CKE master thesis project

 

Title:

 

Disorientation and Comprehension in Hypertext

Aim:

 

To explore the effects of different types of links and link structures on the degree of comprehension and disorientation users have while navigating in Web sites.

 

Project description

 

Hypertext reading imposes extra demands in people relative to normal reading. To have to choose what links to follow seems to affect comprehension of the text and disorientate users while navigating. However, not all types of links and link structures seem to affect equally users. In this project we propose to explore these issues measuring the effects on comprehension and lostness as a function of the text topology, number and types of links of the web site.

 

Requirements:

 

Interest in Experimental Research, Web Design and Usability

 

Background knowledge: Usability engineering and Human-Computer Interaction, statistical courses as WOM and ARM.

Supervisor:

 

Mari Carmen Puerta Melguizo (puerta@cs.uu.nl)

Intern/extern:

 

Preferably 2 students

Startdatum:

 

as soon as possible

 

Literatuur:

Ahuja, J.S. & Webster, J. (2001). Perceived disorientation: an examination of a new measure to assess web design effectiveness. Interacting with Computers, 14, 15-29.

 

DeStefano, D. & LeFevre, J-A. (in press). Cognitive load in hypertext reading: a review. Computers in Human Behavior,1-26.

 

Otter, M. & Johnson, H. (2000). Lost in hyperspace: metrics and mental models. Interacting with Computers, 13, 1-40

 

Van Nimwegen, C., Pouw, M., & van Oostendorp, H. (1999). The influence of structure and reading manipulation on usability hypertexts. Interacting with Computers, 12, 7-21.