Incidental Learning During Information Retrieval: A Hypertext Experiment

A study was conducted in a hypertext environment in order to examine the effects of the type of fact-retrieval search (browsing vs. index-using) on incidental learning. It was hypothesized that browsing would lead to more incidental learning; from a cognitive viewpoint, it would appear that browsers would have more opportunity to make connections between the various articles, which would result in a more complete understanding of the material. No significant results were found at the level of overall performance; however, by examining individual questions and the log files of various subjects, insight was gained into the search process. These trends were discussed in terms of implications on the use of hypertext for education. Many suggestions for designers of hypertext databases were given, along with suggestions for further research. 1 This material is based upon work supported under a National Science Foundation Graduate Fellowship.