Evaluating the Effects of Computer-Based Instruction on Trial-Based Functional Analyses Procedures.
A single-hour computer lesson lets school staff run trial-based functional analyses without a live trainer.
01Research in Context
What this study did
The team built a one-hour computer lesson that teaches school staff how to run a trial-based functional analysis (TBFA).
Staff clicked through slides, watched short clips, and answered quiz questions. No live coach stood beside them.
What they found
After the module, staff knew the TBFA steps better than before. Some could run the whole test correctly right away.
How this fits with other research
Campanaro et al. (2023) used the same computer-BST recipe to teach trainers how to run BST. Both studies show the same short CBI loop works across very different ABA skills.
Mount et al. (2011) did this first. They added video feedback and hit 100 % accuracy on DTT and chaining. The new study drops the feedback and still gets usable TBFA scores, so the field is trimming steps while keeping quality.
Jimenez-Gomez et al. (2019) trained techs with live BST coaching and got strong generalization. The new study swaps live coaching for a laptop yet still reaches mastery, hinting that travel-heavy coaching may no longer be needed for every skill.
Why it matters
You can email a one-hour link and gain staff who can start a TBFA the same day. No sub days, no travel budget, no overtime. Try it Monday: send the module to two aides, then watch them run the first test session. If they score 90 % or better, you just saved a full day of in-person training.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
Children who engage in problem behavior are often educated in the public schools. A trial-based functional analysis (TBFA) is an experimental functional analysis whereby conditions are embedded into scheduled activities of the school day to identify environmental variables responsible for problem behavior. To be included in this process, it is important that staff are trained effectively and efficiently. Computer-based instruction (CBI) offers several advantages as a staff training tool including less training time, less required supervision, and permits self-paced and individualized training. The efficacy of CBI on procedures of TBFA to practitioners remains unknown. We evaluated the efficacy of CBI teaching procedures of TBFA with 20 practitioners. Results indicate that CBI is an effective and efficient staff training procedure as post-test scores increased following the CBI training across participants with a mean training duration of less than an hour. Three practitioners successfully implemented four conditions of a TBFA with a confederate following CBI training. Following completion of the study, respondents ranked procedures of the CBI as socially valid.
Behavior modification, 2022 · doi:10.1177/0145445520982552