University of Wisconsin Platteville
Office of Continuing Education
Course Syllabus
BCaBA
Title:
Assessment for BCaBAs
Number:
TBD
Semester:
Credits/Contact Hours: 3 Undergraduate Credits / 45 Contact Hours
Days and dates:
Times:
Location:
TBD
TBD
TBD
Instructor:
Office Address:
City/State/Zip
Office Phone:
E-mail Address:
Office Hours:
Dr Roger Bass
262-853-1951
BassBehavioralConsulting@gmail.com
TBD
Prerequisites:
Program
Acceptance into the Behavior Analysis Certification
(BCaBA).
Course Description
*Description: At least the following assessment procedures commonly
used in Behavioral Education will be studied:
-Functional Behavior Analysis.
-Methodologies used in efficacy studies (e.g., effect sizes, metaanalysis, how single-subject designs address these issues, etc.)
-Time Sampling (including agreement statistics, observer
training, agreement-vs-accuracy data, etc.)
-Checklists (e.g., BRP, SSRS, etc.)
-Commonly used assessments in autism, developmental
disabilities and severe emotional disturbance (e.g., VB-Mapping, A
-Reinforcement menus and their use in instruction and classroom
management.
-Interviewing techniques.
-ABC analyses.
-PlaCheck.
-Standard celeration data.
-Probability profiles and generativity.
-Measurements of relational frames, especially combinatorial
entailment.
Emphasis will be placed on developing unobtrusive, easily applied data
collection procedures that are sensitive to independent variables, dependent
variables, and control procedures.
Field work required: None
Texts
Ennio Cipani PhD and Keven M. Schock MA BCBA. Functional
Behavioral Assessment, Diagnosis, and Treatment, Second Edition: A
Complete System for Education and Mental Health Settings.
You will also need a course handbook with readings, reading
objectives, data collection sheets, Standard Celeration Charts, and projects.
Introduction to the Course
The structure of this class may be unlike any you have taken. Here are
the key elements starting with overall course structure and ending with the
elements of each class.
1. Overall Course Structure. The 18 weeks of this course will be
divided into nine 2-week modules. These modules will each address a
general area and consist of the following components:
(a) Reading objectives. Reading objectives are a reading assist.
They come in two types:
(1) Comments. Comments are my remarks that clarify,
extend, or correct your readings. They are fair game for test questions and
are considered to be part of the reading assignment.
(2) Questions. Questions addressing you readings are
posed and require you to provide a written answer.
Locating the material addressed by a reading objective. Reading
objectives are preceded by numbers that indicate the location of the material
being addressed. For example, "(122-123) indicate that the relevant
material is found on pages 122 and 123 whereas "(122,2-123,1) means that
the relevant passage is on page 122 paragraph 2 and extends to page 123
paragraph 1.
(b) SAFMEDS. "SAFMEDS" stands for "Say All Fast Minute Every
Day Shuffle" and consist of key terms and concepts that are provided on
cards. These will be studied cumulatively throughout the course.
(c) White boards. You will be given a dry erase board and magic
marker. During class, you will write answers to questions and present them
on the boards. Note that 15% of your grade is in-class participation—largely
measured as your accuracy when answering questions in this format.
(d) Project. Each module will have at least one project that
groups or individuals will complete.
(e) Module exam. Each module will terminate with an exam. This exam
will be given on the last day of each module.
(f) Day 1 module test. Each module will begin with a check test
over readings from that module. Questions may be posed prior to the test.
Passage is 90% or better. Less than 90% requires retaking and passing the
test prior to the end of the module.
(g) Course project: As part of Module 9, you will present a
project. This presentation should be in the form of a professional
presentation, as if you were presenting at a convention to a group of
teachers. You will prepare your project for easy viewing by the audience, the
key issues in your project will be succinctly stated, and you will field
questions from the audience, including the instructor.
The focus of this project is how to improve Improve a published study.
(2) Daily Class Structure. Each class period will be structured thus:
(a) SAFMEDS check test. (about 5 minutes) Each class will start
with a check test over the key concepts and vocabulary covered up to that
point. SAFMEDS cards will be tested cumulatively throughout the course.
These test scores will be recorded and count toward the final grade. You will
keep daily data on your SAFMEDS performance.
(b) Q/A discussion. (variable) Lecture will be largely replaced
with sets of questions I will ask and discuss with you. The entire class will
respond via the white boards described above. Often, students will write
their answers on blank cards and hold them up on the instructor's signal.
Participation and answer accuracy are part of the final grade. You will keep
data on your performance during class and record as per instructed by the
professor.
(c) Module Projects. Class members will either individually or in
small group work on projects related to the core issues addressed within a
module.
Grading
Grades will be weighted thus:
*Reading objectives: 25%
*Module Projects: 20%
*Check tests (SAFMEDS/Reading Objectives): 25%
*Lesson revision project: 20%
*In-class lesson presentations: 10%
*Class participation can add up to 15% additional credit or lower
your grade by 15% if absenteeism, obvious lack of preparation, etc. occur.
Grading follows this table:
100-90=A
80-89=B
70-79=C
60-69=D
59 and less=F
Grade remediation. You may remediate any grade by day 4 of the next
module. I will not accept remediation at any point later than that.
The amount of remediation possible is described in this table:
100-90=Total credit
80-89=3/4 credit
70 and below=1/2 credit
This sliding scale encourages all students to do their best on the first
attempt and makes it possible for anyone to pass the course with a C as
long as they achieve an initial grade of 47.
Test Preparation. Be sure to enclose the test or paper on which the
original error occurred. I will use this to evaluate your remediated version.
Late tests will be graded thus:
100-90=C
80-89=D
79 and less=F
Module
# (each
module is
two weeks)
Readings
Chapter 1: Basic
Concepts
1
Chapter 2: FBA
2
3
*Write a paper describing the
Science of Behavior for someone
unfamiliar with it.
*Complete reading objectives.
* Prepare SAFMEDS (these are
terms a the beginning of each
chapter of CHH)
*Review BACB Ethical Guidelines
* Write a set of taxonomically
balanced set of target behaviors.
*Taxonomy project in handbook
* Evaluate the use of published
timesampling procedures
Chapter 3: Functionbased Classification
System.
*Prepare to identify research
designs from examples
presented in class. Practice with
those in handbook.
Chapter 4: Replacement
Behavior Options
*Analyze vignettes into
contingencies (see handbook
exercises and preparation)
Chapter 5: Vignettes—
program development
practice
*Categorize vignettes’ based on
type of motivating operations
described.
*Create original vignettes
illustrating motivating
operations.
4
5
Chapter 5: More
vignettes and program
development
6
FBA Field Project—
develop FBA
7
8
Projects/Assignments
Complete FBA
*Describe applications of these
techniques in your current or
projected line of work.
*Write a task analysis for three
skills. Use stimulus equivalence
and relational frames in this (see
handbook).
*Describe applications of these
procedures.
* Complete an FBA (forms are in
handbook).
*Distinguish between basic
types of verbal behavior (e.g.,
BACB Tasklist
Emphases
A. __Ethical considerations.
B. B 3 Definitions,
principles, concepts
C. 2 Behavioral
assessment D .1 Behavior
change considerations
E. __Discretionary
A. __Ethical considerations.
B. B __Definitions,
principles, concepts
C. 6 Behavioral
assessment D .__Behavior
change considerations
E. __Discretionary
A. __Ethical considerations.
B. B __Definitions,
principles, concepts
C. 6 Behavioral
assessment D .__Behavior
change considerations
E. __Discretionary
A. __Ethical considerations.
B. B __Definitions,
principles, concepts
C. 6 Behavioral
assessment D .__Behavior
change considerations
E. __Discretionary
A. __Ethical considerations.
B __Definitions, principles,
concepts
C. 2 Behavioral
assessment
D .4 Behavior change
considerations
E. __Discretionary
A. __Ethical considerations.
B __Definitions, principles,
concepts
C. 6 Behavioral
assessment
D .__Behavior change
considerations
E. __Discretionary
A. __Ethical considerations.
B. B __Definitions,
principles, concepts
C. 3 Behavioral
assessment
D. 3 Behavior change
considerations
E. __Discretionary
A. __Ethical considerations.
B. B __Definitions,
Report FBA and program
suggestions to class
9
mands, tacts, intrverbals).
*Describe how to do V-Mapping.
*Describe how to ensure lasting
behavior change by using
resources in the environment
(content areas 8 & 10)
*Describe ethical responses to
problems described in vignettes.
Indicate how these ethical issues
affect the selection of behavior
change procedures.
principles, concepts
C. 3 Behavioral
assessment
D .3 Behavior change
considerations
E. __Discretionary
A. 2 Ethical considerations.
B. B __Definitions,
principles, concepts
C. __Behavioral
assessment
D .__Behavior change
considerations
E. __Discretionary
Totals
A. 5 Ethical considerations in behavior analysis
B. __Definitions and characteristics & principles, processes and concepts
C. 25 Behavioral assessment & selecting intervention outcomes strategies
D .15 Experimental evaluation of interventions & in measurement of behavior & displaying and
interpreting data
E. Behavior change procedures and systems support
NOTE: Students with impaired sensory, manual, or speaking skills are encouraged and have the responsibility to
contact the Office of Continuing Education toll free 888-281-9472 regarding reasonable accommodation needs.
Students requiring reasonable accommodation needs must be registered as a student with a disability. Please
contact Roxanne Johanning at the Continuing Education Office.