Design-based Research Approach Research Articles

The Numeracy Competency Profile of Elementary School Teachers in Ponjong District, Gunungkidul Regency Viewed from Demographic Factors

<p><span lang="EN-US">This study aims to describe the numeracy competency profile of elementary school teachers in Ponjong District, Gunungkidul Regency, viewed from demographic factors. The demographic factors used to describe, there were gender, type of school (public or private), length of teaching, age, and whether the teacher in question was certified as an educator. This numeracy competency was essential to explore because this skill was one of the most critical primary education goals; it helped realize successful advanced learning, social interaction, meeting the necessities of life, and global employment. This study used a design-based research (DBR) approach combined with professional learning community (PLC) and participatory action research (PAR), in which a sample of forty teachers was drawn equally from each group of teachers working groups (KKG). The data were taken using test instruments and analyzed using inferential statistical tests. The results showed that from the gender aspect, there was no difference in numeracy competence for both men and women. The second, based on the type of school, there was no difference in numeration competence between public and private schools. The third, from the length of teaching, it was found that teachers with a duration of education under five years had a higher numeracy score. The fourth, in terms of age, there was no difference in numeracy ability from twenty-five to fifty-six years. The conclusion, from the aspect of educator certification, was fascinating. Although not significant, there was an average difference in the numeracy ability test between teachers who were certified educators and those who were not certified, where teachers who did not have an educator certificate had a higher test average than those who already had an educator certificate.</span></p>

The role of feedback in building teaching presence and student self-regulation in online learning

In this research we studied usable strategies to promote student engagement and learning in the online classroom specifically connected to the development of teaching presence and student self-regulation. A design-based research approach (Barab & Squire, 2004) with multiple methods of data collection were used in the study's design, which was informed by the Garrison et al.’s Community of Inquiry framework and Zimmerman's cycle of self-regulatory phases. Qualitative sources of data included coursework and semi-structured interviews with three student participants, accompanied by text-based planning and debrief notes, and a semi-structured interview with one instructor. The study context was an online course connected to a Bachelor of Education program at a university in Ontario, Canada. Findings indicate students experienced teaching presence directly in the timely, strengths-based and personal feedback they received. Regular feedback helped students know their work was being seen and that they were “on the right track”. Strengths-based and personal feedback aided student motivation and self-regulation, which emerged as important for ongoing engagement and learning online. Recommendations that emerged from this study are of interest internationally to designers of online learning courses, online instructors and researchers in online learning.

Social Belonging Perceptions Across FHSU Students

Social belonging is a critical aspect of student success and well-being in higher education. Research on social belonging has thus far primarily focused on traditional, on campus students in higher education; however, higher education institutions have seen an increased number of online students post pandemic (D’Agostino, 2022). Fort Hays State University (FHSU) has likewise seen a growing number of online students, with 3,807 on campus students compared to 6,604 online students for the 2021-2022 school year. Data from the 2021 NISS Diagnostic Analysis resulted in the following executive summary, “Improve outcomes for online students by better understanding the specific obstacles they are facing and by targeting supports in response”. To address the growing need to understand the unique perspectives of FHSU’s online students and to contribute to the overall FHSU student success the Teaching Innovations and Learning Technologies (TILT) department designed a mixed methods research project with the intention to build a faculty facing workshop that is data driven by FHSU students. A design-based research approach was taken to support the project’s lofty goals. An initial analysis of past data was conducted using 2021 NSSE survey data, 2021 NISS Diagnostic Analysis and Playbook, and the FHSU’s 2021 Post-Pandemic survey data. This data was used to construct the theoretical framework of social belonging for this project, which includes social capital and social presence. Next, a sequential mixed methods approach was deployed using a qualitative survey followed by qualitative, semi-structured interviews. This poster will report on the project’s design, theoretical framework, and preliminary findings.

Learning Vocabulary Seamlessly: To What Extent Does the SLL Model Influence CFL Learners‘ Experience, Perception, and Vocabulary Enhancement?

The Seamless Language Learning (SLL) model holds the potential for enriching second language (L2) learners’ vocabulary acquisition by focusing on their experiences and perceptions. However, prior research on SLL has suffered from methodological issues and poor understanding of the model. This study aims to address these issues by quantitatively assessing the impact of the SLL model on Chinese as a Foreign Language (CFL) learners’ vocabulary acquisition experience, their perceived use of the DingTalk platform, and vocabulary learning enhancement. To achieve these objectives, a design-based research (DBR) approach is employed, with data gathered from real-world seamless Chinese vocabulary learning activities involving 32 intermediate-level participants with no prior exposure to SLL. Data analysis involves a paired sample t-test. Pre-test and post-test assessments, using a five-point Likert scale, are conducted to gauge the effectiveness of the SLL model. The assessment tool, the Seamless Chinese Vocabulary Learning Questionnaire (SCVLQ), encompasses various dimensions such as participants’ emotional engagement, satisfaction, interaction with SLL, perceptions of the SLL platform (DingTalk), and vocabulary learning enhancement through the utilization of the SLL model. Empirical results from valid SCVLQ responses indicate significant post-test improvements compared to pre-tests, indicating enhanced learner experiences and perceptions. Moreover, the SLL model is found to positively contribute to vocabulary learning enhancement. These findings provide quantitative support, addressing the limitations of previous qualitative approaches, and confirming the efficacy of the SLL model in promoting active learning engagement, enhancing learners’ experiences with the DingTalk platform, and facilitating vocabulary acquisition. This study offers insights for future research to delve into additional factors influencing the SLL model’s effectiveness and to extend its application to diverse language learning contexts.

Computational thinking in early childhood education: The impact of programming a tangible robot on developing debugging knowledge

The present study investigates the debugging process of 526 children in preschool (4–6 aged) when programming a tangible robot. When a child is involved in programming, it is needed to identify and correct errors, or in other words, debug a program. Debugging is a high-level thinking skill and is an essential component closely related to developing Computational Thinking in early childhood education. Though the debugging process is a cognitive function in programming investigated by many researchers in recent decades, most studies are conducted either in primary, secondary education, or higher education concerning beginners or experts in programming. Very few reviews, and some focus on preschool education. Our study set out the following objectives: 1) How do children identify the existence of error and locate it? 2) What types of errors emerge when coding? 3) What type of error is complex for novice programmers? 4) What strategies are developed by novice programmers to debug effectively? and 5) What types of knowledge do novice programmers construct by debugging the tangible robot Bee-Bot? The study follows an iterative model of a design-based research approach. It uses multiple case studies to collect qualitative and quantitative data. The programming intervention was implemented by 30 educators in their classrooms and was based on a scenario-based teaching design. The debugging process was analysed using Klahr & Craven's framework (1988): 1) test and evaluate program, 2) identify bug, 3) represent program, 4) locate bug and 5) correct bug. The main finding is the construction and development of syntactic and semantic knowledge.

Using a design-based research approach for a supplementary instruction programme: A pedagogical intervention during the COVID-19 pandemic

Using a design-based research approach for a supplementary instruction programme: A pedagogical intervention during the COVID-19 pandemic

Restructuring a University Health-Related Physical Activity Course with Technology: A Design-Based Research

The purpose of this study was to investigate the restructuring process of a university health-related physical activity course with technology and its impact on teaching & learning practices. Using a design-based research approach, data were collected in five semesters by applying the technology integration strategies iteratively. Beginning with the needs assessment, the longitudinal study continued with the first and second pilots, and the process ended with improvements in the design and implementation phases. Data were collected through class observations, field notes, and interviews with the students and the instructor. Thematic content analyses were carried out with Nvivo software. Data and researcher triangulation were done for reliability and validity. Findings indicated that technology enhancement would contribute to the quality of health-related physical activity courses and the impact of technology integration was documented in detail. Implications and recommendations were given to stakeholders of the education environment; researchers, practitioners, administrators, technology coaches, and policymakers.

Investigating the Classroom Environment With Physical Computing

To integrate digital technologies into the curriculum, teachers must support learners to use digital tools in authentic contexts. Physical computing, which involves the use of small portable electronic devices, provides an opportunity to achieve these goals. This article reports on the initial stages of a design-based research (DBR) project that will enable students to monitor and investigate their own learning spaces, with a focus on the impacts on their own well-being, and to propose solutions to any issues that they identify. The study focuses on a series of workshops, run with staff from an educational organisation, designed to explore environmental monitoring in the classroom and identify opportunities to apply the theory of situated cognition to authentic learning in context. The article reports on the first two phases of the DBR approach, defining the project focus and understanding the problem, to propose and refine a set of five design principles. The insights gained will be used in the subsequent phases of the DBR process.

Representing learning designs in a design support tool

Learning Design (LD) research accounts for several design support tools, or LD tools, employing representations for learning designs to facilitate the “teachers as designers” thinking while preparing learning experiences. In contrast to existing studies having followed mainly a specialist/researcher (as opposed to a teacher) perspective, our quest to develop an LD tool follows a Design-Based Research (DBR) approach involving practitioners. Specifically, in this paper, we attempt to give voice to teachers as designers and investigate how they prefer having their learning designs represented by LD tools. Aiming to create a principled account of how to represent learning designs in an LD tool, we first conducted an integrative literature review to formulate a representational framework that drove our research. Subsequently, we addressed the following LD representational dimensions: (i) format, (ii) organisation, (iii) guidance and support, and (iv) contextualisation. We are reporting on a case study conducted with 16 participants in a teacher education context. Although previous research typically reported findings based on a single LD tool’s evaluation over a short period, we have opted for eliciting feedback based on a rich LD experience. To this end, we acquainted participants in LD projects with two LD tools (Learning Designer and WebCollage) during an academic semester. Furthermore, we followed a mixed-method explanatory sequential design applied through a survey questionnaire and semi-structured interviews to achieve a more profound consideration of the teachers’ preferences for LD representations. Our findings indicate that the teachers strongly endorse an LD tool supporting a visual format and a global organisation in the form of a table that provides a global overview of a learning design while focusing on its specific elements. Teachers seem to prefer an LD tool that balances providing guidance and flexibility, as they opt for (i) a non-restrictive taxonomy for articulating learning objectives, (ii) some form of standardisation for formatting learning units, along with allowing free formation, (iii) a flexible pedagogical framework for modelling the learning activities’ pedagogy so that it can be adjusted to particular designers’ needs, and (iv) a typology of technologies that can be utilised or not. In addition, they seemed to favour an LD tool supporting high contextualisation, as they prefer to describe contextual details for a learning design’s units and activities. These findings constitute design principles for our ongoing DBR and may stimulate momentum for researchers developing LD tools.

Personal elaborated feedback design in support of students’ conjecturing processes

ABSTRACT Conjectures are a key component of mathematical inquiry, a process in which the students raise conjectures, refute or dismiss some of them, and formulate additional ones. Taking a design-based research approach, we formulated a design principle for personal feedback in supporting the iterative process of conjecturing. We empirically explored the design principle by studying the use that four pairs of high school students made of online feedback when working on two example-eliciting tasks. Analysis focused on the ways in which the feedback was apparent in the students’ reasoning process. The findings indicate that designed elaborated feedback supported interactions that led students to formulate new conjectures and motivated them to resume the inquiry and to generalise their initial conjecture.

Playful and Meaningful Learning of Programming. What does it Take to Integrate an App-Based Game Promoting Digital Mathematics into Early Childhood Education?

<p class="designartikelbrdtext">This article shows conditions for how an educational digital tool can open doors to an increasingly playful world – and address some of the issues with introducing digital maths in early childhood education. Guided by a design-based research approach, the multimodal design of the educational app-based game DigiMat was iteratively created by a multidisciplinary team and introduced to teachers and children. In this study, we focused on transformative processes to illuminate conditions for meaningful <em>design for learning</em>, based on what teachers reported in interventions. In addition, we considered children’s play with the app-based game, which elucidated the conditions for <em>design in learning</em>. We performed thematic analysis and applied the Learning Design Sequence model to illuminate notions from critical incidents with children and teachers. The findings indicate that, although children <em>re-design</em> and create their purpose whilst playing, beyond digital affordances, teachers needed an explicit alignment with the curriculum to integrate meaningful and guided play with the use of DigiMat. This study indicates that designers and innovators wishing to introduce playful apps into educational practice should consider how learning outcomes and playful activities resonate with educational practice. Based on our findings, we argue that digital educational tools should be designed and implemented collaboratively with teachers and children, in a didactic context where the goals of the curriculum are recognised.

Analysing mobile learning designs: A framework for transforming learning post-COVID

Mobile learning is well established in literature and practice, but under-evolved from a rigorous learning design perspective. Activity theory presents a sophisticated way of mapping and understanding learning design, but for mobile learning this does not always translate into change in practice. The reported research addresses this by coupling a mobile learning specific approach to activity theory with a practice-based framework: the design for transformative mobile learning framework mapped to the pedagogy-andragogy-heutagogy continuum matrix (the DTML-PAH Matrix). Seven case studies are analysed using this approach and presented narratively along with framework informed analysis. Findings include that the DTML-PAH Matrix can be used to provide clearer implications and guidance for mobile learning practice, and that the DTML-PAH Matrix can also be guided by the practice over time. Implications for further research and practice are discussed. Implications for practice or policy: Provide technological and pedagogical scaffolds to students. Learning designs should focus upon enabling elements of learner agency and creativity. To develop learning solutions to real world problems utilise a design-based research approach. Create authentic collaborative learning activities and tasks. Integrate mobile learning affordances in the design of the course and curriculum.

Posing mathematics problems about STEM careers: problem quality, scaffolds, and problem solving

Mathematical problem posing, or authoring mathematical tasks, can allow students to integrate their interests and experiences into the classroom. Little research has explored different designs for scaffolding or facets of posed problem quality, particularly when problem posing is based on students’ interests. We created an environment that enabled 39 community college students to author algebra problems related to their career interests, and explore four problem-posing scaffolds – video, vignette, example problem, and template. We use a design-based research approach to examine affordances of career problem-posing. Engaging in problem-posing was associated with increased interest in learning mathematics. Use and time spent with scaffolds and time-on-task were related to quality of posed problems, and problem quality features were related to students’ ability to solve problems they posed. Text analyses revealed scaffold use was associated with the language students used in the problems they posed. Implications for problem posing in mathematics classrooms are discussed.

Open learning design for using open educational practices in high school learning contexts and beyond

PurposeThere is a need for research that examines how digital networks can support all learners in open access to people, resources and experiences that were previously inaccessible in K-12 learning contexts. This study aims to examine the potential of open education theories and open practices in high school learning environments.Design/methodology/approachUsing a design-based research approach, this study used the open learning design intervention framework to examine the experiences of a researcher, a teacher and Grade 10 students who expanded their learning from formal to informal learning environments by integrating open educational practices (OEP). The research occurred through three specific phases with iterative cycles that were responsive to research participants and data analysis at each phase.FindingsThe key findings suggest that open learning in high school is dependent upon opportunities for learners to co-design personally relevant learning pathways. The emerging design framework highlighted the need to emphasize the complexity of the students’ lived experiences in connection with the curriculum (formal learning environments) to promote a diversity of perspectives and shared connections (in informal learning environments). Second, learners need the opportunity to share their learning experiences collaboratively and individually by transparently demonstrating their learning processes in relevant ways and open practices provide the digital and community spaces to share knowledge. Finally, open learning occurs through stages and continuums and is a personal learning experience that transcends the boundaries of formal learning environments.Originality/valueThis study expands the current conceptual framework of open learning design by contributing a K-12 lens from which to consider the potential of OEP to promote personal learning pathways. Although the research considered a K-12 context, the OLDI Framework can be extended upon and used in any open learning design context including higher education.

The Process of Developing a Digital Repository for Online Teaching Using Design-Based Research.

The Purdue Repository for Online Teaching and Learning (PoRTAL) was developed as an Open Educational Resource (OER) for graduate students and faculty in higher education settings to enhance their online teaching skills and strategies. The PoRTAL team used a design-based research approach (DBR; Wang & Hannafin, Educational Technology Research and Development, 53(4), 5–23, 2005). In this study context, we used Van Tiem et al.’s (2012) model to identify problems faced by instructors who struggled with or were new to online teaching from a Human Performance Technology (HPT) standpoint. To address the identified needs, we created resources for online teaching and embedded our research within practical activities to further study our design process. Our efforts resulted in an HPT-OER Model for Designing Digital Repositories. The purpose of this paper is to share the DBR process that we used to develop an OER repository within an HPT model.

Development and Application of FOCUS App for Assessment of Approaches to Learning in 3–8-Year-Old Children in Kenya: A Design-Based Research Approach

Performance-based tools to assess school readiness domains such as Approaches to Learning are lacking in Low and Middle-Income Countries such as Kenya. This study aims to develop the Kenyan version of the FOCUS app (Finding Out Children's Unique Strengths), a game-like computer tablet assessment of two Approaches to Learning domains: mastery motivation and executive functions. We used a design-based research approach to develop and validate the FOCUS app, initially designed for the US and Hungarian Cultures, to suit the Kenyan context. We later followed children longitudinally from preschool to grade 1, to assess the applicability of the FOCUS app to the two grade levels. Results showed that the FOCUS app is valid and reliable. There was no significant difference in mastery motivation between the two waves. The FOCUS App can complement other school readiness tools to assess Approaches to Learning as one of the strategies to enhance school and life success.

NAO robots as context to teach numerical methods

This article examines the contextual role that NAO humanoid robots play in the learning environment of a numerical methods course through a design-based research approach. Under the design of intentional and reflective planning that emanates from the socio-critical paradigm in education, the feasibility of using this type of robot in the classroom as a motivation element to engage students in understanding numerical analysis issues is addressed. In particular, the active learning of engineering students is achieved by studying such robots' forward and inverse kinematics. The didactical sequence to teach the generalized Newton–Raphson method for solving non-linear equation systems is validated as part of a Hypothetical Learning Trajectory proposed. Besides, this research provides a brief theoretical discussion on reflection-in-action of the teacher of Higher Education level.

Enhancing Learning of System Modelling through 360 Degree Virtual Reality Video and 3D Printing

New technologies like 360 degree virtual reality videos and 3D printing are creating philosophical shifts in approaches to teaching and learning in the classroom. However, most studies isolate new technology rather than study the benefits of using them in combination. Multiple representations support a variety of learning activities especially when students are learning new concepts or complex ideas. This study explores the blending of a 360 degree video-case study with 3D-printed haptic manipulations to enhance learning of ICT systems analysis and design. We hypothesize that the blending of both the virtual and physical can lead to improved learning motivation, engagement and enhance learning outcomes. The study follows a design-based research (DBR) methodology with this paper representing the second loop of the DBR approach focusing on both the usability and learning outcomes from a sample of 24 participants from an Australian University. The results of the study show positive impact on the measure of navigability and communication when compared to a traditional lesson leading to improved engagement and motivation among the learners.

VET and the “Competency-Tetris”

The purpose of the article is to empirically analyse how the idea of inclusion is portrayed within the boundaries of the “Competency-Tetris”: a metaphor that should not be confused with the Tetris® game but used to theoretically capture individualised, competency-based, and managerially governed Vocational Education and Training (VET). We argue that the meaning of social inclusion within and through VET is unclear and vested by the human capital doctrines and the neoliberal assumptions from which it is derived. Whom does inclusion in VET involve, and to what and where does inclusion take place? Employing a design-based research approach, we used abductive applications to analyse data produced through participatory ethnographic observations (N=32) and interviews (N=12). The results identified four abstracted themes: (1) Fitting the workforce auction; (2) Multi-professional support trajectories; (3) Inclusion of qualification measures; and (4) Social and cultural learning communities. The first three abstracted themes suggest that the Competency-Tetris is a social divider of students based on a “go-forward” engine with social engineering at its fore. That is, the desired boundaries between VET and work are not strengthened, and the question of enabling equal learning for all students faces a U-turn. Thus, the economic value accumulated in competency-based qualification measures is accentuated. The latter abstracted theme identifies a different, albeit obscured, aspiration: human encounters requiring dignity, mutual respect, social generosity, and developmental sustainable ecology are increasingly approached as part of, within, and through VET.

A Design-Based Research Approach to the Teaching and Learning of Multiliteracies

A Design-Based Research Approach to the Teaching and Learning of Multiliteracies