Page 187 - Educational Technology A Primer for the 21st Century

180 11 Design-Based Research

11.1 Introduction

There are two main types of educational research. The first is basic research, which
is also referred to as an academic research approach. The second type is applied
research (or contract research). Both of these research types have different purposes
which influence the nature of the respective research.
The basis for educational research is the scientific method. The scientific method
uses directed questions and manipulation of variables to systematically find infor-
mation about the teaching and learning process. This scenario questions are
answered by the analysis of data that are collected specifically for the purpose to
answer these questions. The two main types of data that are used under this method
are qualitative and quantitative.
Qualitative research uses data which are descriptive in nature. Tools that edu-
cational researchers use in collecting qualitative data include observations, con-
ducting interviews, conducting document analysis, and analyzing participant
products such as journals, diaries, images, or blogs. Quantitative research uses data
that are numerical and are based on the assumption that the numbers will describe a
single reality. Statistics are often applied to find relationships between variables.
Both quantitative and qualitative research are/or can be consistent with a basic or
traditional scientific approach aimed at uncovering the relationship between vari-
ables and factors involved in an implementation and learning outcomes.
The element of design in learning and educational research has been paid more
attention recently. One of the traditional factors addressed is the extent to which an
approach or design contributed to or inhibited outcomes. Previously, that aspect
was addressed by formative evaluations. Recently, the quality of the design process
itself has come under closer scrutiny. Design-based research and design method-
ology are becoming more and more important for educational technology research
and educational product development. The following sections will introduce the
design-based research in details.

11.2 The Concept of Design-Based Research

Design-based research (DBR) was proposed as design experiments in articles by
Brown (1992) and Collins (1992). And now, it is a type of research methodology
commonly used by researchers in the learning sciences. Design-based research is a
systemic approach to the planning and implementing of innovations that emphasize
an iterative approach to design with ongoing involvement collaboration with
practitioners. DBR goes beyond formative evaluation research as the focus is on the
rationale for design decisions and changes in the design as a technology-based
learning effort evolves, although DBR can still be considered a kind of formative
evaluation research (Spector & Yuen, 2016).