Basic Research Meets Engineering Studies: A Design-Based Research Approach

This paper describes an engineering student project that was designed and conducted using the DesignBased Research (DBR) approach. The students investigated the effectiveness of budget ventilation systems in classrooms in terms of air quality and analyzed measurement data and survey data in order to compare technical solutions with user perspectives. This comparison was theory-based along the sustainability-relevant basic research topics of “Indoor Environmental Quality” and “Thermal Comfort”. The didactic design emphasized the importance of practical knowledge transfer, interdisciplinary collaboration, and reflective discussion. The iterative approach of the DBR enabled continuous improvement of the didactic design over the course of two summer semesters. The evaluation of the project results shows that the combination of basic research content and its practical application accelerated the students' acquisition of competence.