Adapting to the evolving vocabularies of learning communities Online publication date: Sun, 16-Aug-2009
by Samuel R.H. Joseph, Joyce Yukawa, Daniel D. Suthers, Violet H. Harada
International Journal of Knowledge and Learning (IJKL), Vol. 5, No. 2, 2009
Abstract: This paper presents a differential usage study of a web-based resource database that provides both search and associative browsing functionality. Associative browsing is based on emergent metadata derived from the terms that users associate with the resources they have contributed to the system. We argue that this approach provides a low 'cognitive load' information-seeking mechanism and can also reduce the effort required by the user to enter metadata when contributing resources. In this paper, we compare the results from a three-month study of student librarians using one instance of the system with a three-year study on a larger learning community. The results from both studies are similar in that they suggest associative browsing was at least as popular as search functionality. However, while the three-month study indicates that providing perspectives on emerging metadata during the contribution process may help the community self-organise its vocabulary, the results of the three-year study are equivocal.
Existing subscribers:
Go to Inderscience Online Journals to access the Full Text of this article.
If you are not a subscriber and you just want to read the full contents of this article, buy online access here.Complimentary Subscribers, Editors or Members of the Editorial Board of the International Journal of Knowledge and Learning (IJKL):
Login with your Inderscience username and password:
Want to subscribe?
A subscription gives you complete access to all articles in the current issue, as well as to all articles in the previous three years (where applicable). See our Orders page to subscribe.
If you still need assistance, please email subs@inderscience.com
Our Blog 
Follow us on Twitter 
Visit us on Facebook