New project to improve information retrieval for lifelong learning

(Press-News.org) Jessie Chin, assistant professor in the School of Information Sciences at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, has received a National Science Foundation (NSF) CAREER award to support lifelong learning and foster information literacy. This prestigious award is given in support of early-career faculty who have the potential to serve as academic role models in research and education and to lead advances in the mission of their department or organization. Chin's project, "Search as a Mechanism for Learning," will be supported by a five-year, $629,451 grant from the NSF.

Her project will examine how information retrieval (IR) systems are used for lifelong learning. While users commonly turn to the internet to learn about unfamiliar topics, the internet's algorithm-mediated IR systems, including search engines and conversational agents, have limitations when it comes to adequately supporting users with complex information needs. This is especially true when it comes to learning-oriented searches, with IR models unable to fully explain and predict how and what people search to learn. For example, motivations and metacognition are often neglected in representing the search intents during learning. Hence, relying on metrics like semantic relevance or past user behavior in IR systems may inadvertently result in suboptimal information experience of learners.

"Finding information [on a search] does not necessarily lead to effective learning or deep comprehension," said Chin. "Developing IR systems for learning requires understanding how individuals monitor, assess, and regulate their learning progress, and what factors shape their judgments to persist in or disengage from learning."

This research will guide the development of personalized technologies that promote lifelong learning in various educational settings, including online adult vocational education and individualized tutoring systems for all learners. The overarching goal of the project is to empower adults across the lifespan to adapt to evolving information environments for lifelong learning.

"To facilitate the translation of research into instructional and outreach practices, the project will collaborate with the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute and the National Multiple Sclerosis Society to co-design educational games and webinars that foster information literacy and its practical applications in everyday search and learning contexts," said Chin.

Chin is a translational cognitive scientist with multidisciplinary research training in cognitive science, human factors, human-computer interaction, and health informatics. She leads the Adaptive Cognition and Interaction Design (ACTION) Lab at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Chin holds an MS in human factors and PhD in educational psychology with a focus on cognitive science in teaching and learning from the University of Illinois.

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