Examining information processing on the World Wide Web using think aloud protocols

Some theorists argue that the node-link design of the Web mimics human info rmation storage and that Web use encourages individuals to process informat ion efficiently and effectively potentially increasing meaningful learning. However, critics claim that Web navigation increases cognitive load and of ten produces disorientation. This reduces the processing devoted to meaning ful learning, and, thus the Web may potentially inhibit learning. In an exa mination of information processing on the Web using a quantitative analysis of think aloud protocols, we found that users spend a substantial proporti on of their cognitive effort orienting to the content and structure of the Web, and this effort comes at the expense of elaborative and evaluative pro cessing. Additional findings suggest that, at least during a single relativ ely short session, time spent in a given site does not reduce the processin g devoted to orientation. Finally, this paper offers a theoretically inform ed strategy for analyzing information processing activities that may be of use to other scholars.