The Search as Learning Spaceship: Toward a Comprehensive Model of Psychological and Technological Facets of Search as Learning

Using a Web search engine is one of today’s most frequent activities. Exploratory search activities which are carried out in order to gain knowledge are conceptualized and denoted as Search as Learning (SAL). In this paper, we introduce a novel framework model which incorporates the perspective of both psychology and computer science to describe the search as learning process by reviewing recent literature. The main entities of the model are the learner who is surrounded by a specific learning context, the interface that mediates between the learner and the information environment, the information retrieval (IR) backend which manages the processes between the interface and the set of Web resources, that is, the collective Web knowledge represented in resources of different modalities. At first, we provide an overview of the current state of the art with regard to the five main entities of our model, before we outline areas of future research to improve our understanding of search as learning processes. Copyright © 2022 von Hoyer, Hoppe, Kammerer, Otto, Pardi, Rokicki, Yu, Dietze, Ewerth and Holtz

The Search as Learning Spaceship: Toward a Comprehensive Model of Psychological and Technological Facets of Search as Learning

Using a Web search engine is one of today’s most frequent activities. Exploratory search activities which are carried out in order to gain knowledge are conceptualized and denoted as Search as Learning (SAL). In this paper, we introduce a novel framework model which incorporates the perspective of both psychology and computer science to describe the search as learning process by reviewing recent literature. The main entities of the model are the learner who is surrounded by a specific learning context, the interface that mediates between the learner and the information environment, the information retrieval (IR) backend which manages the processes between the interface and the set of Web resources, that is, the collective Web knowledge represented in resources of different modalities. At first, we provide an overview of the current state of the art with regard to the five main entities of our model, before we outline areas of future research to improve our understanding of search as learning processes

The moderating effect of knowledge type on search result modality preferences in web search scenarios

Searching information within the web for tasks differing in their knowledge dimension (e.g. conceptual or procedural) is essential for learners in the 21st century. However, little is known about how the underlying knowledge characteristics of learning tasks influence the preference for particular resource modalities (e.g., texts with pictures or videos) the web offers. Across two studies, we investigated how the preference for different resource modalities in hypothetical search scenarios is affected by the knowledge type (sensorimotor procedural, cognitive procedural, causal conceptual, and relational conceptual knowledge). Both studies found an influence of knowledge type on users' modality preferences. A significant preference for videos was found for sensorimotor procedural tasks, while texts with pictures were favoured for cognitive procedural and relational conceptual tasks. For causal conceptional tasks, no differences were found. The observed differences in modality preferences between knowledge types of the same knowledge dimensions (i.e., procedural vs conceptual knowledge) prompted us to investigate in Study 2 an additional knowledge classification, that is, the degree of spatiotemporal changes relevant to the knowledge type. Results showed that knowledge types with a low degree of spatiotemporal changes led to a preference for websites with text and pictures, regardless of their affiliation to procedural or conceptual knowledge. In contrast, videos were preferred only for tasks with a high degree of visuospatial changes and a procedural character. To conclude, the knowledge types and the degree of visuospatial changes of learning tasks seem to be promising classifications to consider regarding modality preferences in models of web-based learning

Geomaterials related to photovoltaics: a nanostructured Fe-bearing kuramite, Cu3SnS4

The successful synthesis of nanoparticles of Fe-bearing kuramite, (Cu,Fe)3SnS4, is reported in this study. Nanocrystalline powders were obtained through a mild, environmentally friendly and scalable solvothermal approach, in a single run. The sample was the object of a multidisciplinary investigation, including X-ray diffraction and absorption, scanning electron microscopy and microanalysis, electron paramagnetic resonance, diffuse reflectance and Mössbauer spectroscopy as well as SQUID magnetometry. The nanoparticles consist of pure Fe-bearing kuramite, exhibiting tetragonal structure. The valence state of the metal cations was assessed to be Cu+, Sn4+ and Fe3+. The material presents a band gap value of 1.6 eV, which is fully compatible with solar cell applications. The uptake of Fe by nanokuramite opens a compositional field where the physical properties can be tuned. We thus foster the application of Fe-bearing nanokuramite for photovoltaics and energy storage purposes