Educational Design Research (EDR) employs a diverse range of methods to study learning, teaching, design, and technology--and new ones are shared in this special issue. We contend that a focus on methods inherently requires examination of the questions they are used to answer and the ways in which the resulting findings advance scientific…

Understanding experiences in online educational settings is crucial to improving teaching and learning. The purpose of this paper is to describe "Narrative Inquiry" as a research methodology that has the potential create the relational opportunities necessary to understand experiences in online learning environments. In this article, I…

Facebook is widely used and researched. However, though the data generated by educational technology tools and social media platforms other than Facebook have been used for research purposes, very little research has used Facebook posts as a data source--with most studies relying on self-report studies. While it has historically been impractical…

In the field of educational technology and instructional design, research methods are emerging that aim to curate different forms of knowledge and insights beyond traditional research studies, or what Reigeluth and An (in Reigeluth and Carr-Chellman (eds) Instructional-design theories and models: Building a common knowledge base, Lawrence Erlbaum…

Scholars from diverse fields and research traditions agree that the conceptual framework is a critically important component of disciplined inquiry. Yet, there is a pronounced lack of shared understanding regarding the definition and functions of conceptual frameworks, which impedes our ability to design effective research and mentor novice…

Formative development method (FODEM) is a multithreaded design approach that was originated to support the design and development of various types of educational technology innovations, such as learning tools, and online study programmes. The threaded and agile structure of the approach provides flexibility to the design process. Intensive…

This paper identifies the need for developing new ways to study curiosity in the context of today's pervasive technologies and unprecedented information access. Curiosity is defined in this paper in a way which incorporates the concomitant constructs of interest and engagement. A theoretical model for curiosity, interest and engagement in new…

Addresses the importance of research and development in the field of educational technology, based on reflections of previous articles and a symposium. Highlights include the centrality of design; the enabling capabilities of technology; collaboration; scaling up of projects; the use of alternative research methodologies; and instructional systems…

Emphasizes the need to focus educational technology (ET) research on design as well as on technology. Suggests that what should distinguish the field of educational technology is designing with technology, and conducting research that examines the relationship between design and technology. Discusses technology as enabling new designs, not driving…

Explores dimensions of relevance with respect to research in instructional technology and suggests ways the research community can accommodate the needs and interests of practicing professionals. Topics include values; perceived credibility; perceptions of utility; expanding research topics and methodology; and the role of practitioners as…

Over the past 15 years, educational technologists have been dabbling with a research technique known as quantitative content analysis (QCA). Although it is characterized as a systematic and objective procedure for describing communication, readers find insufficient evidence of either quality in published reports. In this paper, it is argued that…

Discussion of the appropriate direction of research in the field of instructional technology, and the relationship between research and practice, highlights two categories of developmental research. The promise of developmental research as a vehicle for creating sound methods for linking research and practice is discussed. (Author/LRW)

In this descriptive investigation, we seek to confirm and extend a technique for automatically scoring concept maps. Sixty unscored concept maps from a published dissertation were scored using a computer-based technique adapted from Schvaneveldt (1990) and colleague's Pathfinder network approach. The scores were based on link lines drawn between…