Participatory action research in the age of social media: literacies, affinity spaces and learning

Purpose This paper seeks to summarize the developments, methodological design, and some of the theories framed within a PhD research about the integration of social media in higher education. Its aims are to determine significant issues, challenges and opportunities that emerge when social media are integrated into learning environments in higher education. Design/methodology/approach “Doing Online Relearning through Information Skills” (DORIS) is proposed as a research framework to address the aims, objectives, and research questions of this study. It was conceived from a participatory action research perspective. This approach is intended to help discover and reflect upon teaching and learning practices in a technologically mediated educational setting. Furthermore, the concept of affinity spaces is discussed, together with its distinction from the concept of communities of practice. The data collection methods planned to conduct the study are: diagnostic questionnaire, blog, social learners' input and reports, a second questionnaire, and semi‐structured interviews. Findings The theory of affinity spaces offers a powerful way of thinking about teaching and learning processes mediated by different technologies. The heuristics that will focus the data collection and analysis are: on the function of content, and on the function of participants' interactions with the content and/or with one another. Originality/value DORIS is proposed as a powerful way to organize learning interventions through the structure of information literacy skills. It is grounded on action research and on constructivist, blended, and problem‐based learning. Researchers, librarians or educators can adapt this model for teaching, learning and researching about and with social media or for other technologically mediated learning environments, or could be adapted for information literacy programs.