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If design research involving technology-based tools is going to impact educational settings, the design process must be extended beyond the tool itself to encompass a broader range of factors such as the classroom social structures (e.g., beliefs about learning and knowledge, learning activities and participant structures, configurations of both physical space and cyberspace). Although prior research has underscored the importance of classroom social structures in technology integration, it has failed to specify the critical design variables that must be taken into account. Only by understanding the critical variables involved is it possible to develop a deep understanding of how and why things work. The Social Infrastructure Framework systematically frames the critical design elements in terms of 4 dimensions: (a) cultural beliefs, (b) practices, (c) socio-techno-spatial relations, and (d) interaction with the "outside world." This article details the design issues associated with each dimension based on examples drawn from a range of educational technologies. This article also describes how the framework can serve to advance the methodology of design research by serving as a tool for both design and analysis.Since the 1990s, starting with papers by Brown (1992) and Collins (1992), there has been a growing movement to develop a new methodology for carrying out studies of educational interventions under the labels design research, design experiments, and design studies. Various researchers have contributed to the effort to specify for the educational research community what such a research methodand issues of importance, they have all agreed upon one thing: Design research is still clearly in its early stages. This article aims to contribute to the development of a more rigorous set of methods and tools that can serve to guide design research.Design research aims to develop a deep understanding of what makes for successful educational practices. It takes analysis and theorizing to determine what the critical elements are and which combinations of those elements make an effective learning environment. It is possible to refine practice without any understanding of how and why things work. However, to make major progress in the field, it is necessary to develop a theoretical understanding of why some practices are effective and why some are not. If design research is going to have a large impact in educational settings, it will have to build much more robust theories of why certain practices are effective and how learning occurs in context.For this reason, when carrying out design research involving technology-based tools, it is critical to extend the design process beyond the tool itself to encompass a broader range of factors such as the classroom social structures (e.g., learning activities and participant structures, configurations of both physical space and cyberspace). Although prior research has underscored the importance of classroom social structures in technology integration, it has failed to specify the c...

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