Association for Behavior Analysis International

Discrete trial training is one evidence-based instructional procedure within Applied Behavior Analysis. Two important considerations when using this procedure is trial presentation type and treatment integrity. Research has demonstrated both these considerations affect skill acquisition for children with developmental disabilities but has not rigorously examined their independent and interactive impact on learning in larger samples. The present study is a translational approach to better understand learning during discrete trial training. Using an arbitrary computerized learning task, we compared trial presentation type (massed trial versus task interspersal) on skill acquisition during high- and low-treatment integrity conditions (100% integrity versus 75% integrity) in 166 college students. A two-way repeated measures ANOVA demonstrated task interspersal resulted in better acquisition and maintenance than massed trial and low treatment integrity significantly impairs learning. No interaction between trial presentation type and treatment integrity emerged. Additionally, specific patterns of learning emerged during low treatment integrity conditions that suggested some participants developed faulty stimulus control. Discussion of learning processes and implications for instruction is included in light of present findings.

Chase and Houmafar (2009) explored in a large-enrollment class setting the effect of basic feedback (specification of correct/incorrect answer) and elaborate feedback (basic feedback + information on the topic addressed in the question) on the students’ performance when taking quizzes. This research was conducted in laboratory settings. An eye tracker was also used to verify correlations between performance and participants’ eye gazes on screen. A between-group design was implemented, using two groups, one for each type of feedback. Ninety-eight undergraduate students, having a different level of knowledge on Operant Conditioning, were recruited and randomly assigned to the groups. The participants read a textbook chapter on Operant Conditioning followed by two sets of quiz. The “first attempt” showed them the feedback assigned. Change in the performance between the quiz scores was measured. The results, significant at p=0.106, demonstrated an enhanced change in the performance for the participants in the elaborate feedback group, an important result considering that most of the participants having no previous knowledge of Operant Conditioning, by chance, were assigned to the elaborate feedback group. This corroborates the superior effect of the elaborate feedback in supporting the learning of new content. The eye tracker data demonstrated statistically significant longer eye gazes when the answers provided were wrong compared to the correct ones.

The need for effective, research-based interventions focused on the reading needs of English learners with disabilities is critical. Previous research indicates the importance of investigating this need through single subject design studies. In this study, a single-subject multiple-probe design was used to investigate the effects of the Modified GIST Strategy involving systematic prompting and positive reinforcement on the summarizing skills of English learners with disabilities between the ages of 15 and 17 years. Following the baseline phase, the participants received tutoring in the Modified GIST Strategy through modeling and guided instruction. After tutoring, the participants’ independent summarizing skills were measured by having participants read expository passages and summarize text. Two weeks following the intervention phase, maintenance data was collected for each participant. Results from visual analysis indicate an improvement in the summarization skills for all participants, as there was an immediate change in level and trend between baseline and intervention. Results also demonstrate that the participants’ summarization skills remained high during maintenance probes. Procedural fidelity was high at 98.76 percent and inter-observer agreement was 95.02 percent. The results are promising for this group of participants, and future research should address further investigations with the Modified GIST Strategy.

Constantly increasing in versatility, technology has enabled educators to deliver material to students in fun and unique ways. However, it is important to understand how the introduction of technology is effecting student learning. In order to better understand this impact, my study has compared a game-based technology, Kahoot, to a non-game-based technology, Socrative. The goal of the study was to understand how technology impacts student engagement, performance, and achievement. A control condition, with no technology was used to establish a baseline level across variables. An alternating treatments design was used across two math classes consisting of one teacher and 15 students. The results have shown that Kahoot (a game-based technology) promotes engagement amongst students, however performance decreases due to the fast-paced Q&A format of the game. Socrative (a non-game-based technology) may produce better performance amongst students than Kahoot in a math class. Achievement appears to be relatively high across all conditions.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a simple contingency contracting intervention on the correct use of punctuation marks in freely produced texts by elementary school children with learning disabilities. These symbols are an essential way of clarifying what one wants to get across when interacting through written language. Contingency contracting can be considered a promising strategy for facilitating the development of academic skills in struggling students. The benefits of the intervention were evaluated using an ABC multiple baseline design across three subjects. Results indicated that this technique was very helpful in distinctly boosting the performance of the participants. The percentage of properly used punctuation marks varied between 0.00 and 13.35 on average during baseline conditions. Immediately upon the onset of the intervention, the ratio increased markedly, reaching mean levels between 86.50% and 88.85%. Applying contingency contracts requires little effort on the part of teachers and can be viewed as a very serviceable tool to support struggling students in their endeavors to produce stories with proper punctuation.

Academic performance for students with moderate to severe disabilities falls far behind their typically developing peers and puts them at risk for continued dependence after school ends. Video prompting is an evidence-based practice that has been used to teach various non-academic skills; however, few studies have focused on using video prompting to teach academic skills other than reading. This study used a delayed multiple baseline across students design to evaluate the use of video prompting to teach single- and double-digit addition to three students with moderate disabilities. Results indicated that all three students improved their accurate completion of addition problems immediately upon introduction of the video prompting intervention. In addition, all three students completely faded the use of the videos and generalized completing addition problems to another setting. Social validity of the intervention was high across all participants, their families, and their teacher.

English language learners (ELL) are at risk of academic failure when classroom expectations are not effectively communicated and they are unable to engage in classroom instruction. This single-subject design study investigated the effects of a video self-modeling intervention on the classroom behavior of preschool ELLs exhibiting low levels of engagement and/or high levels of off-task behavior. Prior to group time, the child viewed a brief self-modeling video of appropriate behavior (i.e., engagement). A parent of the target child provided voice-over on the videos in the child’s home language, clearly stating the classroom expectations described by the teacher. The results indicate an increase in engagement and decrease in off-task behaviors for all 4 children to levels comparable to English-fluent speaking and ELL peer comparisons in the classroom. This intervention was viewed favorably by both the teachers and children and is considered an effective and efficient intervention to use within the classroom setting.

The A-B-A-B withdrawal design was used to explore the effects of Text-to-speech (TTS) program (Read & Write Gold 11) on comprehension for 2 fourth grade students with learning disability in an urban school while accessing grade level comprehension text. Participants read fourth-grade level comprehension passages from a reading instruction resource. For each session, the student was timed for 35 minutes to read and answer the comprehension passage. The students manipulated the speech option (Pitch, speed, voice and word pause) of the TTS program to suit them. Results show that the TTS program affected the students’ comprehension score. All participants’ scores increased when the TTS program was introduced to read the comprehension passages. In addition, the participants found the TTS program easy to use with less or no support. Limitation and implications for future research are discussed in this paper

The purpose of the study was to evaluate the effects of an adapted Direct Instruction (DI) Mathematics Strategy using manipulatives and visual prompting leveled placemats on quantifying numbers by two thirteen-year-old boys with both Down syndrome and a hearing impairment in a special education self-contained classroom. The study used an event recording system within a changing criterion design to assess each participant’s development of quantifying the correct numbers. To quantify a number, the participants were asked to give a specified number of manipulatives within a specified time. Intervention adapted a Direct Instruction Mathematics instructional strategy where the researcher guided the participants through most to least visual prompting placemats. The visual prompting placemats included (1) the specified numeral and boxes, (2) boxes only, (3) numeral only, and (4) blank. During instruction, the researcher modeled how to place the manipulatives on the placemat based on its prompting level and then had the participants respond independently. As the participants showed accurate and fluent responding during a specific placemat level, the researcher proceeded to introduce the next placemat level to reduce visual prompting. Instruction continued until the participants reached independent responding on the blank placemat. Appropriate feedback was provided based on correct and incorrect responses. The results showed improvement in both participants’ abilities to quantify numbers from 1 to 6 across six weeks of intervention. Using the manipulatives and fading the visual prompts on the placemats in combination with the DI Mathematics teaching format provided scaffolded instruction to develop the participants’ number quantifying skills. Also, the manipulatives and visual components provided the participants concrete understanding of a specific number and allowed them to differentiate across number names.

Previous research studies have indicated that the use of mirrors can facilitate the acquisition of motor imitation skills in individuals diagnosed with developmental disabilities, though the generality of these findings have not replicated in more recent research. Experiment 1 of this study sought to replicate and extend these results by implementing a training procedure with mirror training and traditional modeling methods to teach three children with autism spectrum disorder specific American Sign Language signs. Responses taught with a mirror training methodology were found to unreliably result in a faster acquisition in only one of three participants. Reliable responding during only the modeling conditions increased for one participant and in one participant, signing responses failed to emerge using either presentation method. Experiment 2 seeks to refine confound variables determined in Experiment 1, focusing primarily on prerequisite skills that may be required prior to the emergence of sign language demonstration abilities, such as general imitative responding.