Exploring the
Design Science Research Process
as an approach to addressing
Digital Fluency for Academic staff at
Open University of Tanzania
Brenda Mallinson
24-25 June 2014

Design Science Research explored -
• Research Paradigm in which a designer answers
questions relevant to human problems via the
creation of innovative artifacts, thereby contributing
new knowledge to the body of scientific literature.
The designed artifact/s are both useful and
fundamental in understanding that problem.
• Principle: Knowledge and understanding of a design
problem and its solution are acquired in the building
and application of an artifact.
Hevner & Chatterjee (2010)

Artefact
ProblemPerson perceives
People,
Practices &
Problems
Johannesson
& Perjons (2012)

Problem
Identification
• Motivation
Objectives of a
Solution
• Respond to
Requirements
Design &
Development
• Artifact
Demonstration • Proof of
Concept
Evaluation • Collect
Feedback
Communication• Publish
output
DSRP Model
Peffers et al (2006)

Problem Identification
• OER Africa support for Open Uni Tanzania (OUT)
– Aug 2013: took stock of progress & identified current needs
• Areas requiring support identified:
1. Review and update of a variety of OUT institutional
policies
2. Further enhancement of the OUT Digital Library
Portal
3. Address challenges in moving from print based to
digital culture with the ODL context

Solution Objectives
Guidance / Capacity Development for Academic Staff
• Advancing General Digital Competencies
• Developing Specific Digital Competencies in a range of areas to be
identified
In order to facilitate:
• Guidance to students to access and use supplementary materials
• Enhancement of blended and online teaching and learning
• Promotion of student engagement and interaction in the Distance
Education context
• Efficiencies in working with the new OUT administrative paperless
environment
• Working with Open Educational Resources to change pedagogical
practices

Design and Development
Artefact to be produced:
• ‘Digital Fluency’ course for Academics
• Five modules identified:
– Digital Literacy Fundamentals
– Academic Integrity
– Storage and Access of Digital Resources
– Working with OERs
– Learning Design and Development for Online Delivery
How?
• Model shared educational beliefs in conceptualising, designing,
developing, piloting and implementing the course
• Used Learning Design 7C’s OERs (UL & OU UK) to workshop the
modules’ design

DemonstrationWider
propagation
Regional
Dissemination
Internal to
OUT
Academics
Internal to
IEMT

Evaluation
• For each module:
– Set up Evaluation Metrics for pilots
– Gather & Analyse Feedback from Facilitators & Students
– Revise
Communication
• Publish as an OER
– Release whole course & modules using CC license
– Disseminate via appropriate portals & fora
• Share reflexive research via scholarly open access
publication

References
• Hevner, A. and Chatterjee, S. (2010). Design research in Information Systems,
Integrated Series in Information Systems 22
• Johannesson, P. and Perjons, E. (2012). A Design Science Primer, CreateSpace
• Mallinson, B. (2013a). ‘OUT Next Steps Elaborated - September 2013’. OER Africa /
Saide.
• Mallinson, B. (2013b). ‘OUT Trip Report - October 2013’. OER Africa / Saide.
• Mallinson, B. (2014). ‘Project plan for the OUT OER Digital Fluency course – April
2014’. OER Africa / Saide.
• Peffers, K., Tuunanen, T., Gengler, C., Rossi, M., Hui, W., Virtanen, V. and Bragge, J.,
(2006). ‘The Design Science Research Process: A Model for Producing and
Presenting Information Systems Research’. In: Proceedings of the first international
conference on design science research in information systems and technology.
(DESRIST). Claremont, CA.: CGU, pp.83-106.
• University of Leicester (2012). ‘The 7Cs of Learning Design Toolkit’. Institute of
Learning Innovation. [online] [Accessed 17 Apr. 2014]. Available at:
http://www2.le.ac.uk/projects/oer/oers/beyond-distance-research-alliance/7Cs-
toolkit

Thank You!
Brenda Mallinson
brendam@saide.org.za
Slideshare - http://www.slideshare.net/brenda6
This work is licensed under a
Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 Unported License.