The browser extension guidance for online information searching

Efendioglu E., Şendurur E.

ELECTRONIC LIBRARY, cilt.41, sa.4, ss.438-455, 2023 (SSCI) identifier identifier

  • Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
  • Cilt numarası: 41 Sayı: 4
  • Basım Tarihi: 2023
  • Doi Numarası: 10.1108/el-01-2023-0026
  • Dergi Adı: ELECTRONIC LIBRARY
  • Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI), Scopus, FRANCIS, Periodicals Index Online, Aerospace Database, CINAHL, Communication Abstracts, EBSCO Education Source, Education Abstracts, Index Islamicus, Information Science and Technology Abstracts, INSPEC, Library and Information Science Abstracts, Library Literature and Information Science, Library, Information Science & Technology Abstracts (LISTA), Metadex, vLex, Civil Engineering Abstracts
  • Sayfa Sayıları: ss.438-455
  • Anahtar Kelimeler: Browser extension, Scaffolding, Digital literacy, Web search, Internet search, STUDENTS, SEEKING
  • Ondokuz Mayıs Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet

Özet

PurposeThis study aims to develop and test a browser extension as a scaffolding tool to guide learners about evaluating online sources. Design/methodology/approachIn total, 129 undergraduate students participated in this experimental study. Both groups completed two Web searching tasks, but the experimental group used a browser extension. FindingsThe results indicated that there are significant differences between groups in terms of the number of accurate sources and visited sites. There were no differences neither in the success status nor the access time. The browser extension guidance affected certain search parameters, but this effect seemed to be diminished in accordance with students' cognitive abilities as well as their digital literacy levels. Research limitations/implicationsThe participants were from a vocational school, so any other study with different participants might reveal different findings. Practical implicationsThe browser extension is convenient to be used with regards to interface and instructions. It can serve as a self-training tool with small changes in the code. The intervals and types of messages can be customized in line with the users' needs. Social implicationsThe approach used in this study can contribute to the dissemination of misleading information on the Web. People of any age can use and benefit from this approach via a simple extension. Originality/valueThe extension can serve as a fundamental framework for the construction of adaptive or smart extensions. As this study revealed the importance of both cognitive abilities and digital literacy levels, the extension can be enriched with the inclusion of cognitive scaffolding.