Applying design science to develop a systems framework for securing digital learning: Insights from resource-constrained educational settings

PurposeDesign science research (DSR) is a structured approach for solving complex ill-structured problems in organizations through the development of an artefact followed by its validation. This paper aims to evaluate existing DSR methodology and propose specific accents to promote DSR for environmental, social and governance (ESG)-oriented operational excellence (OPEX) initiatives within organizations.Design/methodology/approachThis commentary paper is based on an abductive reasoning approach to evaluate and understand DSR and assess its effectiveness for developing solutions to typical ESG-oriented OPEX-based problems within organizations.FindingsExisting literature on DSR is reviewed, after which it is evaluated on its ability to contribute to the implementation of sustainable solutions for ESG-oriented OPEX-based problems. Based on the review, specific DSR methodological accents are proposed for the development of ESG-oriented OPEX-based solutions in organizations.Research limitations/implicationsThis conceptual paper contributes to the conceptual understanding of the applicability, limitations and contextual preconditions for applying DSR. This paper proposes an explicit and, in some ways, alternative view on DSR research for OPEX researchers to apply and further the body of knowledge on matters of sustainability (ESG) in operations management.Practical implicationsCurrently, there is limited understanding and application of the DSR methodology for OPEX-based problem-solving initiatives, as appears in the scant literature on DSR applied for the implementation of OPEX based initiatives for ESG purposes. This paper aims to challenge and provide accents for DSR applied to OPEX-related problems by means of a DSR framework and thereby promotes intervention-based studies among researchers.Originality/valueThe proposed step-by-step methodology contains novel elements and is expected to be of help for OPEX-oriented academicians and practitioners in implementing DSR methodology for practical related problems which need research interventions from academics from Higher Education Institutions.

Design science research (DSR) aims to generate knowledge about innovative solutions to real-world problems. Consequently, DSR needs to deal with the complexity related to problem and solution spaces involving sociotechnical phenomena that people perceive differently and are subject to constant change. This complexity poses challenges to sequential, process-based approaches—specifically, the existing DSR methodology. We designed a DSR methodology that extends existing approaches by adding a complementary organizing logic to address complexity. Based on the theory of hierarchical, multilevel systems, we suggest organizing DSR based on the concept of “echelons”—meaning decomposing DSR projects into smaller logically coherent self-contained parts—and suggest a set of five design echelons that imply a hierarchical organizing logic for DSR projects. The echeloned DSR (eDSR) methodology was developed in five iterations, involving seven design and evaluation episodes.

The Internet of Things (IoT) enables a new wave of immersive technologies ranging from Smart Cities and Smart Homes to wearable technologies and virtual reality applications informed by real-time data of their physical environments. Despite the growing interest in IoT applications in recent decades, we identified that only a few studies consider the Design Science Research (DSR) methodology for developing IT artifacts with hardware components, such as IoT applications. We explore the ontology and epistemology underpinning DSR methodology and propose including complex IoT artifacts into the traditional understanding of IT artifacts, dominated by virtual and conceptual artifacts. Based on these considerations, we propose evolutionary steps to the existing DSR methodology to better enable the creation of hardware-based IT artifacts in the Information Systems (IS) discipline in a rigorous and relevant manner. For this, we incorporate design approaches from other disciplines, such as engineering, i.e., explicit prototyping, into established DSR process models to create a purpose-built, lower-level, concrete process model for designing hardware-based IoT artifacts. This approach is demonstrated by developing a complex presence detection artifact, highlighting the unique challenges when working with hardware components in DSR.

A design science research methodology and its application to accounting information systems research

Purpose– Literature-identified website benchmarking (WB) approaches are generally time consuming, survey based, with little agreement on what and how to measure website components. The purpose of this paper is to establish a theoretical approach to WB. A comprehensive design science research methodology (DSRM) artifact facilitates the evaluation of the website against the universal set of benchmark components. This knowledge allows managers to gauge/reposition their websites.Design/methodology/approach– DSRM establishes a website analysis method (WAM) artifact. Across six activities (problem identification, solution objective, artifact design/development, artifact demonstration, artifact evaluation, results communication), the WAM artifact solves the DSRM-identified WB problem.Findings– The WAM artifact uses 230 differentiated components, allowing managers to understand in-depth and at-level WB. Typological website components deliver interpretable WB scores. Website comparisons are made at domain (aesthetic, marketing, technical) and/or functional levels.Research limitations/implications– New/emergent components (and occasionally new functions) are included (and redundant components removed) as upgrades to the DSRM WAM artifact’s three domains and 28 functions. Such modifications help keep latest benchmarking comparisons (and/or website upgrades) optimized.Practical implications– This DSRM study employs a dichotomous present/absent component approach, allowing the WAM artifact’s measures to be software programmed, and merged at three different levels, delivering a useful WB tool for corporates.Originality/value– DSRM identifies the benchmarking problem. Rough-cut set-theory and mutual-exclusivity of components allow the causal-summing of typological website components into an objective WAM artifact WB solution. This new, comprehensive, objective-measurement approach to WB thus offers comparative, competitive, and website behavioral implications for corporates.

Enhancing medical radiation science education through a design science research methodology

Critical Raw Materials (CRMs) represent a topic of great relevance for Europe. Among the strategic sectors highly dependent on them, there is the automotive sector. Considering the disruptive time this industry is living in and the complexity of the lifecycles of its products, it is challenging for practitioners to manage the supply risk of CRMs. In this work, a novel criticality assessment tool tailored to car electronics is proposed. Contrary to the majority of existing tools, it was developed following a structured Design Science Research (DSR) methodology, ensuring its relevance for practitioners. General requirements for the tool were gathered through interviews with seven European automotive companies, covering different stages of the car electronics value chain. The tool has been designed in constant interaction with experts from industry and academic peers. It has been validated on nine different raw materials for a hypothetical large European company. To perform the validation, the main players worldwide on the value chains were mapped for the first time. Compared to the other criticality assessment tools, this one presents the supply chains of the company as the unit of analysis. This, on the one hand, ensures that the information provided by the tool is relevant for the single company. On the other hand, it supports companies in complying with the EU Critical Raw Materials Act requests. Novel indices filling the gaps between the emerging needs of the European automotive sector and the current state of the art of the literature have been developed and implemented.

Games with purposes beyond entertainment, the so-called serious games, have been useful tools in professional training, especially in engaging participants. However, their evaluation and, also, their adaptable characteristics to different scenarios, audiences and contexts remain challenges. This paper examines the application of serious games in professional training, their results and adaptable ways to achieve certain goals. Using the Design Science Research (DSR) methodology, a framework was built to develop and evaluate serious games to improve user experience, learning outcomes, knowledge transfer to work situations, and the application of the skills practised in the game in real professional settings. At this stage, the investigation presents a framework regarding the triangulation of data collected from a systematic literature review, focus groups and interviews. Following the DSR methodology, the next steps of this investigation, listed at the end of the paper, are the demonstration of the framework in serious game development and the evaluation and validation of this artefact.

Purpose: This article aims to describe the development of a technological artifact using the Design Science Research (DSR) methodology to optimize traceability in the beef supply chain through blockchain. This article addresses a critical gap in the beef supply chain: the lack of robust technological mechanisms for effective traceability. It explores blockchain as a promising alternative to strengthen transparency and foster trust within the agri-food sector. The study details the development of a blockchain-based technological artifact, emphasizing its functionalities, document integration, and simulation results. The system demonstrates enhanced security, visibility, and reliability throughout the production chain. The explanatory core of the research rests on blockchain’s capacity to mitigate fraud and inefficiencies through its inherent decentralization, immutability, and auditability. These features underpin the observed improvements in trust and efficiency. The study describes the demand for traceability within the Brazilian context, in which beef production assumes a strategic role in agribusiness and global exports. It highlights how social and economic pressure justify the adoption of blockchain to ensure safety and credibility. The findings suggest potential scalability of the proposed solution to other food sectors and its applicability to public policies related to auditing and regulatory control, under similar conditions of transparency and traceability. The study advances beyond theoretical analysis by introducing a technological artifact capable of transforming practices in the beef supply chain, thereby improving efficiency and reliability through a scientifically rigorous design approach. Originality/value: The study addresses a relevant problem in the agricultural supply chain, offering an innovative solution to guarantee data security, transparency, and reliability, from the source to the end consumer. The application of blockchain in the Brazilian context is an unprecedented contribution, promoting significant improvements in the visibility and control of beef production. Design/methodology/approach: The research used the DSR methodology, which is characterized by the creation of a technological artifact to solve complex and relevant problems. The development of the artifact followed seven main guidelines, including the relevance of the problem, methodological rigor, and design evaluation. For data analysis, traceability simulations and validation of the integrated system were used in order to test the practical feasibility of the proposed solution. Findings: The results show an advance in automation and data security, from the identification of animals to the issuing of tax documents, reinforcing consumer confidence and efficiency of the process. The findings advance a practical solution for enhancing traceability across the food chain, with scalability potential to other sectors and applicability to public policy and auditing frameworks.

ObjectivesThe rate of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) booster vaccination in Indonesia remains relatively low, representing 15.33% of the overall vaccination target as of April 2022. The implementation of a reminder and recall system has been shown to be effective in increasing vaccination rates. In prior research, reminders and recalls were sent through traditional media, such as mail, and had not yet been integrated into modern media, such as smartphone applications and (in particular) contact tracing applications. Therefore, the present study was conducted to design a reminder and recall system for the PeduliLindungi contact tracing application.MethodsWe used the design science research (DSR) methodology with three iterations. The first iteration produced a low-fidelity prototype (or wireframe), and the next yielded a high-fidelity (clickable) prototype.ResultsThe final prototype included three main features: a reminder and recall mechanism, online registration for COVID-19 booster vaccination, and educational articles. The evaluation consisted of interviews in the first iteration, interviews and the System Usability Scale (SUS) questionnaire in the second, and the Post-Study System Usability Questionnaire (PSSUQ) in the third. The SUS value obtained in the second iteration was 71.6, indicating good (acceptable) results, while in the third iteration, the system usefulness, information quality, interface quality, and overall PSSUQ values were 2.456, 2.473, 2.230, and 2.397, respectively, indicating good quality of the resulting design.ConclusionsThis research contributes to two areas: implementation of a reminder and recall system in the PeduliLindungi contact tracing application and enhancement of contact tracing applications using DSR methodology.

An increase in the usage of information and communication technologies (ICT) and the Internet of Things (IoT) in Facility Management (FM) induces a huge data stack. Even though these data bring opportunities such as cost savings, time savings, increase in user comfort, space optimization, energy savings, inventory management, etc., these data sources cannot be managed and manipulated effectively to increase efficiency at the FM stage. In addition to data management issues, FM practices, or developed solutions, need to be supported with the implementation of lean management philosophy to reveal organizational and managerial wastes. In the literature, some researchers performed studies about awareness about building information modeling (BIM)-FM, and FM-related data management problems in terms of lean philosophy. However, the comprehensive solution for effective FM has not been investigated with the application of lean management philosophy yet. Therefore, this study aims to develop an FM framework for healthcare facilities by considering lean management philosophy since more stable workflow, continuous improvement, and creating more value to customers will help to deliver a more acceptable solution for the FM industry. Within this context, the integration of BIM, Building Energy Performance Simulations, and Big Data Analytics are proposed as a solution. In the study, the Design Science Research (DSR) methodology was followed to develop the FM framework. Depending on the DSR methodology, two scenarios were used to investigate the issue in a real healthcare facility and develop the FM framework. The developed framework was evaluated by four experts, and the revisions of the proposed framework were realized.

Lithium-ion batteries are one of the most promising technologies in energy storage due to their high energy density and long service life. Despite this, this technology can present failures that reduce its useful life. For this reason, battery management projects are constantly developed in the industry, aiming to optimize and reduce battery degradation, mainly for applications in second-life cells. In this context, this work aimed to create a project with a transdisciplinary team for an intelligent lithium-ion battery manager for applications in energy storage solutions by combining the Design Science Research (DSR) methodology and framework Scrum. The DSR methodology was applied to monitor the design of the intelligent manager. Conversely, Scrum was used for project management and control through weekly monitoring meetings and creating Sprints. Despite problems observed during the project, such as developer turnover, the project management was successful. It resulted in the presentation of the developed artefact at a conference and the publication of an article in an international journal. The combinations of both methodologies resulted in success and can be applied to other future product development projects and even for startups.

Purpose This study explores the interaction between operations management and information systems by applying the Design Science Research (DSR) methodology for intelligent early fault management. Prior research primarily addressed post-fault identification and classification but has struggled with catastrophic forgetting. Thus, this work proposes an innovative data-driven artifact that leverages a deep learning (DL)-based approach for early fault detection and future fault forecasting. Design/methodology/approach Following the DSR methodology, the work proposes an innovative data-driven artifact for early fault management. The proposed artifact extracts key features from industrial sensor data in real time using a Deep Sparse Autoencoder with a sparsity penalty. These features are then processed using an Exponentially Weighted Moving Average method for monitoring process variations, while a Transformer-based Neural Network forecasts potential faults. To mitigate catastrophic forgetting, the Elastic Weight Consolidation technique is applied during offline training to preserve previous patterns when new information becomes available. Findings The artifact enhances operational decision-making by generating early warning alerts and delivering actionable insights. Experimental evaluation using real-world sensor data validates that the proposed approach outperforms existing DL methods. Originality/value Unlike traditional approaches that are limited to fixed fault distributions, this work introduces novel design propositions for industrial fault management systems, enabling dynamic learning and continuous improvement with new data.

Design Science Research (DSR) has many risks. Researchers inexperienced in DSR, especially early career researchers (ECRs) and research students (e.g. PhD students) risk inefficient projects (with delays, rework, etc.) at best and research project failure at worst if they do not manage and treat DSR risks in a proactive manner. The DSR literature, such as the Risk Management Framework for Design Science Research (RMF4DSR), provides advice for identifying risks, but provides few suggestions for specific treatments for the kinds of risks that potentially plague DSR. This paper describes the development of a new purposeful artefact (TRiDS: Treatments for Risks in Design Science) to address this lack of suggestions for treatment of DSR risks. The paper describes how the purposeful artefact was developed (following a DSR methodology), what literature it draws upon to inspire its various components, the functional requirements identified for TRiDS, and how TRiDS is structured and why. The paper also documents the TRiDS purposeful artefact in detail, including four main components: (1) an extended set of risk checklists (extended from RMF4DSR), (2) a set of 47 specific suggestions for treating known risks in DSR, (3) a classification of the treatments identified into 14 different categories, and (4) a look-up table for identifying candidate treatments based on a risk in the extended risk checklists. The treatment suggestions and guidance in TRiDS serve as a supplement to RMF4DSR by helping DSR researchers to identify treatments appropriate for a particular DSR project (or program) and thereby to improve DSR project efficiency and the probability of DSR project success.

With the continuous development of educational technology, modern education has become an indispensable thing in people's daily life. In the teaching process of primary and secondary schools, multimedia, computers and other high-tech means are used to improve students' learning efficiency. By comparing modern information technology with traditional cultural knowledge, we find out where its advantages lie and put forward rationalization suggestions so as to promote contemporary social and economic construction as well as the progress of human civilization. From the current situation of information technology in China's schools: teachers' outdated teaching concepts, lack of innovation, and low utilization of network information resources, all these problems seriously hinder the development of educational technology. This paper mainly elaborates the impact of the development of modern education technology on primary and secondary schools, and only through continuous innovation can we provide favorable conditions for the development of modern education technology and promote the construction of informatization in primary and secondary schools.