Search and Justification Behavior During Multimedia Web Search for Procedural Knowledge

Abstract

In an eye-tracking study, N = 38 participants performed two procedural-knowledge search tasks by using a mockup multimedia search engine results page (SERP). By presenting both conventional websites and videos as results on the SERP, we aimed at examining the role of the modality of information resources in individuals' retrieval behavior as well in their final recommendation of one most suitable information resource. Across both tasks, the results of this study indicate that participants who finally recommended a video resource spent a greater proportion of time inspecting video results on the SERP as well as on the video resources themselves. Furthermore, participants' written justifications for the recommended information resource revealed that in both tasks about one third of the participants mentioned the modality of the information resource to justify their recommendation decision. Our findings indicate that the modality of information resources at least to some extent plays a role during web search for procedural learning resources.