JOURNAL OF

PRECISION TEACHING

VOLUME IV SPRING 1983 NUMBER 1

Editor

Patrick McGreevy

Associate Editor

Lynette Lacy

Contributing Editors Parallel between frequency testing

Peggy Albrecht and performance on essay questions

Eugene "Skip" Berquam in a theories of personality course

Carl Binder Abigail Calkin C. E. McDade

Marie Eaton S. B. Rubenstein John Eshleman C. P. Olander

Stephen Graf Eric Haughton Ogden R. Lindsley Charles Merbitz Variability: An aid in the assessment

H. S. Pennypacker of the effectiveness of training

Ann Starlin procedures

William D. Wolking Fred Spooner

Consulting Editors Doreen Sponner

Beatrice H. Barrett Ray Beck Walter R. Berard L A computerized math deficit remediation Marie Blackburn Bob Bower Donna McCarthy -Jensen Susan Evans Kenneth U. Campbell William Evans Sheila Fox Edward Framer Henri Goettel Self-counting in the treatment of Marilyn Hefferan Gilles de la Tourette Syndrome Jim Johnson Nancy Johnson William H. Evans Carl Koenig Susan S. Evans Steven Krantz Harold Kunzelmann Sarah Kyrklund Thomas C. Lovitt Dagmar Neal We were spell bound Charles P. Olander Susan Reiter Denise M. WrightC a r p Robbins Jim Rudsit About PT Susan Ryberg Gene Stromberg Julie Vargas Owen White Deborah Wood

EDlTORIAL POLICY

The Journal of Precision Teaching is a multi-disciplinary j ourn a1 ded ica ted t o a science of human behavior which includes direct, continuous and standard measurement. This measurement is composed of standard units of behavior--frequencies--which are collected and recorded on a standard scale-the Standard Behavior (Celeration) Chart. Collections of frequencies are summarized on this Chart using a standard measure of behavior change--celeration. Frequencies and c elerations displayed on the Standard Behavior (Celeration) Chart form the basis for Chart-based decision-making and for evaluating t h e effects of independent variables.

The purpose of the Journal of Precision Teaching is to accelerate the sharing of scientific and practical information among i t s readers. To this end, both formal manuscripts and informal, Chartsharing articles are considered for publication.

Materials submitted for publication should meet the following criteria: (1)be written in plain English, (2) contain a narrative that is brief, t o the point and easy t o read, (3) use the Journal of Precision Teaching Standard Glossary and Charting Conventions, (4) contain data displayed on the Standard Behavior Chart that justify conclusions made, (5) be submitted in quadruplicate t o the editor, and (6) include one set of original charts or hand-drawn copies. Each formal manuscript will be reviewed by one consulting editor and two reviewers, two of whom must approve i t prior to publication.

The Journal of Precision Teaching i s published quarterly in April, July, October and January by Plain English Publications, P.O. Box 7224, Kansas City, Missouri 64113. Each volume begins with the April issue. Volume I began in April, 1980. The annual subscription rate is $20.00 t o libraries, $16.00 to individuals and agencies, and $12.00 t o full-time students, payable in U S . currency. The single copy price is $5.00. Advertising rates are available upon request.

Submissions, subscriptions and other correspondence should be addressed t o Plain English Publications a t the address above or t o Pa t r i ck McGreevy, Editor, Journal of Precision Teaching, 3952 N .W. 82nd Street, Kansas City, Missouri 64151.

Any article i s the personal expression of the author. Likewise, any advertisement is the responsibility of t h e adver t i ser . N e i ther necessarily carries Journal endorsement.

Library of Congress JSSN number: 0271-8200

As part of i t s goal t o disseminate research, the University Affiliated Facility for Developmental Disabilities (UAF) a t the University of Missouri in Kansas City, under the direction of Carl Calkins, assisted with the production of this Journal.

PARALLEL BETWEEN FREQUENCY TESTING AND PERFORMANCE ON ESSAY QUESTIONS IN A TtiEORIES OF PERSONALITY COURSE

C. E. McDade S, B. Rubenstein

C, P. Olander Center for Inaividualized Instruction

Abstract

Reinforcing high frequency of cor rec t responses in a pe r sona l i t y theories course resulted in s tudent , fluency with those theorists s tud ied . This stuay examined the relationship between f r equency t e s t i n g of o a s i c c o n c e p t s a n d application of those concepts on essay questions. A consistent concomitant increase in frequency of cor rec t basic concepts described or identified on flash cards ana frequency of ccrrect concepts written on essay questions was observed. When concepts were identified through an identical rnethoa on a microcomputer, similar results were observed.

In recent years there has been an emergence of a l t e r n a t i v e rn easurern e n t and in s t ruc t iona l s t ra teg ies such as P rec i s ion Teach ing (P?'), Personalized Systems of Instruction (PSI) ana Computer-assisted Instruction (CAI). Each system has proauced valid principles which can be used t o improve in s t ruc t ion . T h e C e n t e r f o r Individualized Instruction (CII), Jacksonville State University, has experimented with f r e q u e n c y testing, a component of PT, in conjunction with CAI and PSI. Frequency t e s t i n g r e f e r s t o assess ing s tuaen t accuracy and fluency with academic material during short counting periods.

F requency t e s t i n g key basic concepts in a discipline can result in a proficient understanding of these concepts oy the s tuaent , as well as, positive reinforcement for the instructor (Merbitz & Olander, 1~8U) . Both student and professor aevelop a common ground--a working f luency wi th t h e terminology--which allows them t o discuss freely and confidently the more complex iaeas in the aiscipline.

A cornoination of t h r e e innovative teaching methods--PT, PSI, ana CAI--allows a student t o l e a r n through self-pac ed instruction, with no penalty for repetition of material or for oeing "slower" than other students. Large lessons are diviaea in to r~lodules which t h e s tudent learns one a t a time, achieving a fluency criterion determined ~y the instructor.

Microcomputers can be used for frequency testing stuaents, s ince they c a n minimize b ias and completely eliminate scoring errors. Scanlon

(1361) suggestea that the con~puter is riot meant t o replace the teacher ana should rarely oe usea without aavisor or instructor supervision. In the CII, microcomputers are used t o provide testing, exe rc i s e s , or s imula t ions , m o s t r e q u i r i n g a d v i s o r - s t u d e n t i n t e r a c t i o n t o i n t e r p r e t computer-generated feedback.

The unique na ture of frequency testing mai

8046, and ( 2 ) a minimum correct frequency of 10 concepts per minute. A randomly chosen essay question was used to assess student knowledge of more complex concepts (i.e., app l ica t ion , integration, synthesis, or evaluation). If the number of carrect concepts written exceeded the nunlber of incorrect concepts (i.e, those omitted or definitely incorrect), the essay was scored, "Pass!" If not, the essay was scored, "Try again!" Once a student chose to frequency test, s/he was required t o attempt an essay question immediately a f t e r the frequency sess ion , regardless of whether fluency was reached.

Course material was organized into four units, each with three or four individual theorists. The frequency testing component of evaluation was presented on ilash cards for the first and last quar ters of the course, while an Apple I1 microcomputer presented i t for the second ana third quarters. The flash cards allowed the s tudent t o s ee and sort all ten terms to be defined and required the student to give a verbal response t o an advisor. It was the advisor's responsibility to time the student and assess his/her accuracy. When the microcomputer controlled the frequency testing, i t presented questions in the concealed multiple choice format, randomking both questions and indiv idu a1 foils. The computer determined the student's accuracy and fluency. In both forms of frequency t e s t i n g , t h e s t u d e n t received immediate performance feedback. The difference between t h e f o r m s of frequency tes t ing could be described as recall vs. recognition. After each testing period, the students were required to chart their frequencies carrect and incarrect for both essay performance and the flash card or computer frequency testing. A l l charting was done on Standard Celeration Charts, usually with the assistance of an advisor.

Results

Number of attempts t o read fluency with both types of frequency testing--the flash card technique and the computer-assisted testing--were compared. No significant d i f fe rence was observed. The mean number of a t tempts t o reach fluency on the material by recall on flash ca rds was y.0 and by recogni t ion on t h e computer was 10.2 (Mann Whitney U = 15.5, p = .38). Additionally, the individual quartws of the course were compared with a Kruskal-Wallis One Way ANOVA. No significant difference in the number of attempts to reach fluency was found (h = 1.68, 1= 3).

A consistent, concomitant increase was seen in frequency of carrect basic concepts described or identified on both frequency testing methods (i.e., f lash cards and microcomputer) and frequency of correct concepts written on essay

questions. Charts 1 and 2 display one student's performance on frequency testing of basic concepts and essay questions. Generally (for all students), as the frequency of correct concepts on the frequency testing component increased, the frequency of correct concepts on the essay questions also increased. The opposite also holds true for the frequency of incorrect concepts.

Typically, also, the frequency of words and concepts wri t ten per minute on the essay questions increased over t h e course . A comparison between the las t essay question on the second unit and the thirteenth unit showed a mean increase in frequency of words of 5 8 (t = 2, p < .05), as well as a mean increase in frequency of correct concepts of 0.69 (t = 0, p< .05). The authors also observed that students were answering the essay questions concisely, without excessive verbage.

Discussion

The present study has two implications fo r improving college instruction. First, frequency testing key basic concepts, result ing in t he student becoming fluent as well as accurate, facilitates student use of those concepts on essays. Not only do the students apply the concepts better as they identify them fluently, but they also do so more concisely.

Secondly, frequency testing requiring recall and frequency testing requiring recognition appear to have the same effect on essay performance. With no d i f fe rence in the mean number of attempts to reach fluency, both formats of frequency testing are efficacious. Instructars with access t o niicrocomputers can enjoy t h e benefits of computerizing frequency testing without fear of the machine "de-humanizing" the c lass room. Those who do not have t h e technological advances in their se t t ings can create flash card decks which will assess studeilt performance just as well.

The validity of frequency for shaping and evaluating student performance is being supported by a growing body of empirical data. Given the charge of teaching unique individuals with varying levels of intelligence, motivation, and past academic performance, the university instructor may find frequency indispensible for accomplishing the task.

REFERENCES

Bloom , B. S., & Broder, L. Problem solving processes of college students. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1950.

Lochhead, J., & Clement, J. (Eds.). Cognitive process instruction: Research on teaching

Journal of Precision Teaching, Vol. N, No. 1, Spring, 1983

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thinking skills. Philadelphia, PA: Franklin Institute Press, 1979.

lvlerbitz , C. T., & Olander, C. P. Precision teaching in a univgsity center. Journal of Precision Teaching, 13 8U, 1(1), 18-26.

Porter, L., Lawler, E., & Hackman, J. Behavior in organizations. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1375.

Scanlon, R. T. Computer-assisted instruction in Latin and in English vocmulary development. The Classical Journal, 1981.

C. E. McDade is the Director, S. B. Rubenstein is a graduate assistant and C. P. Olander is the A s s o c i a t e D i r e c t o r of t h e C e n t e r f o r Individualized Instruction, Jacksonville S t a t e Univwsity, Jac~sonville, Alabama 36265.

VARIABILITY: AN AID IN TtiE ASSESSMENT OF THE EFFECTIVENESS

OF TRAINING YROCEDURES~

Fred Spooner Western Carolina Center

and University of North Carolina a t Charlotte

Doreen Spooner Western Carolina Center

Abstract

PennypacKer, Koenig, and Linasley's variability procedure was used t o illustrate the bounce in per f orrnance of e ight s eve re ly /p ro f o u n d l y handicapped persons when they were trained t o assemble two complex vocational tasks via two training proceaures (total task presentation and Dackward chaining). Prom an analysis of the r e su l t s , i t c a n b e concluded tha t subjects' correct performance under the backward chaining conaition was significantly more variable than when correct responding was controlled by the t o t a l t a s k c o n d i t i o n . P r a c t i t i o n e r s a r e encouraged t o quantify and analyze bounce t o

l T h e authors would like t o acknowledge Owen R. White, University of Washington, for a s s i s t a n c e i n t h e ana lys i s of the data; Jim Favell, Nestern Carolina Center, for editorial critique; Meda Smith, Western Carolina Center, for typing the f inal manuscr ip t , a s wel l a s p rev ious d r a f t s ; and Cynth ia S t i rewal t for assistance in redrafting the design.

assist in making decisions about the effectiveness of training procedures.

The quantification of behavior change (celeration) and variability (bounce) a r e two of t he many features of the Standard Celeration Chart t ha t h a v e a s i g n i f i c a n t i m p a c t on t h e da i ly decision-making behavior of practitioners. The relationship between celeration and bounce and t o what extent the bounce is due t o celerat ion or uncon t ro l l ed va r i ab i l i t y i s an important p r ac t i ca l t r a in ing issue. F requen t ly , t h i s relationship i s not used t o its greatest practical ut i l i ty--an aid in t h e a s s e s s m e n t of t h e effectiveness of training procedures.

Pennypacker, Koenig, and Lindsley (1978) and White (Note 1 ) suggest that the more variability t ha t can be explained by the e f f ec t s of t h e celeration, the more effective the procedure, and t h e g r e a t e r t h e p r e d i c t i v e p o w e r of t h e p r o c e d u r e . In e s s e n c e , measurement of variability during the t r e a t m e n t phase of a t r a in ing program c a n b e used t o a s s i s t in assessing the effects of procedures on learning. T h e p u r p o s e of t h i s pape r is t o expla in Pennypacker e t al.'s (1972) p r o c e d u r e f o r measuring and quantifying variability, and t o apply this method t o t h e assessment of t h e effectivenss of backward chaining (BC) and total task (TT) training procedures wi th s eve re ly handicapped persons.

Method

S u ~ j e c t sand Setting

The subjects were eight severely and profoundly handicapped indiv idua ls l iv ing i n a s t a t e residential training facility. The five women and three men ranged in age from 14 t o 58 years. Their 1.q. '~ as measured by the Stanford Binet ranged from 14 t o 27. Six of the subjects were enrolled in a vocational training program where they sorted plastic spoons, while two adolescent subjects were enrolled in an on-grounds ~ h o o l program.

The setting was a 5 by 4 meter room divided by a wall t o provide two t r a in ing rooms. The settings were tailorea t o be similar.

Apparatus

Two d i f fe ren t items, a arain and a gate valve, were assembled by each subject. Each i tem consisted of seven different pieces. No pieces of t h e t w o i t e m s w e r e i d e n t i c a l o r interchangeable. The drain was composed of a 7 cm by 3.5 cm d r a i n head , a .65 cm rubbe r washer, a 6.5 cm hexagonal lock washer, a 4.5 cm by l u crn pipe, a 4 crn slip nut, a 4.5 cm

Journal of Precision Teaching, Vol. IV, No. 1, Spring, 1983

plast ic washer, and a 4.5 cm ruober stopper. The g a t e valve was composed of a 6 crn turn knob, a 1 cm nut, a 2.5 cm cap, a 4 cni by 4 cm valve, a 5 cm plastic washer, a 6.5 cm by 7.5 cm housing, and an 11 cm stem. Each item was placed in a wooden training t ray (ti0 cm by 45 crn) that had seven dilferent compartments. The i tems were organized in the order desc r ibed above. Pieces for th ree drains or three gate valves were placed in each tray.

Procedures

Experimental design. The exper irn ental design was a multielement design (Sidman, 1960; Ullnan & Sulzer-Azaroff, 1975). 'Chis design is also refwred to as an alternating t reatments design (Barlow & hayes, 1979). Figure 1 is a graphic depiction of the display of t he design, using Johnston and P ennypacker's (19 8 U ) notation of design elements. The independent variables were the backward chaining (BC) and the total task (TT) training procedures. Daily c o r r e c t and incorrect frequencies were collected for each of the two i tems and served as t h e d e p e n d e n t variaole. Each subject s tar ted in a baseline (i.e., non-training) condi t ion , a g a i n s t which progress in the training condition was evaluated. T h e ~ a s e l i n e cond i t i on w a s a l s o u s e d t o empirically validate t ha t the learner could not assemble t h e itemis) without training. ?'rials w.ere a l te rna tea as outlined in Figure 1. For example, on the first day of baseline, Subject 1 s t a r t e d wi th Se t t i ng 1, Trial 1, gate valve. During that trial the subject was allowed many opportunities to assemble pieces of the item for three minutes. The frequency of correct and i n c o r r e c t p i e c e s was r eco rded on a d a t a collection form and a corresponding Standard Celeration Chart. Then, Suoject 1 moved t o Setting 2, Trial 2, drain. Trial 2 was conducted in the same manner as Trial 1. Sumequent to Trial 2, the subject remained in Setting 2 with the a ra in and completed Trial 3. After Trial 3, the subject returned t o Setting 1 and the ga t e valve and completed Trial 4. This completed Session 1.

The secona day of baseline opened with Session 2, Trial 5 (see Figure 1). Trials 5 and & were conduc ted in setting 2 with the arain, while trials ti and 7 were conducted in Setting 1 with g a t e valve. Sessions 1 and 2 were al ternated every other day until "steady s t a t e responding1' ( t he celerat ions for the cor rec t and incorrect frequencies were X1) was achieved. Data were collected and charted separately for each Trial number. On the f i r s t day of training, Subject 1 started wi th sess ion 1 in S e t t i n g 1 w i t h t h e T'1' p r o c e a u r e and t h e g a t e va lve . T h a t trial consisted of one opportunity t o assemble every

piece of tha t item. Irrlrnediately following tne completion of T r i a l 1, S u b j e c t 1 rnovea t o Setting 2 ana was trained with the BC proceaure on the drain. Trial 2 was one opportunity t o a s s e m ~ l e the l a s t piece of the item. Sumequent to 'Crial 2, the learner immediately went t o 'l'rial 3 which occurred in the same setting ana with the BC proceaure. After Trial 3, the learner returned t o Setting 1 with the TT condition and the gate valve ana completed Trial 4. Session 1 was completed with the conclusion of Trial 4.

The second day of training opened with Session 2 which star ted with l'rial 5. In Session 2, the order in which Subject 1 received the item and t r a in ing p r o c e d u r e was r eve r sed from tha t received in Session 1. On the third training day, S u ~ j e c t1 received the sequence reported in Session 1 and on the fourth training day t h e S e s s i o n 2 s e q u e n c e , and so on f o r e a c h subsequent day in the investigation. As in the base l ine cond i t i on , da t a were collected ana charted separately for each 'l'rial number.

Training proceduresBackward Chaining (BC) and Total Task (TT). In t h e BC p rocedure t h e s u b j e c t was p re sen ted wi th a "comple ted assembly" except for the last piece. When tha t p i e c e w a s c o m p l e t e d e i t h e r c o r r e c t l y or incorrectly, the t r ia l and the counting period were over . A t t h e t ime of the study, the authors could not find published indicators of a c c e p t a ~ l e frequency aims for similar vocational tasks. Therefore, subjects were required t o meet a c r i te r ion of six consecutive cor rec t pieces (wi thout a s s i s t a n c e ) ac ros s t r i a l s b e f o r e attempting to learn the "next to the last" piece. On subsequent p r e s e n t a t i o n s , t h e i t em was presented t o the suDject with a l l but the last two pieces completed. The subject fallowed this progression until s/he was completely assem bling an unassembled item.

In t h e TT procedure, every step was trained every time and the subject started with the f i r s t s t e p of t h e task . When a l l 7 pieces were corlipleted either correctly or incorrectly, the trial and the counting period were over. A total of s ix c o n s e c u t i v e c o r r e c t i t e m s (wi thou t assistance) across trials was the criterion.

Calibration and rel iabi l i ty . T h e d a t a were collected by two principal trainers. The trainers received approximately 12 hours of training prior to the s t a r t of "live" data collection. The key elements of the calibration training were: ( a ) frequency of cor rec t pieces, 0) frequency of inccrrect pieces, (c) recording procedure, and (d) timing procedure. These elements were trained to ensure stability, accuracy, reproducibility, and generality of the record responses (Johnston & Pennypacker, 1980).

Journal of Precision Teaching, Vol. IV, No. 1, Spring, 1983

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During simulated "live" training (calibration), the t rainers could i n t r o d u c e known sou rces of variation t o provide assurance that the observer was exposed to a lull range of possible values. Frequencies were also checked and compared t o a mechanically produced recccd be. , videotape). T h e s e t w o c a l i b r a t i o n p r o c e d u r e s a r e recommended by Johnston and Pennypacker (1980) and w e r e used t o ensure accuracy of human recording. When the trainers had trained each other in two consecutive trials without error, the calibration criterion was met.

For this investigation there was no measure of inter-observer reliability. This decision was based on Johns ton and Pennypacker's (1980) statement that, "Using two or more observers t o d e t e c t behavioral events cannot provide any information about t h e reliability of any one ooserver's judgmentff (p. 163).

Measurement and &&antification of Variability

The va r i a ~ i l i t y (bounce) analysis used in the present study was secondary t o t h e or ig ina l celerat ion analysis. In the celeration analysis, Spooner (1381) found the TT procedure t o be more effect ive than the BC procedure. After a thorough examination of t he variability in the data , i t was decided that the variability analysis carld be used t o help assess the effectiveness of the two procedures.

The procedure described by Pennypacker e t al. (1972) is a measure of the t o t a l bounce around t h e ce l e r a t i on compared t o the to ta l bounce including t he celerat ion (see Chart 1). Other i n v e s t i g a t o r s have used a l te rna t ive terms to d e s c r i b e t h e s e bounce r e l a t i onsh ips . F o r example, Lindsley r e f e r s t o the t o t a l Dounce around the celeration as the "celeration course" because of t he analogy between celeration and i t s bounce and a river and i t s banks (Graf, Note 2) . Johnston and Pennypacker (1980) call the total bounce including t h e celeration a range coefficient. "The range coeff icient is readily visual ized a s p ropor t i ona l t o t h e d i s t a n c e be tween t h e l a rges t and the smallest values displayed on a logarithmic scale" (Johnston & Pennypacker, 1980, p. 360). The ratio of these two measures is the percentage of bounce which is not accounted for by the celeration.

Pennypacker, Koenig, and Lindsley's (1972) Procedure

This procedure i s a straightforward, .powerful way of quantifying var iab i l i ty . I t 1s n o t a s ta t i s t ica l comparison for which a researcher needs a computer t o determine the analysis. The p r o c e d u r e i s conceptualized in the following format:

1. Measuring "up bounce," "down bounce," and "total bounce1' around the celeratlon: a. First, draw the celeration line. D. Next , draw a l ine parallel t o the

celeration line which passes through the lrequency that is farthest above t he celerat ion l i n e ( s e e C h a r t 1, P o i n t A). The dis tance along any aay hne from the celerat lon line t o the new line is the up bounce.

c. Draw a line parallel t o the celeration l i n e t h a t p a s s e s t h r o u g h t h e frequency tha t is farthest below the celeration l ine (see Chart 1, Point B). The aistance along any day line from the celeration line t o the new line is the aown bounce.

d. T h e t o t a l b o u n c e around t h e celeration is the total distance along any day line that is described by the distance of t he up bounce and the down bounce (see Chart 1, Point C).

2. Measuring t o t a l bounce including the celeratlon: a. Draw a horizontal l ine through the

highest frequency in t h e s e t ( s e e Chart 1, Point D).

D. Draw a horizontal l ine through the lowest f requency in t h e s e t ( s e e Chart 1, Point El.

c. Measure t he to ta l bounce including t h e c e l e r a t i o n a s t h e d i s t a n c e Detween these two lines (see Chart 1, Point F).

3. Finding the ratio of total bounce around celeration t o t o t a l bounce inc luding celeration: a. T a k e t h e measure of to ta l bounce

around t he celeration a s found in Chart 1, Point C and place i t in the numerator of a fraction.

D. N e x t , p l a c e t h e m e a s u r e t h a t describes total bounce including t he celeration, as found in Chart 1, Point I?, i n t h e d e n o m i n a t o r of t h e fraction.

c. Finally, aivide the numeratar by the denominator . T h e r a t i o i s t h e percentage of bounce not accounted for by the celeration.

Using Variability as a Measure of the Effectiveness of Treatment Procedures

For the variability (bounce) analysis, the most typical performance for each individual subject was compared across training procedures. This was done by comparing the char t s for each of the four t r ia l numbers, calculating the points of least difference and determining the most typical t r i a l . C h a r t 2 shows a summary of the most typical celeration and the "celeration course1' for a l l 8 s u b j e c t s in t h e BC and TT t r a in ing

Journal of Precision Teaching, Vol. IV, No. 1, Spring, 1983

CALENDAR WEEKS DAILY BEHAVIOR CHART (DCM-SEN) 6 C Y C L E - 1 4 0 D A Y S ( 2 0 W K S ) B E H A V I O R R E S E A R C H CO BOX 3 3 5 1 - K A N S A S CITY K A N S 6 6 1 0 3

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C- t h e t o t a l bounce around t h e c e l e r a t i o n (up bounce and down bounce);

D- t h e h i ghes t frequency; E- t h e l owes t f requency; F- t h e t o t a l bounce i n c l u d i n g t h e c e l e r a t i o n ;

C - = t h e percentage o f bounce n o t accounted - - - - f o r by t h e c e l e r a t i o n

Char t 1. Measuring Up Bounce, Down Bounce, To ta l Bounce Around C e l e r a t i o n and T o t a l Bounce I n c l u d i n g Cel e r a t i o n : Pennypacker, Koenig , and L i n d s l ey ' s

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 110 120 130 140

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correct correct cel eration cel eration

total total bounce bounce around around correct correct cel eration cel era t i on (celeration (cel era t i on

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Chart 2. The Most Typical Celeration and "Celeration Course" for a l l 8 Subjects in the BC and TT Training Procedures.

Spooner. F. Spooner, D. 8 subjects assemble pieces of gate valve and drain

procedures. Using the median "celeration course" for each training procedure, i t is eviaent that the BC procedure is 1.5 t ines more variable than the 1'T procedure. The percentage of bounce not accountea for by the celeration, for each subject 's most typical BC trial, was comparea with the percentage of bounce not accounted for by celeration for each subject's most typical TT trial (see Table 1). The range in bounce not a c c o u n t e d fo r by t h e c e l e r a t i o n wi th TT procedure is 16% - 68%, with a median of 41%. The range in bounce not accounted for by the celeration with the BC procedure i s 28% - 9 6%, wi th a median of 76%. In a l l but one case (Subject 8 ) , t h e p e r c e n t a g e of bounce n o t accounted for by celeration was less for the TT procedure. Charts 3 and 4 show Subject 2 's most typical TT and BC performance (Trial 6 ) . In the TT procedure ( C h a r t Y ) , 16% of t h e bounce i s not accounted for oy the celeration. On the other hand, for the BC procedureichart 4) , 85% of the oounce i s not accounted for oy the celeration.

Table 1

The Correct Celeration and the Percentage of Sounce not Accounted for oy Celeration

Correct Percentage Subject Proceaure Celeration of Bounce

Not Accountea for by Celeration

*This is the only case in which the percentage of bounce not accounted for by the celeration is less for BC than for TT.

Discussion

Variaoility is a measure t ha t may be used t o assis t in the assessment of the effectiveness of training procedures. Data in this study were used t o i l lustrate Pennypacker e t al.'s (1972)

procedure as a uselul quantification too l when r e s e a r c h e r s a r e interested in more than just "estimating" variability. The median total bounce around celeration was 1.5 times greater for the backwara chaming (BC) procedure than for the t o t a l tasK (TT) proceaure. In all ~ u t one of eight cases, t h e p e r c e n t a g e o t bounce n o t accoun ted f o r by the celerat ion for the BC procedure was greater than the percentage of bounce not accounted for by the celeration for the TT procedure.

T h e r e s u l t s of t h i s i nves t iga t ion c a l l t h e researcher's attention t o variability (bounce) as a rn e a s u r e of t h e e f f e c t i v e n e s s of t r a in ing procedures. The relationship between celerat ion and bounce and t o what extent that bounce is due t o celeration is an impor t an t p r a c t i c a l training issue. If bounce around the celeration is small and the Dounce including the celerat ion i s l a r g e , t hen a g r e a t e r proportion of t ha t bounce is a c c o u n t e d f o r by learn ing . The t r a in ing p r o c e d u r e i s a l s o exerting greater control over suuject responainy. On the other nand, it t he bounce around the celeration and the oounce including the celeration a r e bo th large, tnen a grea te r proportion of that bounce is not accounted for by learning. In this case, the oounce i s attriuutea t o uncontrolled sources and less control is exerted on responding by the training procedure. If the bounce is accounted for by learning, then the practitioner shoulu continue t o wserve responaing and continue with t he training procedure. If the bounce is no t a c c o u n t e a f o r uy learning, then i t would be necessary t o plan a program change.

'fhe iinaings of this study and Spooner's (1981) previous work challenge the continued use of the BC proceaure. With this procedure, learning is l i ~ e l y t o o e less ana unaccounted var iab i l i ty g r e a t e r when coinpared t o t h e t o t a l tasK proceaure. Practitioners should consider using the to ta l task procedure because of its effects on both celeration and bounce.

RE EE REN CE NOTES

1. White, 0. K . Personal communication, May 18 and 22, 1981.

2 . Graf, S. Personal communication, November 24, 1982.

RE EERENCES

Barlow, D. h., & Hayes, S. C. Alternating t r e a t m e n t s design: O n e s t r a t e g y f o r conlparing the effects of two treatments in a single su~jec t . Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 1979, 12, 139-210.

Johnston, J . M . , & P e n n y p a c k e r , ti. S.

Journal of Precision Teaching, Vol. IV, No. 1, Spring, 1983

DAILY BEHAVIOR CHART (DCM-SEN) 6 C Y C L E - 1 4 0 D A Y S ( 2 0 W K S ) B E H A V I O R RESEARCH CO

l w F I I I 4 1 I I I 1 I I2 I 1 1 I 6 I I 20 o w m

To ta l Task(TT) T r a i n i n g

Co r rec t c e l e r a t i o n = x1.5 To ta l bounce around c e l e r a t i o n = x4.5 To ta l bounce i n c l u d i n g

c e l e r a t i o n = x28

The percentage o f bounce not accounted f o r by c e l e r a t i o n = 16%

Char t 3. Sub jec t 2 ' s Most Typ i ca l To ta l Task(TT) Performance ( T r i a l 6)

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Spooner, F. Spooner, D. SUCCESSIVE CALENDAR DAYS Sub,ject 2 assembl ed p ieces

SUPERVISOR ADVISER MANAGER BEHAVER AGE LABEL COUNTED

-- -- -- - - . - .- o f a 7-p iece d r a i n assembly

DEPOSITOR A G E N C Y TIMER COUNTER C H A R T E R

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Strategies and tact ics of human behavioral research. hillsdale, New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaurn & Associates, lu8U.

Pennypacker, ti. S., Koenig, C. H., & Lindsley, 0. H. Liandbook of the standard behavior chart: Preliminary edition. Kansas City, Kansas Precision Media, 1972.

Sidrnan, M. T a c t i c s o f s c i e n t i f i c research: Evaluating experimental data in psychology. New York: Basic Bodts, Inc, lb6U.

Spooner, F. An operant analysis of the effects of oackward c h a i n i n g a n d t o t a l t a s k presentation (Doctoral dissertation, University of Florida, ly8U ). Dissertation Abstracts International, 1 981, 41, 39 Y2A. (University 1Vlicrofilrns No. 81~5615)

Uhnan, J . D . , & S u l z e r - A z a r o f f , B. Multielement oaseline design in educational research. In E. R. Ramp, & G. Semb (Eds.), Behavior analysis: Areas of research and application. Englew oad Cliffs, New Jersey: Prentice-tiall, 1975.

Fred Spooner is a visiting assistant professor a t t he University of North Carolina-Charlotte and a research associate a t t he nurnan Development Research 'Training Institute a t Western Carolina Center , Ivlorganton, Nor th Caro l ina 28655. Doreen Spooner is the Director of Industrial Therapy a t Western Carolina Center.

A COMPUTERIZED M A T t l DEFICR REMEDIATION

Donna McCarthyJensen Kenneth U. Campbell

North Marion Middle School

Paul is a twelve year ola l ea rn ing d isab led student. h e came t o the North Marion Middle School resource room for daily instruction over a three-month period l a s t winter until his family moved out of the school district.

In assessing his math %ills, we found that Paul was proficient in basic addition and subtraction f a c t s . h e u n d e r s t o o d t h e c o n c e p t of multiplication, but made many errors in see-say multiplication lac ts.

h e had access to Raaio Shack's TKS-8U hardware ana dohn 'I 'rifiletti 's spar^ 8U Computer ized Courseware for Instruction in lvlathernatics. 'l'his software program presents basic math skills in a Precision Teaching format. Inaividual skills are timed, with the numoer of ccrrect ana incorrect a i g i t s typea pe r minute recorded. When an i n c o r r e c t answer i s typed, t h e s t u d e n t i s instructed t o try the proolem again. If a second incffrect answer is typed, the ~nachine flashes the correct answer.

Paul had access to the colnputer for an eight to ten ~~ i inu t e time period four days per week. n e was put on the ranaorn X2 drill in January. As seen on Chart 1, Paul began in the acquisition s tage of learning, corupleting 29 digits correctly with 12 errffs in one minute. After four days with no sign of improvernent, an intervention was ~ ~ r a d e : P a u l was to ld t h a t h e cou ld e a r n "computer game tiuiel' if his cor rec ts went up and his incffrects went down. Over four weeks, Paul 's cor rec ts accelerated a t the rate of X1.3 per week t o SU digits per minute. This cor rec t frequency was almost exactly the same as his multiplication tool ~ o v e r n e n t irequency. His incorrects decelerated during the first week and "leveled off1' a t a ~ o u t three per minute.

\Ve a r e v e r y e x c i t e d by t h e r e s u l t s of computerized instruction skill drills. Precision T e a c h i n g programs c a n t a k e a s t u d e n t t o proficiency if the prerequisites for learning the specific skill exist. Perhaps ~ e s t of all, students enthusiastically approach each computer session.

Donna IVlcCarthy-Jensen and Kenneth U. Campbell a r e resource teachers in Exceptional Student Education a t North Marion Middle School, Ci tra, Florida 32627.

SELF-COUNTING M THE TREATMENT OF GILLES DE LA TOURETTE SYNDROME

William ti. Evans University of West Florida

Susan S. Evans Pensacola, Florida

Gilles de la Tourette symrorlle i s character ized oy a high r a t e of involuntary physical tics and utterances which are often vulgar. The subject in this investigation was a 12 year old student who sufierea from this condition. dis classroom behavior was adversely affected by a high rate oi utterances of an expletive. As indicated on Chart 1, an oDserver recorded the number of times this word was saia during a 5U minute c l a s s per iou . An initial baseline phase was

Journal of Precision Teaching, Vol. IV, No. 1, Spring, 1383

DAILY BEHAVIOR CHART (DCM-SEN) 6 C Y C L E - 1 4 0 D A Y S ( 2 0 W K S ) B E H A V I O R R E S E A R C H CO B O X 3 3 5 1 - K A N S A S C I T Y K A N S 6 6 1 0 3

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followed by a self-counting proceaure in which the suuject counted ana recordea each utterance of the expletive. 'The nurnoer of exp le t i ves during this intervention decelerated a t the rate of /3.5 p e r week. l ' h e l a s t 5 d a t a po in t s indicated zero expletives chrring tne class period. A ~ase l ine phase was rar ls t i tuted and proauced

a n a r a p i dan i ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ e a i a t e a c c e l e r a t i o n of expletives. Due to this rapid increase, the self-counting procedure was reintroauceu. During this phase, the expletives decelerated t o zero a t tne rate of /id per week.

'These data suggest that self-counting 111a57 be an effect ive means of treating imiviuuals who have ueen diagn~sed as having Gilles de la Touret te synarome. Further research is neeaeu, however, t o determirle if se11-counting can reduce t h e l r e q u e n c y of o the r i ~ i a n i f e s t a t i o n s of t h i s disorder.

William 11. Evans is an assistant professor o i Spec i a l Euucation a t the University of West Florida, Pensacola, Florida a L5U4. Susan S. Evans is an eaucational consultant in Pensacola, Ploriaa.

WE WEKE SPELL BOUND

Denise M. Wright r'loriua State University

On illy initial visit t o Fairview I~~liacileSchool's S p e c i i i c Learn ing b isao i l i t i es class, i t was urougr~tL O nly attention by orle of the teachers trrat Lavoris, a sixth grade student, consistently receivecl failing scores on weekly spelling tests. 'I'r~ese tests were given in Lavoris' Language Arts class. The reason for the failing scores was due t o the oi~~ission or insertion of letters in words, proaucing a r~ign frequency of spelling errors. As a resul t oi this inforination, I decided t o work wit11 Lavoris for two hours per week uuring a six week perioa, in!ple~iienting various teaching strategies t o i n c r e a s e t h e a c c u r a c y of, h i s spelling.

'1'0 a c h i e v e t h e u l t i m a t e goal of increasing Lavoris' hear worcl/vdrite w oru spe l l ing ( t h e inethou used during the weekly spelling tests), three strategies were i~plernentecl. A record of Lavoris' progress was Kept using the Stanaard Celeration Chart. During the f i rs t vdeeKs of da ta collection, I ielt i t was necessary to assess trle nuii~uer of \torcis Lavoris cwlu see/say from a selected list ol UU words. Un eacn ten i~iinute timing, Lavoris cc r r ec t ly s e e / s a i d X U of o U worus, with a I r e ~ u e n c y 01 2 correc t and 4 incorrect woras p e r x i n u t e . 'I 'hese r e s u l t s i nd i ca t ed tha t Lavoris could not see/say the

selected woras accurately.

In view of the uifficulties Lavoris had, the use of picture cues was iri.pleniented as t he i i r s t teaching strategy. One picture cue, selected iron^ a ~~lagazirie or urawn ~y Lavoris, was paired with the word i t represented. Lavoris' task was t o loo^ at each picture and orally spell the wora r epresentea. With each sicceeaing session, the total nu~iluer of pictures presented increaseu. Lavoris' see pic ture/say word spelling accuracy irnyroveu (see Chart I).

Tnen, I i e l t i t was necessary for Lavoris t o aavance to the next steps in achieving our goal of hear ing words /wr i t ing , words c o r r e c t l y . 'I'herefore, new s t ra teg ies were implemented. Lavoris was askea t o select 3U words to work on during the next phases. h e chose 34 woras. This selection established the static aim of 34 words t o ue spellea accurately during movement oased

All p i c t ~ i r e cues were orliitteu during the next two phases. For a period of one week, da ta were collected t o assess Lavoris' hear word/say hord spelling accuracy. During the i ina l week ol uata collection, I assessed hear word/write woru. Chart 1 shows tha t Lavoris' accuracy ililprov&.

Lavoris anu I were ooth extremely proud of his steacly progress; how ever, our proudest niornent ca i~ le in a uitter-sweet victcry. Lavoris attain& tlie estaulishecl s tat ic aim of 34 spelling words written correctly on the uay I was scheaulea to c o r ~ ~ p l e t ea a t a c o l l e c t i o n aria c o n c l u a e our sessions. nad time permitted, the next phase wculu have concentrated on the use of strategies t o increase Lavoris' speed in completing this t a m

I uecicled to coinpare the spelling performance of Yolanaa, a s ixth grade s tudent who was n o t enrolled in a special eaucation class, with that of Lavoris. Yolanaa was aescriued by Lavoris' Lang,uai; e A r t s teacher as an "average sixth graae speller." Each day auring the t h r ee day periou of aa ta collection, I saia the same 34 worus t o Yolanda in random order. Yolanda was asked t o write the woras as fast and accurately as possible. Fro111 Chart 1 i t i s ev ident t h a t Yolanaa's and Lavoris' s p e d performances were sinilar. In addition, Lavoris was considerably inore accurate.

Denise b!. Wright is a student oi Iblar~ Koorlanc's a t r'loriaa State University. She resides at '1153 Irving Scott Drive, ~ac~sonv i l l e , Florida dxSU9.

Journal of Precision Teaching, Vol. IV, No. 1, Spring, 1583

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NOTES FROM THE EDITOR

Patrick McGreevy

Welcome t o Volume IV of the Journal. If you are a new subscriber, a special welcome goes out to you.

The Journal needs manuscripts and chart-sharing articles. Don't be h e s i t a n t t o submi t your material.

We w i l l b e e x p e r i m e n t i n g w i t h a f e w mod i f i ca t i ons t o our review po l i cy . T h e modifications a r e indicated in bold print. Each formal manuscript will De sent t o a pr imary reviewer. This person, along with two others d e s i g n a t e d by h e r / h i m , w i l l r e v i e w t h e manuscript. The review process is "blind." Each reviewer w i l l make suggested changes on t h e manuscript ana select one of the three options: (1) I recommend publishing the manuscript "as is1'; (2) I recommend publish& the manuscript after the suggestea changes are made, or (3) I do not recommend puolishing this manuscript. The primary reviewer will consolidate the reviews. If a l l t h r e e r e v i e w e r s s e l e c t opt ion ( I ) , t h e manusc r ip t will b e s e n t t o t h e ed i to r fo r publishing in the next available issue. If two or inore reviewers select option (Y), the manuscript wi l l be rejected and will be returned t o the au tho r t s ) . If t w o r e v i e w e r s s e l e c t a n y combination of options (1) and (2), the primary reviewer will consolidate t he Suggested changes on one copy. S/he will contact the editor and learn the identity of the author@), The primary reviewer will then be responsible for working with the authds) to see that these changes are understood and incorporated into a revision of the manuscript. Once this revision i s approved by the primary reviewer, it will be sent to the editor for publishing in the next available issue.

These lnodif ications will continue t o insure a "blindtt review while increasing the important information tha t is shared in JPT. It will also he lp each of u s become b e t t e r P r e c i s i o n Teachers.

If ar t ic les that include the Standard Celeration Chart or make reference t o Precision Teaching a r e published in other journals at. books, please le t us know so that we can pass the information along t o cur readers.

CURRICULUM Marie Eaton

One of the ir~teresting topics of discussion a t the recent Precision Teaching Conference in Orlando was the use of SAFMEDS t o teach aaul ts ana children basic content for a variety of courses. SAFMEDS are a variation on the old f lashcards t ha t we used t o learn our math facts when we were in grade school. Ogden Lindsley coined the new term t o avoid any old learned behaviors we may have retained in the use of flashcards and to remind us how t o use the cards. SAFMEDS s t a n d s f o r Say A11 E a s t Minute E a c h p a y Shuff led . Ogden Lindsley, BOD Bower, S teve Graf and others have been using SAFMEDS for quite a while t o help their s tudents in college courses . During the discussion, some of t he folks dfered t o share the SAFMEDS they have prepared with o thers who a re teaching similar content.

Below is a listing of some of the SAFlVlEDS that those who were at tending were in te res ted in snaring. Others did not find the time a t the conlerence t o give me their lists. If you a r e using SAFMEDS a t any level of curriculum and are willing t o share them with others, please senci a listing of the topic areas and the number of items you include. The items do not have t o be in card format. Send them to: Marie Eaton, Department of Education, Western Washington University, Bellingham, WA 98225 and we'll list them in the next column.

lblada Kay Morehead Washington School District 8blU N 19th Ave Phoenix, AZ 8bU21

Probe Construction (100 items) Formative Evaluation (120 items) Direct Inslruction (100 items) Reading , IVlath,Spelling, H a n d w r i t i n g , Language Sampling (100 i terns)

Jim Pollard Merrimack Special Ed Collaborative 101 M i l l Road Chelmsford, MA 01824

Fractions, Decimals & Minute/ Secona Equivalents Teaching Self Care and Chaining Skills (Back chaining, cueing, prompting, practice, toileting) Physical Therapy (how physically handicapping conditions impact on instnrction) Orientation (the agency's policy manual) National Electric Code Tne Intel 8U8U Microchip (CPU) Manual TSI Personal Computer Manual

Journal of Precision Teaching, Vol. IV, No. 1, Spring, 1983 1 9

Claudia lVlcDade Chuck Olander Center for Individualized Instruction Jacksonville State University

SAFMEDS for the following courses: Psy B U U Intro t o Behavioral Statistics Psy 335 Personality Theories BY 36U Pathophysiology

Marie Eaton Sheila Pox Western Washington University Bellingharn, WA 98225

Precision Teaching V o c a ~ (50 items) Movement Cycle Vocab (45 items) Probe Construction (40 items) Learning Hierarchy (4U items) Celeration - Read slopes Celeration - draw slopes Data Decisions Is intervention needed? (40 items)

Data Decisions Choose intervention (40 items)

Principles of Behavior (4U items)

COMPUTERS

Bill W a l k i n g , Steve Graf & John Eshleman

Active exploration and d e b a t e t yp i f i e s t h e i n t e r f a c e b e t w e e n P rec i s ion Teach ing and microcomputer technology. One thing i s clear, Precision Teachers a r e not going t o make an automatic, knee-jerk jump t o microcomputer technology. They want t o make sure that the benefits gained are not outweighed by liabilities, p a r t i c u l a r l y in te rms of constraints on f r e e o p e r a n t movements . Many mic rocompu te r p rog rams present tasks a t r a t e s which place severe limitations on the s tudent 's ability t o r e s p o n d f l u e n t l y . h o w e v e r , s o m e program-omputer combinations a r e capable of p r e s e n t i n g problems a t we l l above 300 per minute--ample f o r t h e fu l l deve lopment of fluency and i t s side benefits for Inany academic *ills.

More and more Precision Teachers showed an in te res t in, or use of, microcomputers a t the 1 983 Precision Teaching Winter Conference in Orlando. Og Linasley continued t o promote the Apple 11+ a s the s tandard microcomputer for Precision Teachers. John Eshelrnan presented some stimulating work on a program capable of changing contingencies of reinforcement as a consequence oi t he s tudent 's performance and learning. Educational software which learns as a function of student performance is an important trend. Precision Teachers are probably the only

ones with in easurement technology sophisticated enougn to support the development of iunctional self-modifying instructional soi tware. Steve Grai ana Jack Auman presented the l a t e s t version of the i r progralr~ t o e n a ~ l e teachers t o prac t ice data-oased decisions in a greatly condensed time iralnework. Bill Wollting demonstrated the use of "visi-calc type1' programs f o r ana lyz ing and summarizing information on la rge quantities ot Precision Teaching da t a . S t u d e n t t each ing outcome d a t a can be conveniently digested by supervisors and used t o set new contingencies for student teachers with this program.

Charles Olander and Claudia McDade presented tneir l a t e s t work applying direct, continuous and frequency-~ased measurement technology t o a un ive r s i t y l ea rn ing c e n t e r . Chuck Meroitz showed how t o rig a hand-held microcomputer t o De the brains of a system for automatic data collection on movement frequencies and pa t te rns fo r t h e phys ica l ly a i sab led . Chuck's work demonstrates one more way t o ge t sophisticated and r e l e v a n t d a t a on important problems in natural settings.

A popular event a t the PT Winter Conference was a "microcomputer program share session." Ray Beck has an Apple I1+ program t o generate curriculum slices using either w ords, sentenc es or math facts . This program i s easy t o use and shculd De of great help t o teachers who need t o g e n e r a t e original curriculum slices for their s tudents and eliminate merriorized f i r s t rows. (Ray Beck, D i r ec to r , G r e a t Falls Precision Teaching Project, Box 2428, Great Falls, Montana 3 9 4 0 1 ) Nearly 600 references on PT covering the years Detween 1364 and 1982 are available on an Apple 11+ d i s ~ e t t e from John Eshelrnan. Books, journa l and n e w s l e t t e r a r t i c l e s a r e included. Applewriter is used t o print these files. (John Eshleman, Celerationwar e, 1064 VanVoorhis Rd, Morgantown, W V 26505) Michele Buss will share a TRS-8U (mod HI) program tha t provides practice, timings and printed reports of progress in learning PT facts and names. About 330 t e r m s and f a c t s a r e included with the program. Add your own terms or use for other items. (Michele Buss, Special Education, Univ. of Florida, Gainesville, FL 3 2611)

There were games galore a t the program share session. O n e g i r l was heving a good t i m e playing wi th Verb Vipers, a Developmental Learning Materials publication. This and o ther programs in the series combine the fun and speed of arcade games with educational skills content. S e e Cha f f in , Maxwell & Thompson ARD-ED Curriculum,Exceptional Children, 1983, 49(2) , 173-79. More on this series in future columns.

Happy microcomputing! Keep sending your l a t e s t info on PT and n~icroeomputirg to: Bill Wolking,

20 Javnal af Precision T e a c m , Vol. N, No. 1, Spring, 19 83

Special Education, Univ. of Florida, Gainesville, EL 32611.

Carl Binder and Charles Merbitz

Greetings t o Precision 'Leachas in RehaDilitation! We have just finished the Third Annual Precision Teaching Winter ConSerence in Orlanao, Plor ida (March 9-12, 1383), and as always i t was exciting and instructive t o meet. In addition t o t h e presentations that were lauelled "rehauilitation," Charted data from other contexts offered lessons for rehatilitation as well . The communication of the Standard Celeration C h a r t aga in vas t l y transcends the labels we use t o divide people.

Coming up nex t i s t h e Nin th Annual ABA convention, in Milwaukee. Let us see a lot of Precision Teaching presentations, symposia, and mee t ings a t this ABA and even more a t the next. Also, as long as you'll be in Milwaukee, why aon' t you come t o Chicago a day before ABA and tour the Rehabilitation Institute? Call o r w r i t e Chuck Merbitz if you could make a pr e-ABA visit. Finally, we want your suggestions, comments, and concepts f a - this column. You don't have t o be formal--a postcard w i l l do. Send material t o either of us!

Carl Binder Precision Teaching & Management Systems, Inc. P.O. Box 169 Nonantum, MA 02195

Char1 es M erbitz Roolr1 981 Rehaoilitation Institute of 345 East Superior Chicago, IL 60611 (312) 649-6397

Chicago

ADMINISTRATIVE CHARTS

Skip Berquam, w i t h l o t s of h e l p from Tom Anderson, of Port Angeles, Washington, Gary Meyerson, of Poway, California, and Abiga i l CaUtin, somewhere in Kansas

The Third Annual (Final?) Precision Teaching Winter Conference in Orlando is histcry, and in the coming months I predict you w i l l see the phrase ''..at the Winter Conference in Orlando..!' appear in these pages between 6 ana 12 times (xn is narmal range, right Owen?), judging by the number of references made af te r the f i rs t two Winter Conferences (yes, Miss Buslee, that was all one sentence [Miss Buslee was my high school

English teacher (who wasn't 1 U U % successful in teaching me cornpcsition and grammar)^, which is a gooa inaication tha t sorne worthwhile ideas vv ere exchanged (I personally exchanged sev era1 of my own ideas ) , and tha t the Conference serves to promote communication. (I know, thank goodness for a period.) [I wouldn't touch that l ine with a ten foot pole (not t o ment ion a seven foot Czech)J. Thanks to Ron and everyone in Orange County for a job well done, and for your kind thoughts and regards. I should b e Pack t o work in a month or so.

During the Conference I haa the opportunity t o visit with several precision administrators, t o ~ ~ S C U S Sadrr l inis trat ive d a t a , ana countable behaviors (yes, I suppose a l l behav io r s a r e coun tao l e ) . 'l'ne tollowing composite l i s t of behaviars is the result of sharing by a number of people. I have tried, rather unsuccessfully t o this point, t o provide a structure or organization t o the list . I'm sure that structure is a logical next step, and will De forthcoming. For now, will merely relate the list we have t o date.

1. Classrooms visited. 2. Student discipline contacts. 3. Parent contacts. 4. Teacher contacts. 5. Phone calls; number and duration. 6. Paperwork forms sent home. 7. Referrals far special help. 8. Parent conferences. Y. Number of teacher/administratcr meetings.

10. Duration of meetings. 11. Administrative interruptions of classroonis. 12. Teacher absences. 13. Student aosences. 14. HealtNaccident referrals. 15. Number of days with no discipline problems. 16. Hours/meetings far staf'f development. 17. Number/type of comments a t staff meetings. 18. Parent/community vis i tas t o school. 19. Volunteer hours. 20. Minutes p e r d a y s p e n t on p ro fe s s iona l

reading/writing. 21. Number of teachers charting. 22. NumDer of suggestions t o try charting. 2s. Number of non-mandated p r o c e d u r e s or

programs in use. 24. Positive/negative s t a t e m e n t s in teachers '

workroom. 25. Lunch count, f ree lunch, cold lunch, etc. 26. Grade distributions. 27. Supply use, such as ditto paper, pencils, etc. 26. School bus rides, problems, distances. X Y . Enrolhents Dy grade, schoal, area, d i~ t r ic t . 3U. Number of reports and memos. 31. Special a c t i v i t y p a r t i c i p a t i o n ; b a n d ,

athletics, etc. 32. Testing data. 33. Budget data; accounting, projections. 34. Amount of copy paper (or other supplies)

Journal of Precision Teaching, Vol. IV, No. 1, Spring, 1983 2 1

I

used. 35. Amount of time spent at computer. 36. Number and type oi decisions made. 37. Library use: Number of bocks chec~ed out;

numDer of users; overdue books; lost books; periodicals.

38. Birtn rates and enrollment projections.

There are, of course, categories of administrator behavior that would group these pinpoints. As those categories are defined, they will elicit more pinpoints for each of them. Some of these p inpoints a r e a self management t y p e of behavior. (See Car l Binder's Data Sharing Newsletter, and ADigail Calkin's work on inner behaviors for some excellent information on this topic .)

In choosing a pinpoint, i t probably makes sense to identify the general area of concern. This w i l l help specify the pinpoint. If, for example, horne/school or community/school communication is of ruajor concern, several pinpoints come to mind. Number of newsletters ar reports, number of phone ca l l s in i t ia ted , number of parent meetings scheduled, number of school visitors-- each of these could help monitar communication.

One of the keys t o making use of data is the way i t is organized or sorted. In counting any of the above pinpoints or related behaviors, i t may be very meaningful t o keep track of things like positive or negative, time of day or day of week, subject being taught, weather conditions; details about the s e t t i n g t h a t could b e t t e r describe the pinpoint should be recorded.

If you are a manager or administrator reading this column, presumaDly you are a data ariented person. How about sharing some of your ideas on count ing? If you a re a teacher or other professional with a supervisor who is no t a "counter," s tar t a project for your supervisor that illustrates the effectiveness of some direct data.

Next issue: Improving administrator behavior using the Standard Celeration Chart, a balance bearn, and the Solunar Tables.

CALL FOR PAPERS

This is a request far submission of manuscripts to be considereci for publication in a topical, d t e d volume on Precision Teaching. The topic for Volume I of this series concerns the general e f f e c t s of a Precis ion Teaching model of instruction.

Data-based rn anuscrip ts concerning experimental studies or comparisons of resul ts Detween a Precision Teaching moael and other instructional

models will be considered. For the purposes of this volume, a Precision Teaching model is one which uses one or more of t h e fo l lowing con~ponent s

(1)Practice and measurement strategies based on frequency of response;

(2) Chart-basea monitcring and feedback; (3) High frequency performance; (4) High rate of growth.

Data concerning the following populations are of interest:

(1)The mildly handicapped; (2) The mare seriously handicapped; (3) Preschool and public school classes; (4) Vocational settings; (5) College and graduate courses; ( 6 ) Adult education and training; ('I ) Technical training.

The following types of manuscripts would generally not be appropriate for the c u r r e n t volum e:

(I) Individual or small N studies, unless specific comparisons have been made between Precision Teaching components and other instructional strategies;

( 2 ) Studies using Precision Teaching methods to compare or evaluate the effects of different ~~iaterials procedures.or

Please submit manuscripts ar a prospectus with sample data to the editars of this monograph:

Marie D. Eaton, Ph.D. Special Education Western Washington University Bellingham, Washington 98225

Skip Berquam, Ph.D. 1525 West Seventh Port Angeles, Washington 98362

ANNOUN CEMENT

Researchers in Precision Teaching w i l l present information on recent developments, including appl ica t ion with both mildly and severe ly h a n d i c a p p e d p o p u l a t i o n s . PRECISION TEACHING: COMPUTERS AND OTHER RECENT DEVELOPMENTS is a special workshop t o be offered June 7-10, 1983, in Billings, Montana. Drs. Kathleen Liberty, Tom Lovitt and Ray Beck will be ins t ructors . 3 c r e d i t s availaole. Contact: Dr. Chris O'Connell-Mason, Institute for Habil i tat ive Services, Eas tern Montana College, 1500 N. 30th, Billings MT 591014298, ( 4 ~ 6 )b57-2351. Registration $60; continuing education credit $30. Dorm space available a t b7/day.

Journal of Precision Teach@, Vol. IV, No. 1, Spring, 1983

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Teaching and Learning in Plain English by Patrick IVlcGreevy, Ph.D.

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children, who, by sharing t h e i r Charts, taught us what we know.

Volume 4 Number 1 CoverEditorial Review Board

Editorial PolicyParallel Between Frequency Testing and Performance on Essay Questions in a Theories of Personality CourseAbstractMethodSubjects and SettingProcedure

ResultsDiscussionReferencesChart 1. A Student's Performance on Flash Card or Computer Frequency Testing in a Theories of Personality CourseChart 2. A Student's Performance on Essay Questions in a Theories of Personality Course

Variability: An Aid in the Assessment of the Effectiveness on Training ProceduresAbstractMethodSubjects and SettingApparatus

ProceduresFigure 1. Experimental DesignChart 1. Measuring Up Bounce, Down Bounce...Chart 2. The Most Typical Celeration and "Celeration Course" for all 8 Subjects...Table 1DiscussionReference NotesReferencesChart 3. Subject 2's Most Typical Total Task (TT) Performance (Trial 6) Chart 4. Subject 2's Most Typical Backward Chaining (BC) Performance (Trial 8)

Chart SharingA Computerized Math Deficit RemediationChart 1. Using Microcomputers to Teach Multiplication Facts

Self-Counting in the Treatment of Gilles De La Tourette SyndromeChart 1. Self-counting Decelerates Expletives

We Were Spell BoundChart 1. Lavoris' Spelling and how it Compares to Yolanda's Spelling

About PTNotes From The EditorCurriculumComputersRehabilitationAdministrative ChartsCall for PapersAnnouncementPlain English Publications Order Form

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