Children's eye-fixations on google search results

Abstract

We investigate how children in grades 6 and 8 (ages 11 and 13, respectively) read search engine results pages (SERPs) in the context of searching Google. We use eye-tracking to detect children's reading of SERPs, and the effect of grade level and task type on reading behaviors and interactions. We have created a web search interface that retrieved data in the background from Google search engine. Preliminary findings show a significant difference in the number of reading fixations by grade level. Grade level or age had a more significant effect on reading behaviors, fixations, first result rank, and interactions with SERPs than task type. Findings and future work are discussed.