Edu 800 Annotation Week 4

Shavelson, R. J., Phillips, D. C., Towne, L., & Feuer, M. J. (2003). On the science of education design studies. Educational researcher, 32(1), 25-28.

The authors of this article discuss the issues surrounding design studies that do not adhere to the rules of scientific research, and the issues that follow as a result. After attending and participating in a National Research Council Committee whose purpose was to explain the “nature of scientific research in education” and create a set of guidelines for ensuring a high standard of scientific research, the authors then considered the issues with design studies that could be alleviated through the use of a more scientific approach to research and design.

As the article progressed, the authors seemed to conclude that there were some inherent flaws in design studies, stating the fact that they hinge upon narratives, iterative designs, artifacts, and prior research to manufacture “creative” educational environments and settings in an attempt to produce practical tools for teaching and learning that can be used daily in classrooms. However, the authors argue that since design research is actual “research,” these principles created by the Committee should apply to design research as well.  Their goal was to carefully examine how this framework could be utilized and determine ways to improve the research process in terms of design. The main strength of the article revolves around the authors’ earnest critique of design studies. They seem to approach the topic with the idea that design studies could be significantly improved by adding the tenets of scientific study to them to enhance the empirical nature of design studies.

In reading this article, I concluded that the authors’ main concerns were that design studies could be improved and made stronger by utilizing a more scientific approach to connect and enhance the narratives that come out of them. As an educational researcher, I am always looking at and essentially critiquing various studies to help me determine my course of study as well. I believe that re-evaluating how we look at our educational design is vital to the progress of creating useful tools for educators to use in classrooms daily. Further, I think that the study of these scientific principles will ultimately lead me to a solid foundation as an education researcher.