ERIC Number: EJ843048
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2008
Pages: 9
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0193-3973
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
Spelling and the Web
Varnhagen, Connie K.; McFall, G. Peggy; Figueredo, Lauren; Takach, Bonnie Sadler; Daniels, Jason; Cuthbertson, Heather
Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology, v30 n4 p454-462 Jul-Aug 2008
Correct spelling is increasingly important in our technological world. We examined children's and adults' Web search behavior for easy and more difficult to spell target keywords. Grade 4 children and university students searched for the life cycle of the lemming (easy to spell target keyword) or the ptarmigan (difficult to spell target keyword). Children's search strategies were more variable and less effective than were adults', especially when they could not spell the target word correctly. Our findings demonstrate the need for search programs to include a true dictionary to assist with spelling keywords as well as the need to teach children and adults more effective Web search strategies. They also begin to extend recent research and theory on children's strategy development to a new domain of Web searching. (Contains 4 tables.)
Descriptors: Spelling, Dictionaries, Search Strategies, Grade 4, Internet, Information Retrieval, Online Searching, Web Sites, Children, Adults, Elementary School Students, College Students
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Elementary Education; Grade 4; Higher Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A