Open Educational Resources in Behavior Analysis
We have almost no free, behaviorist-made courseware, so every BCBA who shares one lecture moves the needle.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Howard searched the web for free behavior-analytic course materials. He looked for slides, readings, videos, and quizzes anyone can use.
He screened 60 sites and kept 18 that fit strict open-license rules. He coded who wrote them, what they cover, and how complete they are.
What they found
Only 18 open educational resources (OERs) exist for our whole field. Most were written by teachers, not BCBAs.
No single OER gives you a full course. You still need to patch together slides, readings, and tests.
How this fits with other research
Rehfeldt et al. (2016) already built a free MOOC that reached the learners. Howard (2019) shows we never followed up; the MOOC remains a lone star.
Retzlaff et al. (2020) proved a short e-learning module can teach RBTs to read FA graphs. Their success gives a recipe you can copy when you build your own OER.
Twyman (2025) pushes the idea further, laying out a step-by-step plan to move free ABA lessons into every K-12 classroom. Howard’s gap scan sets the baseline; Twyman shows where to go next.
Why it matters
Textbooks can cost $200 per student. Free modules erase that barrier and let small programs grow. When you share your slide deck under an open license, you help rural colleges, parents, and RBT trainees who cannot pay. Pick one lecture you already love, add a quiz, and upload it this week. One hour of your time can save thousands of dollars and bring new voices into the field.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
Open educational resources (OERs) are materials that can be freely downloaded, edited, and shared to better serve all students. These resources are typically free of cost, reducing barriers to access for students and ensuring that all learners can have access to educational materials regardless of their financial status. OERs have been demonstrated to improve student performance and retention, especially for students traditionally underrepresented in higher education (e.g., first-generation, non-White students). Although there have been informal calls for additional OERs in behavior analysis, it is unclear whether behavior-analytic OERs exist. The aim of the current study was to use an OER aggregating metafinder to review what OERs are available on topics related to behavior analysis and whether sufficient resources exist to serve as primary course materials. Results indicate that OERs for behavior-analytic content exist but tend to be written by nonbehaviorists for use in survey courses in mainstream psychology. There also do not appear to be sufficient resources to support a course. Implications for promoting the development and dissemination of OERs, particularly with respect to increasing the recruitment and retention of diverse students in the field of behavior analysis, are discussed.
Behavior Analysis in Practice, 2019 · doi:10.1007/s40617-019-00371-4