We describe a model used to teach the principles of behavior analysis and their application in the human services to students and practitioners over the past five decades. Materials for the book were developed in the late 1960’s at the University of Michigan School of Social Work, where the first presenter began his teaching career in 1968. The second presenter supervised the administration and testing of the materials. The course content and testing materials were continuously revised and updated over the following years by both presenters, based on data related to student mastery of the content. The teaching model was influenced by the prominent educational technology at the time, including: (1) the Center for Research on Learning and Teaching at the University of Michigan; (2) the programmed instructional format of Skinner and Holland, and that of Geis, Stebbins, and Lundin; (3) Fred Keller’s Personal System of Instruction (PSI); and (4) Robert Mager’s influential publication on preparing instructional objectives. The first presenter will describe the methodology used to develop the materials and how they provided the basis for a textbook that has been revised over six editions. The second presenter will describe how the materials and resulting textbook were used in undergraduate, graduate and professional courses and seminars. Together, the two presenters will provide examples of their experiences using the textbook to teach behavior analysis. They will present the rationale for the organization and structure of the text and course, along with reasons for including and excluding specific content. The two presenters identify historical, methodological, and conceptual issues that formed the underpinnings of their unique approach to teaching behavior analysis, as well as how the model has evolved. The two presenters, one from a primarily academic perspective and the other from a primarily applied perspective, provide complementary viewpoints on this topic.
Target Audience:
Individuals teaching behavior analysis or those training students and practitioners in behavior analysis.
Learning Objectives:
At the conclusion of the presentation, participants will be able to: (1) describe a model used to teach the principles of behavior analysis and their application in the human services to students and practitioners; (2) describe the methodology used in developing the training materials; (3) identify historical, methodological, and conceptual issues that formed the underpinnings of this approach to teaching behavior analysis, as well as how the model has evolved.