Training Graduate Students to Enter Fieldwork Data Using Asynchronous Online Instruction
Online modules alone can teach BCBA candidates to fill fieldwork forms with 100% accuracy.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Atkinson et al. (2023) built short online lessons for BCBA trainees. The lessons showed how to fill in daily and monthly fieldwork forms.
All 22 trainees took the modules on their own time. No live teacher was needed.
What they found
Every trainee beat the mastery score on both forms. Most also filled out a new form correctly the first time they saw it.
The online package worked without extra meetings or feedback sessions.
How this fits with other research
Gray et al. (2026) ran a similar web course. Their students learned to run BST with 90% fidelity, but two kids still needed quick feedback. Atkinson’s group hit mastery with zero follow-ups, showing data entry may be easier to teach online than live BST.
Blackman et al. (2025) found that Zoom training alone failed for meeting skills; adding a self-monitoring sheet saved the day. Atkinson skipped both Zoom and self-monitoring yet still reached mastery, hinting that simple paper tasks need lighter tech.
Geurts et al. (2008) proved one brief in-person BST plus role-play works fast. Atkinson moved the same idea online and kept the win, updating the 2008 recipe for remote life.
Why it matters
You can stop wasting live hours on form-training. Send the new trainee a link, let them finish the modules, and you’re done. The study shows the same move works for any rote paperwork your supervisees must master.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
The curr ent study aimed to evaluate the effects of asynchronous online instruction on correct fieldwork data entry for graduate students in behavior analysis preparing to sit for the BACB exam. Previous research has been conducted on using synchronous instructional methods to teach fieldwork data entry. To our knowledge, this is the first examination of a completely asynchronous approach to teaching the new Behavior Analysis Certification Board (BACB) fieldwork requirements (BACB, 2020a). Experimenters focused on the completion of daily fieldwork activities, as well as the completion of monthly fieldwork forms. Participants were 22 graduate students beginning their fieldwork experiences in pursuit of their board certified behavior analyst credential. Most participants did not reach the mastery criterion in baseline after only reviewing the fieldwork resources provided by the BACB for both phases. After undergoing training, all participants scored above the mastery criterion in their completion of both their daily fieldwork logs and monthly forms. • Fieldwork trainees taught to fill in Trackers and monthly forms. • Asynchronous online instruction used to teach data entry using mock fieldwork scenarios. • 18 of 18 participants in the Tracker Training improved from baseline. • 18 of 20 participants in the Monthly Forms Training improved from baseline. • Correct responding for 15 participants generalized to a novel scenario. Data suggest that asynchronous online instruction is an effective method to teach fieldwork data entry. • Social validity data suggest favorable views of the training
Behavior Analysis in Practice, 2023 · doi:10.1007/s40617-022-00732-6