Examining Information Processing on the World Wide Web Using Think Aloud Protocols

Some theorists argue that the node-link design of the Web mimics human information storage and that Web use encourages individuals to process information efficiently and effectively, potentially increasing meaningful learning. However, critics claim that Web navigation increases cognitive load and often produces disorientation. This reduces the processing devoted to meaningful learning, and, thus the Web may potentially inhibit learning. In an examination of information processing on the Web using a quantitative analysis of think aloud protocols, we found that users spend a substantial proportion of their cognitive effort orienting to the content and structure of the Web, and this effort comes at the expense of elaborative and evaluative processing. Additional findings suggest that, at least during a single relatively short session, time spent in a given site does not reduce the processing devoted to orientation. Finally, this paper offers a theoretically informed strategy for analyzing information processing activities that may be of use to other scholars.