Contrasting Search as a Learning Activity with Instructor-designed Learning

The field of Search as Learning addresses questions surrounding human learning during the search process. Existing research has largely focused on observing how users with learning-oriented information needs behave and interact with search engines. What is not yet quantified is the extent to which search is a viable learning activity compared to instructor-designed learning. Can a search session be as effective as a lecture video - our instructor-designed learning artefact - or learning? To answer this question, we designed a user study that pits instructor-designed learning (a short high-quality video lecture as commonly found in online learning platforms) against three instances of search, specifically (i) single-user search, (ii) search as a support tool for instructor-designed learning, and, (iii) collaborative search. We measured the learning gains of 151 study participants in a vocabulary learning task and report three main results: (i) lecture video watching yields up to 24% higher learning gains than single-user search, (ii) collaborative search for learning does not lead to increased learning, and (iii) lecture video watching supported by search leads up to a 41% improvement in learning gains over instructor-designed learning without a subsequent search phase.