Of serendipity, free association and aimless browsing:

• Introduction
• Linear or non-linear?
• Browsing and surfing
• Serendipity
• Free association
• Serendipitous learning
• Conclusion

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People surf the Net not only for fun, but also to discover and learn. We have all experienced the thrill of a serendipitous discovery as we look for one thing but stumble across something else of value to us (see introductory page). According to Bowles (2004), serendipitous learning recognises that the human search for knowledge may occur by chance, or as a by-product of the main task. For example, a search for information may launch the user off on a tangent that ends up being more productive than the original search query. In such instances, Bowles argues, serendipitous learning has taken place.

A detailed examination of learning theory lies beyond the remit of this essay, but unlike traditional objectives-driven learning, there are no predetermined goals associated with serendipitous learning (King et al, 2001). However, the latter often precipitates exploratory or informal learning which is less formal than objectives-driven approaches, but is still influenced by personal goals and interests. Learning goals in this category tend to be more personal as the learning often takes place outside of a formal learning environment. Knowledge retention as a result of serendipitous learning tends to be high, because motivation remains with the learner. In fact, according to Allen Tough (1999), about 80% of learning is informal rather than “professionally planned”.

As a learning strategy, Marchionini (1997) likens serendipitous browsing to something “like an intellectual lottery...low probability but high payoff”. A small input can give enormous results and vice versa. If we are lucky, we may stumble across that obscure but vital gem of information that has not been seen before or categorised as relevant. We may also “gain new insights or interesting associations for our problem by browsing alternative sources that use different tools, techniques, and data structures” (Marchionini, 1997).

Arguably, today’s search engines make serendipitous browsing a less fruitful endeavour because they are programmed to minimise the number of irrelevant objects that are retrieved. This helps to explain why so many “random” search engines such as StumbleUpon and BananaSlug, and social bookmarking sites such as del.icio.us, are gaining in popularity. Although both StumbleUpon and BananaSlug claim to aid serendipitous surfing, this is really an oxymoron as results are based on your personal preferences or categories you choose. In this respect the del.icio.us randomizer is a more authentic aid to serendipitous surfing because it transports you to a surprise site that someone else – and not you, crucially – has found interesting. Click on the del.icio.us icon below to give it a try.