This paper discusses the potential of language centres in higher education as laboratories for innovation. Despite their hybrid character as central service providers that are also defined by their teaching, their positioning at the academic periphery, and the lack of a mandate to do academic research, language centres still have an obligation to conduct research as a means of promoting innovation. The design-based research (DBR) approach in learning and teaching, in which teaching stakeholders examine learning processes in real situation, offers a suitable opportunity for language centres to overcome the restrictions placed upon them. DBR can be done using existing resources and the innovation potential of a language centre’s teaching staff. The leadership and management of the language centre must be made responsible for providing and/or enabling the necessary structural, material, and cultural conditions for such research. This paper discusses the DBR approach at language centres in higher education and its impact on leadership. It then gives two examples of the successful implementation of DBR at the Language Center of UZH and ETH Zurich.

中文翻译：

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语言中心作为创新实验室

本文讨论了高等教育语言中心作为创新实验室的潜力。尽管语言中心具有混合中心服务提供者的特征，但它们的教学方式，在学术界的定位以及缺乏进行学术研究的任务，这些语言中心仍然有义务进行研究作为促进创新的手段。在学习和教学中采用基于设计的研究（DBR）方法，在此过程中，教学利益相关者检查实际情况下的学习过程，这为语言中心克服克服的限制提供了一个合适的机会。可以使用现有资源和语言中心的教学人员的创新潜力来完成DBR。语言中心的领导和管理必须负责为此类研究提供和/或提供必要的结构，材料和文化条件。本文讨论了高等教育语言中心的DBR方法及其对领导力的影响。然后给出两个在UZH和ETH Zurich语言中心成功实施DBR的示例。