Owning Own Education: Project Report
PROJECT REPORT
1. Team members and
course(s): Identify name of
course instructor; name(s)
of teaching consultant(s)(no
more than 2); and course
department, number, and
title.
2.
3.
4.
Teaching goal & specific
learning outcome: Describe
the teaching goal and
identify the specific course
learning outcome the new
teaching strategy addressed
(see Writing Good Learning
Objectives).
Program & Institutional
Learning Outcomes:
Identify a) the GE outcome
and/or Major Learning
Outcome (MLO) AND b) the
Institutional Learning
Outcome (ILO) most
relevant to the specific
course learning outcome
named above.
Project Description:
Provide a detailed
description of the new
teaching strategy,
implementation, and
assessment.
Sean Senechal
Sean Senechal will implement teaching Psy 110: Human Biology and Behavior.
Consultants: Psychology Dept. Chair: Jennifer Dyer-Seymour,
Instructor: Jennifer Woolfoot teaches Psy 330 Cognitive Psychology.
Teaching goal is to improve students own learning and education. This will be
implemented during the course Nervous System/Brain teaching module topic CHANGING
OPERANT BEHAVIOR (Applied Behavior Analysis).
The learning outcome is that students will be able to identify behaviors that impede or
enhance their ownership, then develop, implement, and monitor a strategy to change the
behavior. They will learn that they can change their own behavior to improve learning.
a)
(MLO) students apply psychological (behaviorism) principles to personal
issues
AND
b) (ILO) find and use the most relevant information literacy, as they pursue
finding information in the area they need to master.
Project Description, Strategy, and Assessment:
The project strategy was slightly modified during the semester (explained below) as
needed to improve the outcome for the students.
Description: After the instructor provided conceptual interactive lecture on Applied
Behavior Analysis (ABA), focusing on theory and methods of changing operant behavior,
students were presented with a project (with goals and expectations detailed) to improve
their ownership of their education and learning. The concept of plasticity of the brain and
impact on behavior was a focus. The students were educated on this topic and
expectations (skills they will aim to achieve). They were asked to come up with their own
definition of ‘owning their education’ as well as the assumptions they had about school
and methods to own education. An example of a behavior and process was modelled for
them. The instructor guided the students through the entire process (selecting their
behavior goal, noting their current behaviors -that impede or enhance ownership-, and
provide a list of ABA techniques used to change behavior, etc.). The instructor facilitated
the students coming up with their own concepts, process, and skills. The students will
have a discussion (PRETEST) and post (POSTEST) interview questions regarding owning
education and brain and behavior plasticity.
Strategy: The new teaching strategy was to have the students a) define, use, evaluate,
and report on the newly learned ABA concepts and methods for changing behavior, on a
Owning Own Education: Project Report
Sean Senechal
b) behavior they wanted to change and c) that ultimately might enable them to own their
own education and learning.
Strategies students used to change behavior included 1) managing the environment,
motivation, and 2) consequences (positive and negative reinforcement and punishment).
Course Lectures/Discussion: Starting with another domain of their choice (sports, etc.),
students listed all areas they considered relevant to this concept, what they were good at,
what they needed work on, how they gained skill at some behaviors, how they ended up
needing work in others (e.g., practice, natural skill, motivation, asked for and received
help, models, how deal with setbacks, etc.) Once these were identified, the domain
switched to ‘owning their education.’ This was incorporated into the personal to global
perspective: person, peers, family, neighborhood, society, culture, and world.
Assignment: After the class defined ‘owning’ in their other domains, we switched to the
education domain. The students’ assignment required they do the following.
1) Identify a specific behavior that impedes, or identify a behavior they do not yet have
skill on enabling them to own, their education and learning.
2) Next, used principles of behavior change from ABA theory and research. They identified
and prioritized methods to change that behavior.
3) The students will detail (with faculty facilitation/guidance) which and how they can
apply these methods to the behavior they want to change, and how they will measure,
track, and document the behavior change and outcome.
4) Students implemented this process for a 10 days, with faculty guidance and feedback
(1-1 and in groups of 2, and 3 class discussions/group activities).
Of the two classes that participated, one class was instructed to provide peer feedback
and reinforcement through text (‘great job on this task,’ ‘keep trying, almost there,’ ‘I am
stuck, help.’
Assessment: Students were to write a short paper (provided with a document template
guide) on the whole process including explaining the initial behavior they wanted to work
on, goals, process, data collection, results, and reflection, which notes future potential
modifications they could make that support success. Student assessment included how
appropriately each student 1) set goals 2) followed instructions, 3) used techniques
provided, gave feedback and reinforcement to others 4) applied methods (measured,
tracked, and documented behavior), 5) implemented for the 10 days, 6) reported results,
and analyzed as required, and 9) reflected on their behavior, including discussion of their
takeaway (why their behavior was (or not) changed, and what they would do differently
next time, etc.), but the main focus was: did they conclude they could change their
behavior, and that owned their own learning (or generalize it to owning their own ‘life’).
This (#9) was the key result that determined the success of the project.
5.
Assessment results:
Present assessment results.
Results may be quantitative
and/or qualitative.
Students were asked to provide feedback (and suggestions for next round) on the entire
process, what they felt worked or not to help them own their education.
Assessment Evaluation: The students’ information was evaluated by noting the answers
they provided to a questionnaire, the data sheets they used, and a graph of the data.
We used a simple rubric to evaluate answers. They wrote a paper (answering questions)
that provided this information. The last question asked what their ‘take-away’ was?
Rubric: 1. Choose and define behavior.
2. Track/graph daily 10 days
Owning Own Education: Project Report
Sean Senechal
3. Reflection: answering questions (key ones listed above). Focus: What
did they ‘take away’ from this exercise? We asked for feedback on the entire
process.
Based on the answers, we concluded the final results, conclusion, shortcomings, and
future changes.
a. Did they correctly apply basic principles of ABA (rubric) to their project?
Most students learned and applied the principles of changing behavior. (A few students
did not accurately define measurable behavior (instead noting non-behavior descriptions).
Students in most cases successfully applied reinforcement to change behavior; about half
who increased target behavior actually mastered the new wanted behavior. Very few
students made no progress.
Students learned the interventions/methods that worked best for them (managing the
environment, finding actual reinforcements that worked, etc.)
Buddy texting reminders were used in one section. Many students found this useful and
motivating; others found it a major distraction. (This was not applied consistently amongst
buddies in the class.)
b. Did they identify, track, and change the selected behavior.
Students handed in assignment showed that they identified, observed, measured and
graphed (a few had difficulty with the graphs) their data results. Most students apparently
accurately tracked behavior by frequency per day, or number of time per opportunity. (A
few had difficulty with this concept.) *Whether the data was accurately tracked and was
verifiable was not addressed in this round.
c. Did they conclude that behavior can be changed?
Several students commented that just observing their environment, behavior, and
consequences (reward/punishment) enabled them to be more conscious of choices they
made, and made it easier than the change their behavior.
Many students noted that indeed behaviors (those affecting their learning) can change.
Some noted the importance of reward/punishment, but found reinforcements by just
acknowledging how much they wanted to do something correctly. Some generalized this
concept and became aware of the significance of even simple decisions they made in their
daily life, and how that impacted their learning.
d. Did they conclude they owned learning/or generalize to owning their own lives?
Students actively observed, measured, and reflected on their own behavior that impacted
learning. They were asked to reflect (and write) on how the behavior impacted their
learning and life. They made decisions on how to change behaviors relative to goals.
Several students expressed they learned they can own their behavior and learning. For
some it was easy, gradual, but for others hard. Several students took away the main point
of the exercise-they own their education. In addition, many students generalized this to
their lives: they reflected that they could apply what they had learned about behavior
Owning Own Education: Project Report
Sean Senechal
change (for learning) to other areas of their life. These quotes from 2 different students
capture this outcome:
“My biggest take-away from this exercise is that I am responsible for myself and I need to
take control of things that I sometimes think that is out of my control. I know that can
change a bad habit into a good one now and that is a very satisfying feeling for me.”
“That even with other people helping me it really is up to me.”
Conclusion:
Overall, the project was successful in meeting the goals. Students did understand and
apply ABA methods to identify, track and change their behavior. Students realized they
could change their behavior, and most importantly, many concluded they either owned
their own behavior, learning, or even lives.
This last unexpected, but encouraging, outcome was that students generalized --owning
their education to owning their lives.
6.
7.
Limitations: Identify
limitations of project,
including limitations of
assessment strategy.
Future work: Describe ideas
for improving the teaching
strategy and/or assessment.
Faculty and student feedback/reflection was used to identify the limitations and consider
modifications to the strategy and assessment for next round of this project.
1. Multiple behaviors were used in the classes overall. Students picked their own
behaviors to change, thus providing 1-1 guidance on that behavior was difficult. Multiple
class discussions used student examples, but this was not efficient, nor did it serve
students the best.
2. Some students claimed they understood the concepts (Antecedent, Behavior,
Consequence) but in class discussion, quick write (formative/informal quiz) or submitted
materials missed concepts, data tracking, and graphing processes.
3. The project length was too short to allow in depth understanding of concepts,
methods, and implementation. Though students obtained some feedback from class
discussion and 1-1 discussion with the faculty, the students did not have the time to
revise their study after elaborate feedback. Although the faculty was available and
requested students come in with any difficulties, several did not take this opportunity, but
noted on the reflection they had trouble with some aspect of the project.
4. The data was not verifiable, nor was accuracy checked.
5. There was no post-study in-depth class discussion sharing the ‘take away,’ which would
have provided insight sharing amongst all. This might have increased the awareness of all
students of the potential for generalizing using their ‘owning education’ more broadly to
‘owning their own lives.’
6. Questionnaire was qualitative and subjective. Most questions were not within the
reflection easily objectively countable/rated answers. This made the conclusions less
rigorous.
1. Instead of using individual variable behavior, we can ask the whole class to use one
behavior, such as procrastination. One other behavior can be available for those few
who do not procrastinate.
2. Disperse for 3 months the lecture/discussion of concepts, data tracking, graphing,
and answering reflection questions throughout the semester. Provide formative
assessment in the first half of the semester to assure understanding.
3. Project length can be extended for 3 months. Integrate this project with the
laboratory on Scientific Method. In the first ½ of the project provide an example for
students to work on (from concept to conclusion) together, before having them work
Owning Own Education: Project Report
8.
Literature cited: (optional)
Provide full references for
any literature cited in
report.
Sean Senechal
on their own behavior in the 2nd half of the semester. Provide many class sessions
where students review their process, data, and results, with the class and in small
groups. Provide multiple opportunities for elaboration/explanation of concept and
process. Provide at least one change to submit their work and then with peer and
faculty feedback revise it.
4. Have buddy system where students can pair up to check the accuracy and verifiability
of their data.
5. At the end of the project, provide individual presentation period where students
present their project, and receive feedback/discussion and sharing of ‘take away.’
6. Revise the reflection questionnaire such that there are additional easily countable
answers, results, and reflections. Include an open-ended question on other
comments the students can make about the assignment.
Literature relevant to this project include:
Bristol, M. M. and Sloane, H. N. (1974), EFFECTS OF CONTINGENCY CONTRACTING ON
STUDY RATE AND TEST PERFORMANCE. Jnl of Applied Behav Analysis, 7: 271–285.
doi: 10.1901/jaba.1974.7-271
Perrin, C. J., Miller, N., Haberlin, A. T., Ivy, J. W., Meindl, J. N., & Neef, N. A. (2011).
Measuring and reducing college students’ procrastination. Journal of Applied Behavior
Analysis, 44: 463–474. doi: 10.1901/jaba.2011.44-463
McMichael, J. S., & Corey J.R. (1969). Contingency management in an introductory
psychology course produces better learning. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 2: 7983.