Design-Based Research

Design-based research (DBR) is a form of inquiry characterized by iterative cycles of development, testing, and refinement of an intervention that is developed in collaboration with stakeholders and then deployed and evaluated in the rich, real-world contexts. DBR is simultaneously committed to providing theoretical contributions and practical solutions to educational problems. In education, DBR has been used to study curriculum, [Page 490]instructional strategies, professional development, and technology-enhanced learning environments. Ann L. Brown and Allan Collins first introduced the idea of DBR in 1992 in response to the critique that laboratory studies lacked ecological validity or the ability to approximate real classroom situations. Although DBR has been appropriated in numerous ways and has evolved over time, there are several core features that define the approach, namely ...