User experience of social bookmarking tools

Abstract

Information and knowledge society brings a new context where technology enhanced tools are key elements for being able to find, evaluate, use and communicate information effectively and efficiently [1]. Bookmarking tools could be the essential tools for supporting information behaviour, specifically information managing and communication. This paper analyses the user experience of existing bookmarking and social bookmarking tools in an e-learning environment. The educational setting provides the required environment to truly study these tools, since their success is not only in the ease of storing, tagging and sharing resources at a given moment in time but in how these resources will be retrieved when needed in the future. In this paper we present a functional analysis and the usability inspection of the tools that support the management and usage of information resources both during short and long terms. © 2011 Springer-Verlag.