PageFetch: a retrieval game for children (and adults)

Children often struggle with information retrieval tasks as searching for information often requires a developed vocabulary and strong categorisation skills; neither of which are particularly developed in children under the age of 12. In a study conducted by Druin et al, it was found that in an experimental setting many children are often uninterested in searching for information online or are only interested in searching for information that is relevant to their personal interests. Consequently, children who were unmotivated were the least successful in completing information retrieval tasks in their study. It was suggested that a more effective means of engaging child participants in search studies must be developed in order to gain further insights into the searching behaviours of children. To this end we have developed a game called PageFetch which aims to engage children (aged 8 to 80) in completing search tasks through a fun and interactive search-like interface.