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| Train-to-Code: Using a Software System to Train Behavioral Coding Skills in Students or Staff |
| Friday, May 27, 2005 |
| 6:00 PM–9:00 PM |
| Boulevard B (2nd floor) |
| Area: PRA; Domain: Applied Research |
| CE Instructor: Roger D. Ray, Ph.D. |
| ROGER D. RAY (Rollins College), JESSICA M. RAY (Rollins College) |
| Description: This workshop introduces a software application, called Train-To-Code, designed to shape behavioral observation and coding skills. Observing behavior is a fundamental part of psychology and at the essence of Behavior Analysis. Yet skills required to be an effective and efficient observer are often under stressed in the process of training and education. Often there is not an efficient way to train reliable behavioral coders in the small amount of time available for staff or student training. This workshop is designed to give participants new ideas on how to conduct sampled and/or sequential descriptive behavioral coding and analysis in a concise manner. Issues in sampling vs continuous coding, sequential analysis, and inter-observer reliability measurement will be discussed. With the aid of this software system, participants will take an active role in constructing a coding scheme and loading it into the software system; will engage in coding a brief video so the file may be used as an expert reference for automated training feedback; and will learn how to access the detailed statistical analysis of behavioral sequences observed in the session. Further, inter-observer reliability scores, as measured by Cohens Kappa, will be demonstrated. |
| Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the workshop, the participant will be able to: - Use software-based shaping procedures to shape observational skills in someone else. - Apply behavioral principles to teach observational techniques in staff training situations - Build a simple behavioral coding scheme to use within the software system. - Link any external digital video file to the software for customizing the coding environment. - Use the four alternative modes of successive approximation to expert coding of a selected video. - Explain unconditional and conditional behavioral probabilities and their meaning to others. - Code and save a sample training file as well as measure the inter-observer reliability between this file and the expert reference file. |
| Activities: Activities will include an interactive review of observational foundations including methods of sequential analysis; introduction to and detailed use of new software which uses shaping principles to teach observation and coding skills; hands-on experience in creating coding schemes, actually coding behavior via a video, and analyzing session data. |
| Audience: Teachers and trainers who have a need for teaching others how to reliably identify and describe behavior in various settings. |
| Content Area: Practice |
| Instruction Level: Intermediate |