Design Principles For Development Research Articles

Wood-Structured Nanomaterials as Highly Efficient, Self-Standing Electrocatalysts for Water Splitting.

Electrocatalytic water splitting (EWS) driven by renewable energy is widely considered an environmentally friendly and sustainable approach for generating hydrogen (H2), an ideal energy carrier for the future. However, the efficiency and economic viability of large-scale water electrolysis depend on electrocatalysts that can efficiently accelerate the electrochemical reactions taking place at the two electrodes. Wood-derived nanomaterials are well-suited for serving as EWS catalysts because of their hierarchically porous structure with high surface area and low tortuosity, compositional tunability, cost-effectiveness, and self-standing integral electrode configuration. Here, recent advancements in the design and synthesis of wood-structured nanomaterials serving as advanced electrocatalysts for water splitting are summarized. First, the design principles and corresponding strategies toward highly effective wood-structured electrocatalysts (WSECs) are emphasized. Then, a comprehensive overview of current findings on WSECs, encompassing diverse structural designs and functionalities such as supported-metal nanoparticles (NPs), single-atom catalysts (SACs), metal compounds, and heterostructured electrocatalysts based on engineered wood hosts are presented. Subsequently, the application of these WSECs in various aspects of water splitting, including the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), oxygen evolution reaction (OER), overall water splitting (OWS), and hybrid water electrolysis (HWE) are explored. Finally, the prospects, challenges, and opportunities associated with the broad application of WSECs are briefly discussed. This review aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of the ongoing developments in water-splitting catalysts, along with outlining design principles for the future development of WSECs.

Studying efficacy of particular design elements in online teacher professional development courses: The case of systematizing videos for enhancing teachers’ pedagogical content knowledge

While design principles for effective teacher professional development (PD) courses have been empirically identified in comprehensive studies, they have not yet been well disentangled with respect to the contribution of specific design elements. This particularly applies for digital online PD courses and for teachers with different prior knowledge. In this paper, we investigate two design elements for the systematizing phase (videos vs. discussions) of a synchronous online PD session with regard to their differential effectiveness for teachers’ professional growth in pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) and their emotional and motivational reactions to the PD. In our focused randomized controlled trial, 102 mathematics teachers (with heterogeneous PCK) participated in 2‑hour online PD sessions on specifying, noticing, and enhancing students’ understanding of multiplication with various PD inquiry activities. In the systematization phase, teachers were randomly assigned to two treatment conditions: the video group watched a systematizing video (i.e., a video that summarizes the PCK elaborated during the session) and the discussion group had small-group discussions about individual summaries. In both groups, teachers’ reports about emotional and motivational reactions to the PD revealed similarly high values, and their PCK improved significantly from pre-test to post-test. Analyses of variance with repeated measures revealed significant differences between the treatment conditions for teachers with low prior PCK: Teachers with low prior PCK who watched the systematizing video developed their PCK significantly more than those who discussed in small groups. In this way, the study contributes to disentangling the differential effects of design elements in online PD courses for teachers with heterogeneous prior knowledge.

Exploring Design Principles for STEAM Learning Activities Development by Science and Technology Teachers

This study explored the design principles of science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics (STEAM) learning activities developed by science and technology teachers for classroom practice. Through a qualitative approach, interpretive paradigm, and design-based research, 12 Bachelor of Education honours degree students were conveniently sampled. Data were collected by means of reflections and development of learning materials through the analysis, design, development, implementation, and evaluation (ADDIE) model. The study followed the design-based research stages of needs analysis, development, testing, and reflection to produce design principles, and it was underpinned by the learning theory of constructionism. The findings showcase the design principles to include design thinking, finding solutions for learning problems, creativity, and innovation applied to instructional design. The study recommends the use of design thinking pedagogies in developing teacher knowledge on STEAM classroom practice.

From bricks to bytes: Verifiable data for decarbonizing the building sector

Amidst the pressing need to combat climate change and curb greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, the building sector emerges as a pivotal sector, substantially impacting worldwide emissions. Despite efforts to improve energy efficiency and incorporate non-fossil energy sources, the sector still lags in achieving the necessary decarbonization goals. Existing Building Energy Management Systems primarily prioritize economic criteria, overlooking the vital aspect of emissions reduction. Energy Informatics and Information Systems hold the potential to bridge this gap by enabling precise and verifiable GHG emissions accounting, end-to-end real-time tracking, and automated verification within Energy Management Systems (EMS). This paper presents research on designing the advancement of EMSs in the form of a Building Energy Emission Management System (BEEMS) leveraging verifiable emission data for emission-based actions. The central research question revolves around designing BEEMS to facilitate emission-based actions based on verifiable data. Following a multi-step approach, the research methodology encompasses a comprehensive literature review and iterative evaluation of our design principles through a workshop and semi-structured interviews with experts from industry and research. The contributions include a conceptual architecture of a BEEMS and six design principles for future BEEMS development. Ultimately, this research strives to facilitate end-to-end verifiable GHG emissions management in the building sector to enable emission-based energy consumption decisions, contributing to the existing body of knowledge of the Energy Informatics field on BEEMS.

Defining Requirements for Heme Binding in PGRMC1 and Identifying Key Elements that Influence Protein Dimerization.

Progesterone receptor membrane component 1 (PGRMC1) binds heme via a surface-exposed site and displays some structural resemblance to cytochrome b5 despite their different functions. In the case of PGRMC1, it is the protein interaction with drug-metabolizing cytochrome P450s and the epidermal growth factor receptor that has garnered the most attention. These interactions are thought to result in a compromised ability to metabolize common chemotherapy agents and to enhance cancer cell proliferation. X-ray crystallography and immunoprecipitation data have suggested that heme-mediated PGRMC1 dimers are important for facilitating these interactions. However, more recent studies have called into question the requirement of heme binding for PGRMC1 dimerization. Our study employs spectroscopic and computational methods to probe and define heme binding and its impact on PGRMC1 dimerization. Fluorescence, electron paramagnetic resonance and circular dichroism spectroscopies confirm heme binding to apo-PGRMC1 and were used to demonstrate the stabilizing effect of heme on the wild-type protein. We also utilized variants (C129S and Y113F) to precisely define the contributions of disulfide bonds and direct heme coordination to PGRMC1 dimerization. Understanding the key factors involved in these processes has important implications for downstream protein-protein interactions that may influence the metabolism of chemotherapeutic agents. This work opens avenues for deeper exploration into the physiological significance of the truncated-PGRMC1 model and developing design principles for potential therapeutics to target PGRMC1 dimerization and downstream interactions.

Enhancing trust in global supply chains: Conceptualizing Digital Product Passports for a low-carbon hydrogen market

Industries and energy markets around the world are facing mounting pressure to decarbonize, prompting them to transform processes and supply chains towards sustainability. However, a lack of credible sustainability data proves to be a considerable barrier for emerging markets for sustainable products: Against the background of complex and globalized supply chains, it is necessary to verify the sustainability claim of products in order to demand price premiums for sustainable products in the long run. To enable this, it is necessary that stakeholders in globalized supply chains are willing to share relevant data along the entire supply chain for increasing traceability and reducing information asymmetries. Using the example of international hydrogen supply chains, we study how data can be shared between different stakeholders using Digital Product Passports while addressing stakeholders’ concerns about data privacy and disclosure. In our work, we develop design principles that provide insight into how a Digital Product Passport should be designed to verify the hydrogen’s carbon footprint in a reliable way and to ensure the willingness of stakeholders to share their data. We follow a multi-step approach with a structured literature review followed by expert interviews and qualitative content analysis for a synthesis of design principles. Our research illustrates that a Digital Product Passport must collect data comprehensively and automatically, process it in a decentralized and tamper-proof manner, protect privacy and sovereignty of stakeholders, and ensure interoperability.

A Novel Gain-of-Signal Assay to Detect Targeted Protein Degradation.

Targeted protein degradation offers a promising avenue for expanding therapeutic development to previously inaccessible proteins of interest by regulating the target abundance rather than activity. However, current methods to screen for effective degraders serve as major bottlenecks for the development of degrader therapies. Here, we develop a novel assay platform for identification and characterization of macromolecules capable of inducing targeted degradation of oncogenic phosphatase SHP2. Unlike traditional reporter assays that utilize loss-of-signal readouts to detect degradation, our assay platform expresses a robust fluorescence signal in response to the depletion of a target protein and incorporates additional measures intended to prevent undesirable false positives. Using this gain-of-signal assay, we successfully identified novel macromolecule SHP2 degraders from a screen of 192 candidates and proposed design principles for further development of macromolecule degraders. This work demonstrates a proof of concept for gain-of-signal assays as a tool for screening targeted degrader candidates.

Metalation of metal-organic frameworks: fundamentals and applications.

Metalation of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) has been developed as a prominent strategy for materials functionalization for pore chemistry modulation and property optimization. By introducing exotic metal ions/complexes/nanoparticles onto/into the parent framework, many metallized MOFs have exhibited significantly improved performance in a wide range of applications. In this review, we focus on the research progress in the metalation of metal-organic frameworks during the last five years, spanning the design principles, synthetic strategies, and potential applications. Based on the crystal engineering principles, a minor change in the MOF composition through metalation would lead to leveraged variation of properties. This review starts from the general strategies established for the incorporation of metal species within MOFs, followed by the design principles to graft the desired functionality while maintaining the porosity of frameworks. Facile metalation has contributed a great number of bespoke materials with excellent performance, and we summarize their applications in gas adsorption and separation, heterogeneous catalysis, detection and sensing, and energy storage and conversion. The underlying mechanisms are also investigated by state-of-the-art techniques and analyzed for gaining insight into the structure-property relationships, which would in turn facilitate the further development of design principles. Finally, the current challenges and opportunities in MOF metalation have been discussed, and the promising future directions for customizing the next-generation advanced materials have been outlined as well.

How Modern Psychometrics Can Change Intelligence Testing of Children and Adolescents in Russia

The assessment of intellectual development in children and adolescents is an essential component of psychodiagnostics, facilitating an understanding of the nature of learning difficulties. Intelligence tests have a history that spans more than a century, and even contemporary versions of widely used intelligence tests (such as the Wechsler or Stanford-Binet tests) are limited by the influence of their traditional paper-based formats. Nevertheless, the advent of computational capabilities and the digitalization of tests have led psychometrics to experience substantial development, opening new possibilities for assessment. The complete application of modern psychometrics holds the promise of revolutionizing the measurement of intelligence. This paper presents the current situation of measuring intelligence in children and adolescents in the world and in Russia. It describes the potentialities presented by modern psychometrics, including the utilization of innovative task formats such as technology-enhanced items, the integration of universal design principles in test development, the adoption of computerized adaptive testing (CAT) and multistage testing (MST) methodologies, the application of multidimensional IRT models to establish both construct and criterion validity, the shift from discrete norms to continuous scaling, and the incorporation of longitudinal measurements. The combination of these features within a computerized intelligence testing framework will enhance respondents' motivation and simplify the test administration process. It will facilitate frequent assessments of a child's progress by presenting varying test versions on each occasion, thereby significantly reducing errors in administration and scoring, while also safeguarding against misuse by non-professionals.

Lifelong learner needs for human-centered self-regulated learning analytics

PurposeSelf-regulated learning (SRL) is crucial for successful learning and lifelong learning in today’s rapidly changing world, yet research has shown that many learners need support for SRL. Recently, learning analytics has offered exciting opportunities for better understanding and supporting SRL. However, substantial endeavors are still needed not only to detect learners’ SRL processes but also to incorporate human values, individual needs and goals into the design and development of self-regulated learning analytics (SRLA). This paper aims to examine the challenges that lifelong learners faced in SRL, their needs and desirable features for SRLA.Design/methodology/approachThis study triangulated data collected from three groups of educational stakeholders: focus group discussions with lifelong learners (n = 27); five teacher interviews and four expert evaluations. The groups of two or three learners discussed perceived challenges, support needs and willing-to-share data contextualized in each phase of SRL.FindingsLifelong learners in professional development programs face challenges in managing their learning time and motivation, and support for time management and motivation can improve their SRL. This paper proposed and evaluated a set of design principles for SRLA.Originality/valueThis paper presents a novel approach for theory-driven participatory design with multistakeholders that involves integrating learners, teachers and experts’ perspectives for designing SRLA. The results of the study will answer the questions of how learners’ voices can be integrated into the design process of SRLA and offer a set the design principles for the future development of SRLA.

Consumer-centric electricity markets: Six design principles

Key to the necessary decarbonization of energy systems is the large-scale expansion of renewable energy sources and their integration into the electricity system. This integration is challenging because the feed-in from renewable energy sources is highly intermittent and largely dependent on uncontrollable factors such as weather patterns. To maintain grid stability, which refers to the required balance between demand and supply in the electricity system, flexibility is key. Large flexibility potentials can be found on the electricity demand side. However, current electricity market design in Europe, while providing major flexibility incentives, often neglects small-scale electricity consumers and distributed energy resources. We contribute to shape future electricity markets with consumers at the heart by developing six design principles for a consumer-centric electricity market design. We proceed by conducting a systematic literature review and evaluate the findings by expert interviews. Based on the developed design principles, we define a consumer-centric electricity market design as a set of market rules that align with the rules of other relevant energy markets and allow for the efficient matching of electricity demand and supply, with consumers having nondiscriminatory market access, being exposed to fine-grained price signals, being able to express their preferences, and having sufficient possibilities to protect themselves against unexpected price spikes. By actively incorporating consumers into electricity markets, we contribute to the overarching goal of integrating renewable energy sources while promoting energy justice, i.e., supporting a balanced mix of economic, political, environmental, and social interests.

Design principles for cognitively accessible cybersecurity training

Exploiting human behavior to gain unauthorized access to computer systems has become common practice for modern cybercriminals. Users are expected to adopt secure behavior to avoid those attackers. This secure behavior requires cognitive processing and is often seen as a nuisance which could explain why attacks exploiting user behavior continues to be a fruitful approach for attackers. While adopting secure behavior can be difficult for any user, it can be even more difficult for users with cognitive disabilities. This research focuses on users with cognitive disabilities with the intent of developing design principles for the development of cognitively accessible cybersecurity training. The target group is estimated to include almost 10 % of all users but is previously understudied. The results show that the target group experience cybersecurity as cognitively demanding, sometimes to a degree that becomes incapacitating. Participating in cybersecurity training requires cognitive energy which is a finite resource. Cognitively accessible cybersecurity training requires a minimalist design approach and inclusion of accessibility functions. A minimalist design approach, in this case, means that both informative and design elements should be kept to a minimum. The rationale is that all such elements require cognitive processing which should be kept to a minimum.

Modular 3D printed platform for fluidically connected human brain organoid culture

Brain organoid technology has transformed both basic and applied biomedical research and paved the way for novel insights into developmental processes and disease states of the human brain. While the use of brain organoids has been rapidly growing in the past decade, the accompanying bioengineering and biofabrication solutions have remained scarce. As a result, most brain organoid protocols still rely on commercially available tools and culturing platforms that had previously been established for different purposes, thus entailing suboptimal culturing conditions and excessive use of plasticware. To address these issues, we developed a 3D printing pipeline for the fabrication of tailor-made culturing platforms for fluidically connected but spatially separated brain organoid array culture. This all-in-one platform allows all culturing steps—from cellular aggregation, spheroid growth, hydrogel embedding, and organoid maturation—to be performed in a single well plate without the need for organoid manipulation or transfer. Importantly, the approach relies on accessible materials and widely available 3D printing equipment. Furthermore, the developed design principles are modular and highly customizable. As such, we believe that the presented technology can be easily adapted by other research groups and fuel further development of culturing tools and platforms for brain organoids and other 3D cellular systems.

Design principles for integrating language and communication skills into engineering education

Developing competencies in language and communication is becoming increasingly important for the contemporary engineering student if career success and community engagement are to be enhanced. The integration of language, and other ‘soft-skills’, into broader engineering education could assist in preparing students to become more employable and improve their overall engineering ability. This study adopted a design-based research strategy to develop design principles regarding the integration of language and communication skills into engineering education. Eleven participants were purposefully sampled to form part of a design team that became responsible for this development. The principles that emerged emphasised the role culture plays in the process of learning, highlighting the importance of embracing cultural diversity in ways that frame it as a strength to be exploited. Differing abilities and levels of English language proficiency need to be accommodated, requiring lecturers to build in a feedback process to manage progress and effective student engagement. It is advisable to adopt a holistic approach to teaching and learning, and to pay careful attention to appropriate learning strategies. An integrated learning environment necessitates the dismantling of the traditional silos that have characterised engineering education and greater cooperation among various disciplines needs to be encouraged.Transdisciplinary contribution: The integration of language and communication into engineering education goes beyond the boundaries of individual disciplines and involves collaboration between the faculties of engineering and humanities as well as industry partners, and accreditation bodies. The diverse range of expertise required, range from linguistics and pedagogy to engineering and instructional design.

Fostering AI Literacy in Elementary Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Mathematics (STEAM) Education in the Age of Generative AI

The advancement of generative AI technologies underscores the need for AI literacy, particularly in Southeast Asia’s elementary Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Mathematics (STEAM) education. This study explores the development of AI literacy principles for elementary students. Utilizing existing AI literacy models, a three-session classroom intervention was implemented in an Indonesian school, grounded in constructivist, constructionist, and transformative learning theories. Through design-based research (DBR) and network analysis of reflection papers (n = 77), the intervention was evaluated and redesigned. Findings revealed clusters of interdependent elements of learner experiences, categorized into successes, struggles, and alignments with learning theories. These were translated into design moves for future intervention iterations, forming design principles for AI literacy development. The study contributes insights into optimizing the positive effects and minimizing the negative impacts of AI in education.

I think I can, I think I can’t: Design principles for fostering a growth mindset in the early years

ABSTRACT “I think I can, I think I can’ puffed “The Little Engine That Could.” The American folktale taught the value of optimism and hard work reflecting a growth mindset belief about abilities. A growth mindset positively impacts academic achievement, motivation, and children’s agency for learning. Few studies have explored how early childhood teachers can develop children’s growth mindsets. We report on a study that developed design principles to assist early childhood teachers to foster a growth mindset in children in early childhood classrooms at one school in Western Australia using design-based research. Two iterations of the principles were designed and examined with teachers of children aged 3.5 years to 6.5 years of age. During three focus groups conducted at the beginning, middle and end of two iterations, the researcher and teachers collaboratively developed, reflected, and refined the principles. Weekly video diaries recorded the participant’s reflections on the principles. The nine principles were found to improve early childhood teacher knowledge and practice to foster a growth mindset in children. The results from this study contribute theoretical and practical knowledge to support the inclusion of mindset theory in early childhood contexts to foster children’s growth mindset for positive learning outcomes.

Investigation into Anion Effects on the Bulk and Interfacial Solvation Structure for Multivalent Ion Batteries

Zinc ion batteries (ZIB) are attractive because of the relative abundance of Zn as a core earth element, a higher volumetric energy density compared to lithium metal and it is cost effective. Despite this promise, a general lack of fundamental understanding of the electrode-electrolyte interface in ZIB, and multivalent (MV) ion technologies more broadly, hinders their wide scale deployment. In particular, the solvation structure of aqueous and non-aqueous electrolytes plays a critical role in promoting the necessary intermolecular charge transfer interactions to drive reversible plating/stripping at the metal anode. Here we examine the dynamics of the bulk and interfacial solvation structure to uncover differences in the bulk vs. the interfacial speciation as a function of anion chemistry in hopes to develop new design principles for new electrolyte development in ZIB and MV technologies. Utilizing Raman spectroscopy to probe the bulk solvation structures of Zn-based electrolytes containing one anion such as SO4 2-, bis-trifluoromethane sulfonimide (TFSI-) and trifluoromethanesulfonate (triflate, OTf-), we find three solvation environments present; a main feature corresponding to the “free” anion breathing mode and, in some cases, small amounts of mono- or bidentate contact ion pairs (CIPs). In some cases, introduction of co-anions (i.e., halides, X = Cl-, Br-, I-) results in significant extra intensity on the low frequency side of the overall Raman peak envelope that does not correspond with solvation structures observed in the single anion electrolytes. First principles density functional theory (DFT) calculations indicate the additional vibrational mode corresponds to a mixed anion CIP, suggesting anion-anion interactions can induce nominally dissociated anions to coordinate the cation in ways they otherwise would not. Raman and DFT analysis of Mg-based electrolytes indicate similar mixed anion CIP structures are formed, indicating similar solvation effects are active in other MV systems. Preliminary measurements utilizing shell-isolated nanoparticle-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SHINERs) will also be discussed as a means of developing in situ understanding of the evolution of interfacial solvation and surface chemistry during the stripping/plating process. Overall, these results point to new possibilities in controlling the multivalent cation solvation structures present in the bulk and at the interface. This will aid in the development of highly reversible electrolytes that are stable against both divalent metal anodes and high voltage cathodes.

User-Centered Design Principles for Effective Information System Development

This study examines the integration of user-centered design principles in information system development, drawing insights from a survey of 50 participants with diverse roles. Results indicate a substantial awareness (85%) of user-centered design's importance, despite challenges in balancing preferences with constraints and acquiring comprehensive user feedback. Participants reported benefits such as enhanced usability (92%) and reduced post-implementation issues (79%). A positive correlation (88%) between user-centered design and system adoption underscores its role in user acceptance. Recommendations (76%) suggest workshops and resource allocation, emphasizing the ongoing significance of these principles in effective development practices. Overall, the study underscores the value of user-centered design principles in creating successful, user-oriented information systems

How to cross the line: design principles for interdisciplinary education

Background: Interdisciplinary learning is gaining popularity in higher education worldwide. Currently, knowledge about how to appropriately design interdisciplinary education is still lacking. The current study presents the iterative development, pilot, and implementation of an interdisciplinary course in healthcare communication. Methods: We used a design-based educational research approach in four phases to construct the program. In phase 1, we conducted a narrative review of the literature and distilled several prerequisites for interdisciplinary learning. In phase 2, we implemented two pilot courses with a focus on the content and the interdisciplinary context of the course. In research phase 3, we implemented the course during three consecutive years, with yearly evaluations of the course. In phase 4, we distilled design principles based on evaluation and reflection of the previous research phases. Results: We elaborate on the various components of the design itself. Furthermore, using data from surveys, panel discussions and interviews, we reflect on the content and outcomes of the interdisciplinary course. We propose seven evidence-informed ‘crossing the line’ design principles for future interdisciplinary education. Conclusions: The developed design principles pertain to interdisciplinary education in general and transcend subject-specific boundaries. The design principles are applicable in a wide range of higher education disciplines.

Design and evaluation of a sustainable blended study programme in higher education

IntroductionBlended learning, i.e., a mix of online and in-class education, can be deployed for enhancing the educational quality and resilience in higher education (HE). It may also contribute to HE’s sustainability objectives by lowering the carbon emissions of students commuting to campus. In this study, pedagogical design principles for sustainable blended learning and teaching are developed and evaluated taking into account these opportunities.MethodsA prototype for a sustainable blended study program at a University of Applied Sciences was developed and evaluated using a form of Educational Design Research.ResultsThe design stage, carried out by a team of eight lecturers, resulted in a design based on six pedagogical design principles. This design also included an effort to reduce student travel by limiting on-campus education to two days a week. The results show the effects of students’ increased online learning skills and diminished travel movements on their satisfaction with the blended learning design, and their travel behaviour, which can lead towards an attitude change regarding commute and online learning. The lecturers’ observations and experiences, depending on their personal preferences, contradicted (self-regulation skills) as well as confirmed (online learning experiences) the students’ evaluations.DiscussionThe developed design principles are important to support a new balance between virtual and physical spaces, learning activities, moments in time and sustainability.