Is Design-based Research desirable and feasible methodology for educational media and technology ?

Abstract

Design-based research (DBR) has been accepted as preferable research methodology from its birth in early 2000’s. DBR has such advantages as avoiding novelty effect, ensuring practical effectiveness to be created in a long-term educational practices, and contributing to the advancement of theory base (as design principles), when compared to short-term experimental designs that produce only statistical significance. On the other hand, DBR creates challenges to be adopted as the research methodology, especially toward an advanced degree, due to its long duration, a need for a research team with committed practitioners, among others. This paper explored, by reviewing trends of current literature, the way in which DBR can be adopted in more cases as preferred methodology in educational media and technology studies. As the result, a set of guidelines for directing graduate studies are proposed.