Document Type
Article
Journal/Book Title/Conference
International Journal of Social Media and Interactive Environments
Volume
6
Issue
1
Publisher
Inderscience Publishers
Publication Date
6-16-2018
First Page
44
Last Page
69
Abstract
This study explores social palaeontology - an inclusive and collaborative form of science occurring across digital habitats. The purpose was to: 1) examine conceptualisations of amateurs via expressed mental models and 2) use the unified media-user typology (MUT) to explore any relationship between these models and social media persona. Data collection involved a survey, modelling task and interview. Findings reveal that persona was demonstrated in subtle ways, offering limited evidence for a relationship between persona and mental model. Sequential models were most common, but more so for advanced personas. Expertise development was expressed through the number of conventions used during modelling. However, the degree of inaccuracy suggests a lack of metacognitive awareness, implying that any increase in expertise with persona was not conveyed as such. The results bolster the capacity to design community-centred social spaces and inform understanding of science learning and the utility of MUT as a predictive tool.
Recommended Citation
Lundgren, L., Crippen, K. J., Gardner, E. E., Perez, V. J., & Leder, R. M. (2018). Mental models and social media personas: a case of amateur palaeontologists. International Journal of Social Media and Interactive Environments 6(1), 44-69. doi: 10.1504/IJSMILE.2018.10013530
