AERA 98 Design Experiments Symposium

Using Science and Design Experiments to Understand Innovative Uses of Technology in Classrooms

Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the
American Education Researcher Association (AERA)
San Diego, April 13-18, 1998
Division C, Section 7: Symposium 33.01

Symposium Papers

Science Theater/Teatro de Ciencias: Children Creating Computer Models in Elementary School Science
Heidi Carlone, Carlos Garcia, and Clayton Lewis, University of Colorado, Boulder

The KIE Software and Curriculum: Relating Debate Activities and Conceptual Change through Design Experiments
Philip Bell, University of California, Berkeley [pdf, 651K]

BGuILE: Iterative Design of a Technology-Supported Biological Inquiry Curriculum
William A. Sandoval, Iris Tabak, Brian K. Smith, Franci Steinmuller, and Brian J. Reiser [pdf, 99K]

The Multimedia Forum Kiosk: Using Design Experiments to Understand Electronic Scientific Discussions
Sherry Hsi, University of California, Berkeley [pdf, 147K]

Chair: Sherry Hsi, UC Berkeley
Discussant: Andrea diSessa, UC, Berkeley

Overview & Motivation

Understanding how technology can best support student learning in diverse classroom settings remains a crucial line of educational research. For decades, computer technology has been developing at a rapid pace and this pattern of development is unlikely to change in the future. Also, research on institutional aspects of educational reform, cognitive aspects of student learning, and the design of technology-enhanced instruction have historically occurred as separate endeavors. At best, the level of exchange among these research communities is trading monographs, methodologies, or isolated pieces of technology. A principal difficulty with bridging these communities lies in the different criteria for what constitutes educational success using learning technologies. The questions and methods one community considers valid may be considered tangential, inappropriate, or inconsequential by another community. What is an alternative model for conducting education research that addresses the complex nature of learning in classrooms, extends fundamental research in cognition, fosters a broad systemic understanding to transform a variety of environments, as well as provides valid examples of successful educational reforms?

In the last decade, a new paradigm of educational research and innovation, marked by partnership and creative methodologies, has emerged. This synthetic program combines some of the traditional characteristics of pure research with some from innovation and reform. Three key components of this research agenda are a focus on design experiments, science, and partnerships. (See the proceedings from the Conference on Establishing a Research Base for Science Education [Linn, 1987].) The idea of "design experiments", coined by Allan Collins (1992), describes a "design sciences" or educational research experiment carried out in a complex learning context which explores how a technological innovation affects student learning and educational practice (see also Brown, 1992; diSessa, 1991). The "science" component emphasizes the goal of approaching design experiments using scientific processes and fundamental approaches to performing research. The goal of design experiments is to engineer innovative learning environments and simultaneously understand salient aspects of human cognition and learning involved with those innovations. We emphasize design experiments as a crucial research approach within the broader context of design partnerships involving teachers, educational researchers, technologists, and scientists.

Design experiments:

address learning programs involving important subject matter,
are usually mediated by innovative technology,
are embedded in everyday social contexts which are often classrooms,
can serve as models for broader reform, and
contribute simultaneously to fundamental scientific understanding of learning and education.

In this session, we will explore important issues of design experiments involving methodological techniques for understanding innovations in these settings, communication processes for fostering synthesis across experiments and communication across research projects, as well as aspects of the design and research process itself. The session will attempt to synthesize the perspectives of four educational technology projects and illustrate the principles and characteristics of design experiments, such as equity, approaches to fundamental research of this variety, and innovation in technology and learning assessment.

Session Format

The session is planned as a Symposium (1.5 hours total) involving:

(5 minutes) The chair will introduce the concept of design experiments and research agenda.

(60 minutes) Each of the presenters will give a 15 minute presentation on their work. Each presenter will focus on how their research contributes to design experiments approach.

(15 min) The discussant will critique the ideas presented, identify common themes and methodologies for design, provide a summary of an emerging research agenda, and identify next steps.

(10 min) The chair will facilitate discussion and questions from audience.

Symposium Papers

Overview & Motivation

Session Format

Other Links to Design Experiments