Given the design research process based on the Integrative Design Learning Framework described above, what did we learn? The characteristics of an intervention or as van den Akker, et. al. (2006) describe the “design principles” are an important yield of design research. In the LAO project, these design principles included providing metacognitive reading strategy support while a parent, teacher or tutor is engaged in the collaborative reading process with the child delivered through a comprehensive Web-based performance support system.
Design research is often employed to begin to generate theory (Design-based Research Collective, 2003). With LAO, there were no literature sources, theoretical principles or research studies directly applicable to a Web-supported collaborative reading process so the team integrated insights from tutoring, reading strategies and real-time performance support. Zaritsky et. al. (2003) speak to going “…beyond simple development of an intervention and beyond standard cognitive analyses allowing theory and modeling that accounts for the content, the cognition and the enactment by real people in real and rich contexts with real limits on resources (p. 11). The LAO design research team went beyond traditional development with intensive cycles of interviews, surveys, observational studies as well as deep investigation of the one-on-one tutoring and reading strategies literature to build a new theoretical model of real-time metacognitive reading strategy and assistive technology support for both the literacy facilitator and the child with disabilities. Much of these insights were an integration of data analyses, direct experience with target audience members and a grounded literature in reading processes, tutoring and collaborative performance support.
The design research process was conducted systematically to:
1) uncover the initial conjectures about how learning might occur in this type of setting;
2) stated learning targets, task analyses (in this case based on Activity Theory);
3) the designed intervention which embodies the core design principles (metacognitive
4) local impact or evaluation questions that drove the more intensive research cycles (see Figure 2).
This progression demonstrates an alignment or congruency from initial conjectures through local impact or evaluation questions that evolved during the design research study.
The specific theoretical insights that were tested and revealed based on this process are included in Figure 2. The multiple phases of the IDLF process uncovered many informal and formal theoretical insights based on macro and micro data collection and analysis cycles conducted within the process of design that can be typically overlooked in the traditional instructional design process. For example, extending beyond a traditional learner analyses, we conducted multiple cycles of surveys, interviews, and observations of target audience member interaction that revealed theoretical insights that go beyond just the design of the intervention. Our studies revealed that parents have little formal knowledge and use of good reading strategies when engaged with their child in the reading process. This insight parlayed into the design principles of LAO but also stand apart from it as a finding that may contribute to the literature in the reading field. By formalizing and extending the methods of traditional instructional design to promote rich cycles of data collection that then can inform our knowledge of particular audiences, learning contexts and processes – separate but connected to the design of a particular intervention, we can begin to progress toward generating knowledge and useful theoretical insights that are typically overlooked in design. This becomes an information-loss process of learning about learners, contexts, and processes within the act of design that design research can recapture, which refers to the notion that in the context of both isolated design and research efforts, we do not take advantage of formalizing much of our learning in an exploratory, confirmatory or empirical manner (Bannan-Ritland & Baek, 2008).
ConjecturesLearning Targets Task Analysis of Learning Task,(based on Activity Theory) Designed Intervention Local Evaluation Questions Provinding a consistent environment and reading support strategies for literacy facilitators and children would collaboratively engage the dyad in higher level literacy processes 1) Literacy facilitators will acknowledge the importance of and demonstrate their ability to implement reading strategies when provided technology-based support in a collaborative reading session with a child
2) Children with of withoutdisabilities will demonstrate their abilities to access information,activities and assisitive technology support related to reading as well as interact with literacy facilitators in a collaborative reading session
3) The facilitator-child dyad will be able to explore and select appropriate assistive technology intergrated with Internet-based supports that can facilitate performance in reading and writing
4) Children, regardless of disability will be able to capitalize on technology-based supports and a collaborative process to improve their literacy skills Subject: facilitator-child dyad
Object: LAO system
Tools: literacy strategies, assisitive technologies
Division of Labor
Community: dyads in school,home and tutoring contexts Theoretical Model Embedded in Electronic Performance Support System (EPSS) How do facilitators and learners perceive and interact with Web-based support in the collaborative literacy process?
What are the specific characteristics of parent/child dyads working toward literacy skill development?
What impact does various forms of technology support have on the attitudes of facilitators and children when engaged in the collaborative literacy process?
How should the interaction between literacy facilitators and children when engaged in the collaborative literacy process be depicted?
Limitations will certainly also exist for the ILDF framework, as the knowledge generated is only as good as the rigor of the research methods employed. Integrating basic qualitative and quantitative research cycles to inform design at particular points and generate both design principles but also knowledge about learners, learning and learning contexts is the ultimate goal. Limitations may exist in time, quality of information uncovered in data cycles that may impact design, small N to provide mostly qualitative insights initially and the failure inherent in the generation of theory in the discovery research process. However, it is through application in different design research contexts that more formalized processes will begin to be unveiled. The IDLF and LAO example are one case of a few currently for design researchers to uncover the logic and warrants of this new form of research (Kelly, 2006). There are many challenges that remain but capitalizing on the design process to generate research-based data-driven insights is a worthy goal, indeed.