Output-Classes for Faculty-Based Design-Oriented Research on Digital Learning Resources in Higher Education

Abstract Digital learning resources are essentially knowledge-intensive information systems. In higher education, advance of interactive digital learning resources will primarily require design-oriented efforts by faculty. Growth of knowledge on digital learning resources and learning objects in higher education implies design, realization, use, implementation and evaluation of digital learning resources as well as sharing knowledge in scientific publications. Over the last fifteen years a range of projects involving such design-oriented activities in natural, engineering, management, decision and information sciences has been carried out. There is a growing body of literature on various design-related research approaches in educational research and in information systems research. However, for faculty-based design-oriented research the question what knowledge should be shared in scientific publications is not yet clearly answered. This article relates this question to the transdisciplinary nature of faculty-based design-oriented research. The article proposes an answer to this question in terms of a set of result types or output-classes. For each output-class it is explained why a contribution in that class can provide a valuable addition to the body of knowledge on digital learning resources in higher education