The Preliminary Oral Exam for Hilary Hutchinson

[Bangura, Fatima]

THE PRELIMINARY ORAL EXAMINATION FOR THE DEGREE OF PH.D IN COMPUTER
SCIENCE
FOR

Hilary Hutchinson

DATE: Thursday September 9, 2004 at 3:00 p.m.
LOCATION: 3258 A.V. Williams Bldg

TITLE: Children's Interface Design for Searching and Browsing

ABSTRACT: Children are among the fastest growing users of
computers and the Internet, so it is important to design searching and
browsing interfaces to support them. Children can perform simple, single
item searches, and are also capable of conducting Boolean searches
involving multiple search criteria. However, previous research indicates
that they have difficulty creating Boolean searches in the sequential,
hierarchical category browsers used in many common search interfaces.
Based on previous research with adults, I believe that an interface that
presents multiple categories simultaneously on the same page may better
facilitate Boolean search for children, though it introduces other
complexities, including more visual clutter and paging. I will
investigate these tradeoffs in a controlled study comparing searching
and browsing in simultaneous vs. sequential interfaces using multiple
ages and tasks. The results of this study will inform my broader goal of
understanding children's searching and browsing abilities and
preferences, provide design guidelines for others who create children's
interfaces, and create working examples of interfaces that will be used
in the International Children's Digital Library.



Examining Committee:

COMMITTEE CHAIR: Dr. Benjamin Bederson
Department Representative: Dr. Jack Minker
Committee Member(s): Dr. Allison Druin
Dr. Doug Oard
Dr. Ben Shneiderman

EVERYONE IS INVITED TO ATTEND THIS PRESENTATION