Susan McKenney

Bio: Susan McKenney is an academic researcher. The author has contributed to research in topics: Design-based research & Research design. The author has an hindex of 1, co-authored 1 publications receiving 640 citations.

What is educational design research

Abstract: McKenney, S. (2012, 4-5 September). What is educational design research? Invited lecture for the Crossfield Graduate School at the University of St. Gallen, St. Gallen, Switzerland.

Conjecture Mapping: An Approach to Systematic Educational Design Research

Abstract: Design research is strongly associated with the learning sciences community, and in the 2 decades since its conception it has become broadly accepted. Yet within and without the learning sciences there remains confusion about how to do design research, with most scholarship on the approach describing what it is rather than how to do it. This article describes a technique for mapping conjectures through a learning environment design, distinguishing conjectures about how the design should function from theoretical conjectures that explain how that function produces intended outcomes.

Authentic Learning Environments

Abstract: Authentic learning is a pedagogical approach that situates learning tasks in the context of future use. Over the last two decades, authentic learning designs have captured the imaginations of innovative educators who see the approach as a means to enable students to develop robust knowledge that transfers to real-world practice. Authentic learning has its foundations in the theory of situated cognition, together with other pedagogical approaches developed over the last two decades, such as anchored instruction. It offers an alternative instructional model based upon sound principles for the design and implementation of complex and realistic learning tasks. The technologies associated with technology-based learning provide ideal conditions for the implementation of the approach, both in blended and fully online courses. New Web-based technologies and mobile devices provide affordances—as both cognitive tools and delivery platforms—for dissemination of polished and professional authentic learning experiences. As educational institutions increasingly embrace the internet and Web-supported learning, the potential exists for authentic learning environments to be used widely to improve student learning. This chapter reviews the seminal and recent literature in the field, and provides a model of authentic learning for the design of learning environments across educational sectors.

Under which conditions does ICT have a positive effect on teaching and learning? A Call to Action

Abstract: 'Under which conditions does ICT have a positive effect on teaching and learning?' This was the leading question of the International EDUsummIT in The Hague, the Netherlands. The bases for the discussion were the scholarly findings of the International Handbook of Information Technology in Primary and Secondary Education, a synthesis of research in the field of information and communication technology ICT in education. Seventy international policymakers, researchers, and practitioners developed a Call to Action, which summarizes the main action points where policy, research, and leadership need to join forces in order to successfully implement ICT in educational practice. These main action points include a view on the role of ICT in 21st century learning; conditions for realizing the potential of multiple technologies to address individual needs of students; better understanding of the relationship between formal and informal learning; the implications of technology for student assessment; the need for models for leadership and teacher learning to successfully implement technology; the potential of ICT for digital equity; and the development of a list of essential conditions to ensure benefit from ICT investments. In this contribution, we present the Call to Action and synthesize the research on which the Call is based.

Instructional Design Models

Abstract: This chapter presents information about the role of models used for instructional design. While heuristics provide broad references for approaching instructional design, specific applications of procedures necessary to actually develop teaching and learning materials require more defined models. The purpose here is to promote a better understanding about the appropriate utilization of instructional design models. Instruction is posited here as including both teaching and learning, and that teaching and learning are inextricably connected with regard to the construction of knowledge and skills. Since the first appearance of instructional design models in the 1960s there has been an ever-increasing number of models published in both the instructional technology and other education literature based on the assumptions that instruction includes both teaching and learning. While there are hundreds of instructional design models, there have been only a few major distinctions among them, until recently. Still, instructional design models provide conceptual tools to visualize, direct, and manage processes for creating high-quality teaching and learning materials. The proper selection of instructional design models assists us in appropriately matching the right process with the right situation. Thus, instructional design models serve as a valuable source for matching the right creative process to the right design situation as well as an effective framework for conducting instructional design research.

Systematic Review of Design-Based Research Progress: Is a Little Knowledge a Dangerous Thing?

Abstract: Sufficient attention and resources have been allocated to design-based research (DBR) to warrant review concerning if and how its potential has been realized. Because the DBR literature clearly indicates that this type of research strives toward both the development of an intervention to address a problem in practice and empirical investigation yielding theoretical understanding that can inform the work of others, thoughtful assessment of DBR progress must devote substantial attention to each of these aspects. This requires an in-depth analysis of full-text reports of DBR, framed by a refined conceptualization of the intended outputs of DBR, and ideally, complemented by empirical investigation involving design-based research participants directly.