ICLS 2000 Proceedings

Students' Searching and Evaluating with the Artemis Interface to a Digital Library

Nathan Bos, Karen Drabenstott, Joseph Krajcik, Elliot Soloway, Melanie Talley, Steven Woolridge, and John Miller
CREW 701 Tappan St, Suite C2420
Ann Arbor, MI 48109
(734) 647-7730
Email: nathan.bos@umich.edu

Abstract: This paper describes the design and evaluation of the Artemis interface to the University of Michigan Digital Library, which was built to assist students in searching on-line collections. Noteworthy features of Artemis include the ability to store search results in an on-line workspace, browse collections as well as keyword-search, and access diverse collections (both Web pages and proprietary collections) with a single agent-based architecture. To evaluate Artemis, we conducted in-situ videotaped sessions with students using Artemis in a project-based curriculum. We supplemented this with analysis of log file data collected at the server level. Analysis of videotaped sessions show that students spend a considerable percentage of their in Artemis evaluating search results on a number of levels. Log files show that students also developed fairly sophisticated search strategies, using both browsing and searching, and constructing multiple-keyword searches. Shortcomings and future directions of the Artemis system are also discussed.

Keywords: digital-library, middle-school, high-school, science education

Preferred Citation Format:
Bos, N., Drabenstott, K., Krajcik, J., Soloway, E., Talley, M., Woolridge, S., & Miller, J. (2000). Students' Searching and Evaluating with the Artemis Interface to a Digital Library . In B. Fishman & S. O'Connor-Divelbiss (Eds.), Proceedings of the Fourth International Conference of the Learning Sciences (pp. 150-156). Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum.

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