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Children’s Acquisition of Text Search Strategies: The Role of Task Models and Relevance Processes

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Understanding and Improving Information Search

Part of the book series: Human–Computer Interaction Series ((HCIS))

Abstract

Searching texts both online and in print has become an essential skill for twenty-first-century students. Although most children can read fluently and comprehend short texts by the age of 10, research suggests that older students and even adults experience difficulties when searching for information inside texts. This chapter synthesizes various theoretical models of the processes involved in information search, drawing from information science as well as cognitive psychology. We identify three key processes that may represent specific challenges for young students: constructing a task model, selectively scanning and assessing the relevance of information. We review the evidence regarding children’s ability to search for information, and we stress the importance of the task model on subsequent search processes. In the last part of the paper, we review attempts to foster children’s information search skills and we highlight some preconditions for skill acquisition. Finally, we discuss the implications of research on children’s search skills for future research in this domain.

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Acknowledgements

This research was supported in part through grant ANR-17-CE28-0016 from the Agence Nationale pour la Recherche.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) and Université de Poitiers, Poitiers, France

    Jean-François Rouet, Julie Ayroles & Anna Potocki

  2. University of Paris 8, Saint-Denis, France

    Mônica Macedo-Rouet

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  1. Jean-François Rouet
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  2. Julie Ayroles
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  3. Mônica Macedo-Rouet
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  4. Anna Potocki
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Correspondence to Jean-François Rouet .

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  1. Raytheon BBN Technologies, Cambridge, MA, USA

    Wai Tat Fu

  2. Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands

    Herre van Oostendorp

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Rouet, JF., Ayroles, J., Macedo-Rouet, M., Potocki, A. (2020). Children’s Acquisition of Text Search Strategies: The Role of Task Models and Relevance Processes. In: Fu, W., van Oostendorp, H. (eds) Understanding and Improving Information Search. Human–Computer Interaction Series. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-38825-6_10

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-38825-6_10

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