specific SEARCH RESULTS ARE TOUGH.
TITLE INCLUDES SEARCH TERM
DESCRIPTION INCLUDES SECONDARY TERMS
ABSTRACT SIGNALS RELEVANCY
INGESTED INTO THEIR ECOSYSTEM
WHAT DO WE DO WITH IT?
USE CONCEPTS FROM THE OPEN WEB
BUILD BASED ON NEED
TAKEAWAYS
Google is hugely influential – it’s a place where students feel confident.
The way we read online is changing.
Search results have evolved from a portal to a destination.
Students are porting expectations from the open web…
But they don’t always have the clues they need to make decisions.
Motivation & emotion are huge factors in the research process.
