SPED 6720: Educational Applications of Behavior Analysis I
Syllabus-Fall 2014
Instructor: Thomas S. Higbee, Ph.D., BCBA-D
Email: [email protected]
Phone: (435) 797-1933
Office: Education Building Room #328
Office Hours: by appointment
TAs:
Nina Gerenscer, M.S., BCBA
Email: [email protected]
Phone: (435) 797-7567
Office: EDUC 307
Office Hours: by appointment
Azure Pellegrino, M.S., BCBA
Email:[email protected]
Phone: (435) 797-8674
Office: EDUC 11 (basement)
Office Hours: by appointment
Text: Cooper, J.O., Heron, T.E., & Heward, W.L. (2007). Applied Behavior Analysis (2
ndEd.). 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.
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. 9-10 Use modeling and imitation.
9-11 Use shaping.
9-12 Use chaining.
9-13 Use incidental teaching techniques.
9-18 Use contingency contracting (e.g., behavioral contracts). 9-19 Use token economy procedures, including levels systems.
9-20 Use independent, interdependent and dependent group contingencies. 9-27 Use self-management strategies.
9-28 Use behavior change procedures to promote stimulus and response generalization. 9-29 Use behavior change procedures to promote maintenance.
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.
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 (12 @ 25 pts each)
300
Article Summaries (13@ 25 pts each)
325
Participation/Article Presentations
25
Final
Exam
100
Total
750
GRADE SCALE
94-100%
A
90-93% A-
87-89% B+
83-86% B
80-82% B-
77-79% C+
73-76% C
70-72% C-
67-69% D+
60-66% D
59% & below
F
USU AND DEPARTMENT OF SPECIAL EDUCATION
AND REHABILITATION POLICIES
USU INCOMPLETE POLICY
Executive Memorandum 79-15
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.
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 1973. All
accommodations are coordinated through the Disability Resource Center (DRC) in room 101 of the University Inn, 435-797-2444 voice, 435-797-0740 TTY, or toll free at 1-800-259-2966. 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 http://cehs.usu.eduhtm/teacher-education.
SPED 6720: Educational Applications of Behavior Analysis I
Course Schedule
Class Session BACB TaskTopic Reading Assignment Assignments Due
1 8/26
Syllabus Review, Definitions and Characteristics of Applied Behavior Analysis Review, Basic Principles Review
None None
2 9/2
8-8 Functional Assessment I: Selecting and Defining Behaviors
CHH, Ch. 3 Bosch & Fuqua (2001)
Quiz 1 Article Summary 1 3 9/9 4-1 4-2,a,b 4-3,a,b
Functional Assessment II: Informant and Descriptive Assessment CHH, Ch. 24 Piazza et al. (1999) Hanley (2012) Quiz 2 Article Summary 2 4 9/16 9-1 9-5 Function-Based Interventions I: Antecedent Interventions CHH, Ch. 23 McComas et al. (2000) Waller & Higbee (2010)
Quiz 3 Article Summary 3 5 9/23 9-4,a,b 9-6 Function-Based Interventions II: Extinction, Differential Reinforcement CHH, Ch. 22 Grow et al. (2009) Geiger et al. (2010) Wright-Gallo et al. (2006) Quiz 4 Article Summary 4 6 9/30 9-2, a,b,c,d Reinforcer Identification Procedures Fisher et al., (1992) DeLeon & Iwata (1996) Carr, Nicolson & Higbee (2000)
Roane et al. (1998) Quiz 5 Article Summary 5 7 10/7 9-7 9-10 9-11
Behavioral Shaping, Imitation, and Discrimination Training
CHH, Ch. 18 &19 Collins et al. (2009) MacDonald et al. (2009) Quiz 6 Article Summary 6 8 10/14 8-1 9-12
Behavioral Chaining and Task Analysis
CHH, Ch. 20
McDonnell & McFarlane (1988) Spooner (1984)
Quiz 7 Article Summary 7 9
10/21
9-9 Behavioral Interventions for Children with Autism I: Structured Teaching Approaches
Higbee (2009)
Sundberg & Partington (1999) Cummings (1999)
Quiz 8 Article Summary 8
10 10/28
9-13 Behavioral Interventions for Children with Autism II: Naturalistic Approaches
Charlop-Christy & LeBlanc (1999) Higbee (1999) Quiz 9 Article Summary 9 11 11/4
9-8 Advanced Strategies for Promoting Verbal and Social Behavior: Social Scripting, Activity Schedules, Contriving MOs
MacDuff et al. (1993) Reagon & Higbee (2009) Betz, Higbee, & Reagon (2008)
Brodhead et al. (2014) Endicott & Higbee (2007)
Betz et al. (2011) Quiz 10 Article Summary 10 12 11/11 9-18 9-19 9-20 9-27 Advanced Reinforcement Strategies: Token Economies, Group Contingencies, & Self-Management Strategies CHH, Ch. 26 & 27 Quiz 11 Article Summary 11 13 11/18 9-28 Generalization and Maintenance Strategies CHH, Ch. 28 Stokes & Baer (1977) Esveldt-Dawson & Kazdin
(1998) Quiz 12 Article Summary 12 14 11/25 No Class-Thanksgiving Holiday No Class 15 12/2 9-29 Generalization and
Maintenance Strategies cont., Final Exam Review
CHH, Ch. 28 Quiz 13
Article Summary 13 16
12/9
