ABSTRACT
In chapter 1, Reigeluth described design theory as being different from descriptive theory in that it offers means to achieve goals. For an applied field like education, design theory is more useful and more easily applied than its descriptive counterpart, learning theory. But none of the 21 theories described in this book has yet been developed to a state of perfection; at the very least, they can all benefit from more detailed guidance for applying their methods to diverse situations. And more theories are sorely needed to provide guidance for additional kinds of learning and human development and for different kinds of situations, including the use of new information technologies as tools. This leads us to the important question, "What research methods are most helpful for creating and improving instructional-design theories?" In this chapter, we offer a detailed description of one research methodology that holds promise for generating the kind of knowledge that we believe is most useful to educators-a methodology that several theorists in this book have intuitively used to develop their theories.
