CAISE Online Forum on Design Based Research (DBR), Design Based Implementation Research
(DBIR), and Informal STEM Learning
May 16- 20, 2016
Description:
This forum will explore design-based research (DBR) and design-based implementation research (DBIR)
as paradigms, approaches and methodologies in informal STEM education (ISE) projects. Developed in
the learning sciences, DBR and DBIR are often applied to the problems of formal education, but have
been emerging in our field. In this discussion we will consider how these approaches have been defined
and developed and the distinctions between them. We will explore how they are being used in the field
of informal STEM learning, discuss how they contribute to theory and practice, and share experiences of
and strategies for developing DBR and DBIR projects and partnerships. Join the forum here beginning at
9:00 AM EST on Monday, May 16: http://www.informalscience.org/forums/dbr-dbir-and-informalstem-learning
Forum topics by day:
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Monday, May 16, 2016: Introductions Share briefly what knowledge/experience with either DBR
or DBIR they bring to the discussion
Tuesday, May 17, 2016: What is Design Based Research? - How is knowledge built and shared
with the field? Examples
Wednesday, May 18, 2016: What is Design Based Implementation Research? - How is built and
shared with the field? Examples
Thursday, May 19, 2016: Problems of practice, research questions, and partners: How to
envision and launch a DBR/DBIR project/partnership.
Friday, May 20, 2016: Reflections and wrap up
Overviews/syntheses:
http://www.learning-theories.com/design-based-research-methods.html
http://circlcenter.org/dbir/
Recommended articles:
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Barab, S. A. (2014). Design-based research: a methodological toolkit for engineering change. In
K. Sawyer (ed.) Handbook of the Learning Sciences, Vol 2, (pp. 233-270), Cambridge, MA:
Cambridge University Press. http://www.informalscience.org/design-based-researchmethodological-toolkit-engineering-change
Penuel, W.R., Fishman, B.J., Cheng, B.H., & Sabelli, N. (2011). Organizing Research and
Development at the Intersection of Learning, Implementation, and Design. Educational
Researcher 40(7): 331-337. http://www.informalscience.org/organizing-research-anddevelopment-intersection-learning-implementation-and-design
818 Connecticut Avenue NW, 7th Floor | Washington, D.C. 20006 | 202.783.7200
www.InformalScience.org
Diving deeper:
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Allen, L. B., & Crowley, K. J. (2014). Challenging beliefs, practices, and content: How museum
educators change. Science Education, 98(1), 84–105.
http://www.informalscience.org/challenging-beliefs-practices-and-content-how-museumeducators-change
Barab, S. A., & Squire, K. (2004). Design-Based Research: Putting a Stake in the Ground. Journal
of the Learning Sciences, 13(1), 1 - 14. http://www.informalscience.org/design-based-researchputting-stake-ground
Bevan, B., Ryoo, J.J., Forrest, J., and Penuel, W.R. (2015). Enriching and Expanding
the Possibilities: Research-Practice Partnerships in Informal Science Education. San Francisco:
Research + Practice Collaboratory. http://www.informalscience.org/enriching-and-expandingpossibilities-research-practice-partnerships-informal-science-0
Brown, A.L. (1992) Design Experiments: Theoretical and Methodological Challenges in Creating
Complex Interventions in Classroom Settings. The Journal of the Learning Sciences (2)2:141-178.
http://www.informalscience.org/design-experiments-theoretical-and-methodologicalchallenges-creating-complex-interventions
Design-Based Research Collective. (2003). Design-based research: An emerging paradigm for
educational inquiry. Educational Researcher, 32(1), 5-8. http://www.informalscience.org/designbased-research-emerging-paradigm-educational-inquiry
Russell, Jennifer Lin; Jackson, Kara; Krumm, Andrew E.; Frank, Kenneth A. (2013): Theories and
Research Methodologies for Design-Based Implementation Research: Examples From Four
Cases. Yearbook of the National Society for the Study of Education, v112 n2 p157-191 2013
http://researchandpractice.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/NSSE_02_Russell_txt.pdf
Sandoval, W. (2014). Conjecture mapping: An approach to systematic educational design
research. Journal of the Learning Sciences, 23, 18–
36. http://www.informalscience.org/conjecture-mapping-approach-systematic-educationaldesign-research
Potential outcomes of the forum:
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Define terms and establish how DBR and DBIR are being used in the learning sciences and
formal education. Share some canonical references and schools of thought.
Map DBR/DBIR and DBR/DBIR-related work in informal STEM education
Discuss where DBR and DBIR are best used, and where they have limitations.
Surface how each produce knowledge, what kind of knowledge, how is it shared and with
whom.
Explore how each serves different kinds of innovation and how each might work in the context
of different kinds of projects
818 Connecticut Avenue NW, 7th Floor | Washington, D.C. 20006 | 202.783.7200
www.InformalScience.org
The overarching goal of the forum is to raise awareness of DBR/DBIR and inspire thinking about
potential projects and partnerships. Participants will be asked to think about questions such as “How
this discussion helped you frame research questions within the context of DBR/DBIR?”
Please join CAISE co-PIs Kevin Crowley, Kirsten Ellenbogen and Jamie Bell, along with Jennifer Lin
Russell, assistant professor of Learning Sciences at the University of Pittsburgh, and Bronwyn Bevan,
senior research scientist at the University of Washington on Monday, May 16, 2016 for a week of
lively dialogue on this topic.
http://www.informalscience.org/forums/dbr-dbir-and-informal-stem-learning
818 Connecticut Avenue NW, 7th Floor | Washington, D.C. 20006 | 202.783.7200
www.InformalScience.org