Using Computer-Based Instruction to Teach Implementation of Discrete Trial Instruction: A Replication and Extension

Campanaro and colleagues built a short online module that teaches staff how to run discrete-trial teaching.

Staff watched videos, answered questions, and practiced marking data on the screen.

No live coach stood in the room; the computer gave feedback and let staff move at their own pace.

After finishing the module, staff ran DTT with high accuracy.

Parents and supervisors said the training was useful and easy to use.

The study shows a ready-made online course can replace in-person BST for teaching DTT.

Mount et al. (2011) did the first test of computer-based DTT training and also saw perfect scores, so the new study replicates that early package with a sleeker online format.

McGeown et al. (2013) looks like a contradiction: their live BST beat the computer package and staff kept making errors in real sessions. The difference is that the 2013 computer course had no built-in rehearsal or feedback loop, while Campanaro’s 2023 module added both, closing the gap.

Standish et al. (2023) extends the idea to parents, showing an automated package can also train caregivers to run trial-based functional analyses at home, pointing toward wider use of online training across ABA tasks.

You can now send new hires a link instead of blocking out a senior staff member for half a day. The module trains DTT to mastery, saves supervisor hours, and keeps a digital record of completion. Try it for onboarding, then spot-check integrity in the classroom to be sure skills hold.