SPED 6720: Educational Applications of Behavior Analysis I Syllabus-Fall 2014

Transcription

1 SPED 6720: Educational Applications of Behavior Analysis I Syllabus-Fall 2014 Instructor: Thomas S. Higbee, Ph.D., BCBA-D tom.higbee@usu.edu Phone: (435) Office: Education Building Room #328 Office Hours: by appointment TAs: Nina Gerenscer, M.S., BCBA kgerencs@gmail.com Phone: (435) Office: EDUC 307 Office Hours: by appointment Azure Pellegrino, M.S., BCBA azure.pellegrino@aggi .usu.edu Phone: (435) Office: EDUC 11 (basement) Office Hours: by appointment Text: Cooper, J.O., Heron, T.E., & Heward, W.L. (2007). Applied Behavior Analysis (2 nd Ed.). Prentice Hall: Upper Saddle River, NJ. Other Readings: see course website for additional assigned readings Course Overview The purpose of this course is to expand students understanding of behavior analysis and their ability to apply behavior analysis to practical situations. The course assumes that students enter with a strong understanding of basic concepts of behavior analysis and that they have experience applying these concepts to practical educational or clinical problems. Given this background, the course is designed to deepen students understanding of the fundamental concepts of antecedent stimuli, behaviors, and consequences and how these concepts can be applied to increase positive behaviors and decrease negative behaviors in classroom settings. Instruction on basic behavioral assessment methods as well as function-based intervention strategies will be provided. Interventions based on Skinner s analysis of verbal behavior will be described. Strategies and systems for increasing appropriate student behavior using positive reinforcement will be presented and methods of promoting the generalization and maintenance of learned skills will be described. Students will have the opportunity to demonstrate acquisition of skills taught in the class via application assignments and in-class quizzes. Summary of Behavior Analysis Certification Board BCBA Tasks Covered in SPED 6720 (See Course Schedule for class-by-class breakdown and evaluation of task content): BCBA Task Description 4-1 State the primary characteristics of and rationale for conducting a descriptive assessment. 4-2 Gather descriptive data. a. Select various methods. b. Use various methods.

2 4-3 Organize and interpret descriptive data. a. Select various methods. b. Use various methods. 8-1 Conduct a task analysis. 8-8 Identify the contingencies governing the behavior of those responsible for carrying out behavior change procedures and design interventions accordingly. 9-1 Use antecedent-based interventions, such as: contextual or ecological variables, establishing operations, and discriminative stimuli. 9-2 Use positive and negative reinforcement: a. Identify and use reinforcers. b. Use appropriate parameters and schedules of reinforcement. c. Use response-deprivation procedures (e.g., Premack principle). d. State and plan for the possible unwanted effects of the use of reinforcement. 9-4 Use extinction. a. Identify possible reinforcers maintaining behavior and use extinction. b. State and plan for the possible unwanted effects of the use of extinction. 9-5 Use response-independent (time-based) schedules of reinforcement. 9-6 Use differential reinforcement. 9-7 Use discrimination training procedures. 9-8 Use prompt and prompt fading. 9-9 Use instructions and rules Use modeling and imitation Use shaping Use chaining Use incidental teaching techniques Use contingency contracting (e.g., behavioral contracts) Use token economy procedures, including levels systems Use independent, interdependent and dependent group contingencies Use self-management strategies Use behavior change procedures to promote stimulus and response generalization Use behavior change procedures to promote maintenance. General Expectations

3 Assignments are to be turned in at the beginning of class time (4:30 p.m.) on the date they are due. Late assignments will be assessed a 15% penalty per day late. (e.g., 4:31pm Tuesday-4:30 Wednesday= -15%, 4:31pm Wednesday-4:30 Thursday= -30%, etc.). Students are expected to attend class sessions and to remain for the entire scheduled period (4:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.) unless previous arrangements are approved by the instructor. Students are expected to actively participate in class discussions and activities. Students are to adhere to the USU Honor Code and Classroom Civility policy (see course website for details). Student Evaluation Weekly Quizzes: At the beginning of class each week, beginning with the second class session, there will be an in-class quiz. Quizzes will be composed of fill-in-the-blank and short answer questions. The questions on the quiz will be from material covered in the previous class session and the readings assigned for the current class session (i.e., the topic for today s class). Questions on material for the current class session will be general in nature and will be easy to answer having read the material to be discussed. Quizzes will be worth 25 points each. There will be a total of 13 quizzes during the course. Each student may drop their lowest quiz score. Note: Quizzes cannot be made up if they are missed and will only be given at the scheduled times listed on the syllabus. There are no exceptions to this policy. Article Summaries: Each week, students will write a 1-page summary of a research article on the topic to be discussed during that week s lecture. For example, if the topic of the week is extinction, the student would select a research article that investigated extinction. The article may be either a basic or applied research article but it must be an empirical study and not a review or conceptual paper (hint-look for graphs). The article must use a single subject experimental design and must come from one of the following journals: Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior, Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, Behavior Modification, Behavioral Interventions, Research in Developmental Disabilities, Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders. Article summaries must be written using complete sentences as well as appropriate grammar and paragraph structure. The article summaries may not exceed one page using single-spaced, 12 point font (you will need to be concise). The following headings should be addressed in each summary: Introduction (including the purpose statement or research questions addressed in the study), Methods (you will need to summarize here-the research design and highlights of the experimental methods and procedures-no need for finer details such as IOA procedures or treatment integrity procedures), Results (general summaries of the findings of the study), and Discussion (a general summary of the implications of the results of the study). Article summaries will be submitted via Canvas prior to class each week and will be worth 25 points each. Students should also upload a copy of the article they reviewed via Canvas. Finally, students will be randomly selected each week to give an oral presentation to the class on the article they reviewed that week.

4 Final Exam: The final exam will be worth 100 points and will be given during class period #15. The final exam will be comprehensive. The format will be the same as the weekly quizzes but with additional questions. Absences: Contact the instructor prior to scheduled class time to report absences. Allocation of Points and Grading Course Product/Activity Points Quizzes 25 pts each) 300 Article Summaries (13@ 25 pts each) 325 Participation/Article Presentations 25 Final Exam 100 Total 750 GRADE SCALE % A 90-93% A % B % B 80-82% B % C % C 70-72% C % D % D 59% & below F USU INCOMPLETE POLICY Executive Memorandum USU AND DEPARTMENT OF SPECIAL EDUCATION AND REHABILITATION POLICIES A student who has been unable to complete the work of course assignments, examinations, or reports due to extenuating circumstances such as illness, death in the family, etc. - but not due to poor performance of his/her work - and who has completed most of the coursework, may petition the instructor of the course for time beyond the end of the quarter to finish the work. If the instructor agrees, the instructor will place two grades on the final grade list for the student, an "I" and a letter grade for the course computed as if the missing work were zero. The student is then required to complete the work in the manner and by the time agreed upon with the instructor, but, in any case, within 12 months of the end of the quarter in which the "I" was given. When the grade change is submitted by the instructor within the prescribed time, both the "I" and the grade submitted with the "I" will be removed from the student's record, the new grade placed on the record, and the GPA adjusted accordingly. If no change of grade is submitted by the instructor within the prescribed period, the "I" will be removed and the grade submitted with the "I" will remain as the permanent grade for the course. Research and thesis courses taken for graduate work are exempted from this policy.

5 STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES Students with physical, sensory, emotional or medical impairments may be eligible for reasonable accommodations in accordance with the American with Disabilities Act and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of All accommodations are coordinated through the Disability Resource Center (DRC) in room 101 of the University Inn, voice, TTY, or toll free at Please contact the DRC as early in the semester as possible, preferably within the first week of the course. Any requests for special considerations relating to attendance, pedagogy, taking of examinations, etc. must be discussed with and approved by the instructor. In cooperation with the Disability Resource Center, course materials can be provided in alternative formats--large print, audio, diskette or Braille. The instructor must have the appropriate forms from the DRC in order to address any accommodations. DEPARTMENT POLICIES GRADING GUIDELINES 1. Criteria for the awarding of each letter grade should be specified in the course syllabi for all courses. 2. Grades given in all courses should truly reflect differences in student performance, not just meeting minimum criteria. GRADE POINT REQUIREMENTS 1. Licensure/Undergraduate Students - Students must maintain a grade point average of 2.75 after being admitted to the Teacher Education Program and while taking courses in the major. 2. Graduate Students - All graduate students must maintain a 3.0 grade point average to remain an active student in the graduate program. STUDENT BEHAVIOR & ACADEMIC HONESTY Student behavior in accordance with USU s Student Code of Conduct/Rights is expected during all interactions with faculty and peers. It is expected that students work will conform to the highest standards of academic honesty. Incidences of academic dishonesty (e.g., cheating on tests, plagiarism, lying to supervisors and cooperating teachers) will be referred to program committees and university committees for disciplinary action. LICENSURE/UNDERGRADUATE COURSE REQUIREMENTS 1. Students are required to earn a "B-" or higher in all licensure courses. Students who receive a grade below "B-" must retake the course. Each student will be allowed to repeat a maximum of one course (course is defined as didactic courses, practica and student teaching). Students who receive two grades below B- or withdraw from two practica (or one practica two times) will not be permitted to continue coursework in special education. Student teaching may not be repeated without appeal and approval by the appropriate special education program committee. 2. Students who do not apply for licensure within 12 months of graduating, may be subject to additional coursework prior to recommending certification. BACKGROUND CHECK As a result of a legislative mandate, all students planning on obtaining a teaching certificate in Utah must receive a background check completed prior to their first field experience. The background check must remain current through their student teaching experience. To expedite this process, all students planning on applying to the SPED major must complete their background check before the admissions application deadline. Students can find the application at

6 SPED 6720: Educational Applications of Behavior Analysis I Course Schedule Class Session 1 8/26 2 9/2 3 9/9 4 9/16 5 9/23 6 9/ /7 8 10/ / / / / / / / /9 BACB Task Topic Reading Assignment Assignments Due Syllabus Review, Definitions and Characteristics of Applied Behavior Analysis Review, Basic Principles Review 8-8 Functional Assessment I: Selecting and Defining Behaviors ,a,b 4-3,a,b ,a,b , a,b,c,d Functional Assessment II: Informant and Descriptive Assessment Function-Based Interventions I: Antecedent Interventions Function-Based Interventions II: Extinction, Differential Reinforcement Reinforcer Identification Procedures Behavioral Shaping, Imitation, and Discrimination Training Behavioral Chaining and Task Analysis 9-9 Behavioral Interventions for Children with Autism I: Structured Teaching Approaches 9-13 Behavioral Interventions for Children with Autism II: Naturalistic Approaches 9-8 Advanced Strategies for Promoting Verbal and Social Behavior: Social Scripting, Activity Schedules, Contriving MOs Advanced Reinforcement Strategies: Token Economies, Group Contingencies, & Self- Management Strategies 9-28 Generalization and Maintenance Strategies No Class-Thanksgiving Holiday 9-29 Generalization and Maintenance Strategies cont., Final Exam Review Final Exam None CHH, Ch. 3 Bosch & Fuqua (2001) CHH, Ch. 24 Piazza et al. (1999) Hanley (2012) CHH, Ch. 23 McComas et al. (2000) Waller & Higbee (2010) CHH, Ch. 22 Grow et al. (2009) Geiger et al. (2010) Wright-Gallo et al. (2006) Fisher et al., (1992) DeLeon & Iwata (1996) Carr, Nicolson & Higbee (2000) Roane et al. (1998) CHH, Ch. 18 &19 Collins et al. (2009) MacDonald et al. (2009) CHH, Ch. 20 McDonnell & McFarlane (1988) Spooner (1984) Higbee (2009) Sundberg & Partington (1999) Cummings (1999) Charlop-Christy & LeBlanc (1999) Higbee (1999) MacDuff et al. (1993) Reagon & Higbee (2009) Betz, Higbee, & Reagon (2008) Brodhead et al. (2014) Endicott & Higbee (2007) None Quiz 1 Article Summary 1 Quiz 2 Article Summary 2 Quiz 3 Article Summary 3 Quiz 4 Article Summary 4 Quiz 5 Article Summary 5 Quiz 6 Article Summary 6 Quiz 7 Article Summary 7 Quiz 8 Article Summary 8 Quiz 9 Article Summary 9 Quiz 10 Article Summary 10 Betz et al. (2011) CHH, Ch. 26 & 27 Quiz 11 Article Summary 11 CHH, Ch. 28 Stokes & Baer (1977) Esveldt-Dawson & Kazdin (1998) No Class Quiz 12 Article Summary 12 CHH, Ch. 28 Quiz 13 Article Summary 13 Final Exam