Truth and Presence: Leveraging Smartphones and AI for Participatory Action Research (Stage 3, 2:26 PM)

• In Event: e-Lightning Ed-Talk Session 23 - Stage 3

Abstract

This paper explores the integration of Photovoice and smartphone technology as participatory action research tools within a Hispanic-Serving Institution. Grounded in Mobile Interface Theory, the study positions students as co-investigators who document their lived experiences using voice, image, and video. The method fosters embodied awareness, critical reflection, and multimedia literacy, particularly around complex themes such as truth, identity, and spatial navigation. By leveraging everyday mobile devices, students engage more deeply with their environments and contribute to knowledge production. The findings underscore Photovoice’s value not only as a research method but as a pedagogical approach that cultivates agency, self-efficacy, and inclusive representation – especially vital in higher education contexts where student perspectives are often underrepresented.

Author

• S. Otto Khera, New Mexico State University