The field of Human-Computer Interaction has long engaged in creating and studying online tools that serve as information resources. However, few studies explore how people, particularly underserved populations, find these tools. This study examines the role that online search plays in the access to online information resources using access to online Computer Science (CS) education as a case study. First, we conduct a survey with U.S. parents to identify terms used to search for online CS education. Second, we look at the search results for those terms. Third, we analyze the current on-site search engine optimization (SEO) trends among CS education tools. Then we compare the search results and trends to find opportunities to bridge the access gap and provide SEO suggestions to better reach underserved populations. This is a unique research method, leveraging SEO to improve access to information technology, that can be applied to many domains
The CAT Lab studies how culture impacts the use and production of technology with a focus on learning applications, computer science education and designing new technologies with culture as a point of convergence.
