Work in Progress

Reeves, T. C., Herrington, J., & Oliver, R. (2005). Design research: A socially responsible approach to instructional technology research in higher education. Journal of Computing in Higher Education, 16(2), 96–115. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02961476

Reeves et al. (2005) state that design research is a method to study the use of educational technology in a real-world environment. Their main concern is that much educational technology research focuses on comparing delivery methods, such as computer-based instruction versus traditional classroom instruction. These comparisons did not explain why one method worked better than another or how to improve either method. These comparisons did not connect to real-world issues educators are facing now. The authors proposed design research as a more reliable method to address real-world problems, allowing researchers and educators to work together on developing effective solutions using iterative testing and refinement, which generates knowledge and provides researchers with the principles for future research and practice.

The article is published in the Journal of Computing in Higher Education, a peer-reviewed publication. The authors have extensive experience in educational technology and design research. They describe why media comparison studies are flawed and provide a strong case for using design research in higher education. I also appreciate that they link research quality to social responsibility. In their opinion, an effective study is one that has successfully addressed problems important to learners and educators. One limitation of the study is that it is primarily conceptual and explains why they support the approach. But there is no complete empirical study conducted using participants and results.

Design research is similar to the problem-solving process that exists within electronic manufacturing. We do not just evaluate output of a current method versus output of a new method when an error happens on a production line. Rather than identifying the root cause, testing a possible solution, collecting data regarding how well that solution performs, and making changes to the production process using the collected data. Many versions of a revised process will need to be developed and reviewed before they can be adopted as the standard for production operations. I have also found this concept in educational technology research. It would be challenging to evaluate whether an online training module developed by me for operators in an LMS (Learning Management System) was actually effective based solely upon the number of individuals who completed the course. The system will have to be evaluated in an actual workplace where researchers are able to determine if the operators were able to comprehend what was taught to them during training and utilize that knowledge to successfully operate the systems they’re using on an everyday basis. Design research could facilitate the iterative improvement of the training program while simultaneously generating knowledge/findings that could potentially be applied in other manufacturing environments.