An example of how I used Design-based Research to conceptualise an academic

article

by

G Lautenbach

Design-based Research

• Involves conceptualising research to coincide with development of practice. The central notion is design. In Education it is pedagogic design.

• “Design research is an approach to developing and STUDYING theory-driven pedagogical interventions in situ” (Barab & Squire, 2004).

Design-based research as research methodology

• Anne Brown & Allan Collins - a new approach to educational research that aims to combine the rigour of experimental research with the messiness of classroom settings to provide solutions to real educational challenges

• involves the grounding of proposed solutions to educational problems in existing theory.

• “Cross-fertilisation” of classroom-based research and controlled laboratory research as design experimentation (Brown, 1992)

Commonly used terms for the general approach

• Design experiments (Brown, 1992; Collins, 1992;

Reeves, 2000) • Development research (Van den Akker, cited in

Reeves, 2000)

• Design-based research (Design-Based

Research Collective, 2003)

• Design research (O’Donnell, 2004)

Defining characteristics of design-based research

• It is iterative in that research takes place through repeated cycles of design, implementation, analysis and revision.

• It is process-focused in that it seeks to understand both the learning process and the impact of designed interventions on that learning.

• It is interventionist in that it involves designed learning environments that are systematically investigated to test the expected relationship between aspects of the design on learning with the intent to advance educational theory and practice.

Defining characteristics of design-based research (Continued)

• It is collaborative in that knowledge about teaching and learning are constructed through researcher-practitioner partnerships.

• It is utility oriented in that it aims to produce usable knowledge for educational innovation by explaining how designs function in authentic settings.

• It is theory-driven in that theoretical assumptions, which guide the design of interventions, are tested with the intention of advancing educational theory through the cyclic design-implementation-analysis-redesign of learning and teaching activities and artefacts.

3 broad goals

• Design experiments address complex problems in real contexts in collaboration with practitioners

• Known and hypothetical design principles are integrated with technology to provide plausible solutions to practical problems

• Rigorous and reflective inquiry is conducted to evaluate and refine the design of innovative learning environments and contribute to a body of design theory

Relevance?

• Design-based researchers are committed to the idea that learning and teaching are the result of complex social interactions shaped by the interplay of various contextual variables.

• Design-based researchers use multiple forms of data, such as artefacts and records of conversations, to construct knowledge about phenomena under study.

• DBR is not only used to find out what happens, but to gain an understanding of how and why things happen as they do.

A challenge?

• It typically takes years to generate useful results. Reeves (2000,) suggests five years or more.

• However, the approach of “progressive refinement” requires design researchers to put “a first version of a design into the world to see how it works” in order to revise the design “until all the bugs are worked out” (Collins et al, 2004)

Design logic for DBR: Action features of each phase

• Jan Herrington, EDMEDIA 2010

Phase 1• Consult with those experiencing the problem• Explore• Speak to people• Read about the problem

Design logic of DBR

Analysis of Practical Problems

Design Based Research

Phase 2• Back to literature & theory• Compile draft design principles

– Provide…– Support…– Promote…– Engage… – Negotiate… etc.

Design logic of DBRDesign Based ResearchBack to literature &

theory. Look for draft design principles. Develop solutions within theoretical

framework

Phase 3• Test solution in iterative cycles

– Try solution– Change it– Try again

Design logic of DBRDesign Based Research

Test solution in iterative cycles. Try, change, try

again

Phase 4• Reflection to produce design principles • Reflection to enhance solution implementation

– Reflect on findings

– Create design principles– publish

Design logic of DBRDesign Based Research

Reflection to produce design

principles. Reflect, create principles,

publish

Example (Lautenbach, 2010)Reconceptualising a module on teaching & learning with learning

technologies

• Step 1: Analysis of Practical Problem / Consult, Explore, Read

• Many think:– Learning technologies can change pedagogical

practices

– Computers can teach in the absence of humans

• Technology should rather support complex human, social and cultural interactions (Amiel & Reeves, 2008)

Emphasis of example

• Reconceptualising learning activities in an undergraduate module

• Introducing theoretical frameworks that underpin teaching & learning with technology

• Grounding the learning activities in theory

• Incorporating research into practice - deriving design principles from students themselves

Reconceptualised Module: My Aim?

Authentic, collaborative activities (using

learning technologies) as a purposeful teaching strategy rather than a once off classroom

technique. Vygotskian actor-object-tool triad as a

precursor to CHAT Focus - not on the technology but rather on

the learning where the technology functions as the mediating tool.

Vygotsky’s Mediational Triangle

Activity

Tool / Mediating artifact

ObjectSubject/ActorOutcome

Activity – Using ICTs in authentic tasksObject – Engaging with authentic tasksOutcome –ICTs adding value to teaching & learning

The first theoretical

construct useful to this study is the concept of

tool mediation.

The second theoretical construct useful to this study is the concept of authentic learning as the object of the activity.

Authentic activities (Herrington, Reeves & Oliver, 2002)

• Have real-world relevance• Are ill defined / open to multiple interpretations • Are complex• Provide opportunities to include different

perspectives• Provide collaborative opportunities• Integrated across different subject areas• Include integrated assessment• Yield possible products • Allow competing answers or solutions

Design logic of DBR

Analysis of Practical Problem /

Consult, Explore, Read

Back to literature & theory. Look for draft

design principles. Develop solutions within theoretical

framework

Test solution in iterative cycles. Try, change, try

again

Reflection to produce design

principles. Reflect, create principles,

publish

Design Logic

(adapted from Reeves, 2000)

Refinement of Problems, Solutions, and Methods

Design-based Research

Example - Data collection?

Qualitative analysis of student reflections

Reflective reports submitted as part of the final examination portfolio

Analysed for content using simple in vivo coding techniques & explanations

How did I get to the design principles?

• Direct quotes from reflections

• Clustered into themes

• Themes changed into design principles by using verbs…

3 examples follow…

1 Provide activities that model real life

We could learn by example and model our teaching on good practice

We used different technologies that are applicable in everyday life

We gained other real world skills beyond subject content

It does not end in the classroom; it ends in the world out there

2 Keep activities relevant (and fun)

Tasks were creative and made learning fun

It is better to use different and unique ways to maintain interest

It made the tasks lighter and made learning easier and fun

Learning was intriguing and fulfilling

Technology allows for deeper learning and makes it more fun

3 Contextualise learning activities

We learned about innovative ways to implement ICTs in the South African context

We used the technology to explore and construct concepts and relationships in

context

This module made me think about how to overcome barriers in the classroom

It encouraged me to think critically about teaching in the classroom

Example 2: 13 Design Principles (derived from students)

1. Keep activities relevant2. See authentic learning as the object of the activity3. Provide activities that model real life4. Create opportunities for learning5. Keep activities relevant (and fun)6. Contextualise learning activities7. Accommodate learner needs8. Engage students in a variety of tasks9. Promote the tool as mediator10. Develop a structure to underpin the activities11. Establish a schedule to actively engage students12. Expect more from students13. Encourage collaboration / participation

But how does this differ from Action Research?

Simple comparison with Action Research

• Purpose of AR:– To provide a solution

to an educator’s problem in their own school or organisation

– To improve practice or understand issues

• Purpose of DBR:– To provide solutions to

real educational challenges

– To refine the design of innovative learning interventions and contribute to a body of design theory

In conclusion…

Possibilities in your field?