Experimental evaluation of learning performance for exploring the shortest paths in hyperlink network of Wikipedia

Abstract

In a 9-hour experiment we evaluated learning performance based on exploringthe shortest paths in hyperlink network of Wikipedia online encyclopedia. Relying onnetwork of 35688 unique hyperlinks in three separate learning sessions of 20 minutesstudents read series of 62 sentences built by using 22 unique hyperlinks that form theeleven shortest paths and answered pre-test and post-test multiple-choice questionnairesabout recall of sentences (tests 1-6). For experiment group (n=24) 62 sentences werechained in such an ordering that corresponds to traversing cumulatively a series ofassociative trails leading from concept Tourism in Malta to concept Euro coins of Maltaalong alternative parallel shortest paths in hyperlink network of Wikipedia categoryMalta. For control group (n=10) same sentences had randomized ordering. For bothunique hyperlinks and consecutive pairs of hyperlinks experiment group reached higherdegrees of recall than control group in tests 2-5 and the effect size in favor of experimentgroup was over 0.18 for test 2 and over 0.40 for tests 3-4. We do not know any previouswork verifying learning performance like in our approach.