Design-Based Research

Design-based research (DBR) is a research genre combining the development of research findings and practical interventions for education. In addition to theory and empirical research, the design of interventions is a part of DBR. DBR processes and results are contextualized and directly effective in practice, but can also be transferred to similar educational contexts. At HUL, DBR is an integral part of both our research and teaching – for example, specified for higher education as Forschendes Entwerfen (research through design).

 

Projects

ongoing

• DBR network
• Strengthen professional capacity to act 
• Forschendes Entwerfen (in German)

completed

• DBR network with funding by the German Research Foundation (2021-2024)
• SCoRe (2018-2022) (in German)

Transfer perspective

Knowledge transfer is fundamentally promoted in DBR: In an iterative process, an educational intervention is (further) developed, empirically examined in the field and reflected upon. Regular theoretical reflection is woven into the design process, which results in a transfer potential inherent in the research. In DBR, researchers and practitioners also work closely together, resulting in transfer-promoting research-practice partnerships: The jointly developed interventions are implemented directly by practitioners. Findings from DBR studies can be transferred from the original application context to other contexts via practically usable forms of results such as design principles, which can be tested and adapted in new contexts.

There is also a transfer of knowledge about DBR at HUL: DBR is taught for use in student research projects in the project module of the Master's degree program Higher Education. The book “Forschendes Entwerfen. Design-Based Research in der Hochschuldidaktik” (so far only available in German) and workshops on the subject are aimed at higher education researchers and scholars of teaching and learning.