ABSTRACT
The call for educational researchers to make strategic choices and work collaboratively to develop, share, and build on insights is being made across approaches and with specific regard to design research. Educational design research was characterized as being theoretically oriented, interventionist, collaborative, responsively grounded, and iterative. The theoretical contributions of educational design research were discussed in terms of empirical findings, hypotheses, conjectures, and theoretical principles. The design research approach affords outstanding opportunities to further develop theoretical understanding in several key areas that are under-researched, including: intervention theory, implementation theory, and educational design theory. Burkhardt writes about what is needed to build the design research community and bring about greater acceptance of the approach and use of its products, in terms of interventions and theoretical understanding. Educational design researchers can clearly contribute to the development of new knowledge, particularly by mediating a dialogue between knowledge production and knowledge use.
