Task Analysis In education

1. Task Analysis In education Jason A Marshall Behavior Intervention Coaching & Consulting BICCCentral California

3. What is a Task Analysis? • A task analysis is an instructional methodology rooted in the science of applied behavior analysis and reliant on the basic principle of chaining.

4. Chaining • Refers to various methods for linking specific sequences of stimuli and responses to form new (and usually more complex) performances or responses. • Forward/backward/total task presentation

5. Rationale for Chaining • Teaches complex skills that allow individuals to function more independently • A way to add new behaviors to an existing behavioral repertoire • Can easily be combined with other procedures (prompting, instructions, reinforcement)

6. Task Analysis • Breaking a complex skill or series of behaviors into smaller, teachable units • The product of a task analysis is a series of sequentially ordered steps

7. Steps for Success 1) Construct a solid, detailed Task Analysis 2) Assess student’s current skill 3) Determine schedule and type of reinforcement needed 4) Develop teaching schedule

8. Constructing a Task Analysis • Notes: • Sequence one individual may use to perform skill may not be the same as another individual • Must be individualized according to • Age • Skill level • Disability • Prior experience • Some task analyses have a limited number of steps, but these steps may be broken down into subtasks

9. Constructing a Task Analysis • Methods: • Observe a competent individual perform the task • Consult with experts or persons skilled in performing the task • Perform the task yourself • Can refine it as you use it, if necessary

11. TASK ANALYSIS OF "PERFECT MARTINI MAKING"(By Bartendin' Bob Fisher) • Pre-Performance Gathering of Required Ingredients • 1.  One chilled martini glass2.  Beefeater gin - 4oz.3.  Martini & Rossi extra dry vermouth - quarter teaspoon4.  Stainless steel cocktail shaker with strainer5.  Stainless steel spoon or stirrer6.  Measuring cup7.  Measuring spoon8.  Ice (preferably from filtered water)9.  Spanish olive10.Toothpick    *Optional: Bowl of jumbo salted cashews to chew on.

12. Task Analysis Sequence for "The Perfect Martini" • 1.Place two martini glasses in the freezer for a minimum of 15 minutes.2. Place ice cubes into cocktail shaker.3. Pour four ounces of Beefeater gin in the cocktail shaker.4. Pour a quarter teaspoon of the vermouth into the cocktail shaker.5. Stir with stainless steel spoon or stirrer.6. Remove martini glass from the freezer.7. Impale one Spanish olive on a toothpick.8. Place the Spanish olive into the glass9. Pour the contents of the cocktail shaker through strainer to catch the ice (into glass #1).10. Repeat steps 2-9 into glass #2 11.Sit back and sip slowly.

13. Bed Time 10:00 and everyone is in bed Horatio is on the bed “Horatio, turn off the lights it’s bed time”

14. Bed Time • He jumps off the bed • Walks to the wall with the dimmer switch • Rears on hind legs • Right front paw makes contact with switch • Presses switch hard enough to turn off light • Returns to foot of the bed

15. Assessing Mastery Levels • Single-opportunity Method • Give cue to begin task • Record learner performance with + or - for each step • Assessment stops as soon as a step is performed incorrectly • Remaining steps are scored with a -

17. Assessing Mastery Levels • Multiple-Opportunity Method • Give cue to begin task • Record learner performance with + or - for each step • If a step is performed incorrectly, the trainer completes that step for the learner • learner continues to next step • Do NOT co-mingle teaching with assessment

19. Single vs. Multiple Method? • Single-Opportunity Method • More conservative • Gives less information • Quicker to conduct • Reduces likelihood of learning taking place during assessment • Multiple • Takes more time to complete • Provides trainer with more information • May make training more efficient by allowing trainer to eliminate instruction on already-learned steps

20. Factors Affecting Performance • Completeness of the task analysis • More complete, detailed task analyses tend to produce better learning • Time developing task analyses is well spent • Be ready/willing to modify it after it is constructed • Length/complexity of chain • Longer chains take more time to learn

21. Reinforcement Schedule • Schedule of reinforcement • Must use appropriate schedule • Consider number of responses in chain when determining the schedule • Extinction • Responses performed further from the reinforcer may become less likely(extinguish) • This interrupts the SD relation and can result in withering performance of the chain • Lesson: adjust reinforcement schedule accordingly (use intermittent schedules)

22. Factors Affecting Performance • Stimulus variation • Introduce all variations of the stimulus items to be encountered later to increase generalization of the chain • Response variation • Varied responses may be needed to deal with stimulus variation • This may require some retraining of responses

23. Teaching Schedule • So when are you going to do this? • Daily? • Weekly? • Monthly?

24. Thank You! • If you have any questions or would like to discuss this topic, or ABA in general, in further detail please don’t hesitate to contact me at: jason.marshall@bicccentralcal.com

25. Readings • Contrucci Kuhn, S.A., Lerman, D.C., Vorndran C.M., & Amp, L.A. (2006). Analysis of factors that affect responding in a two-response chain in children with developmental disabilities Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 39, 263-280. • This article describes a study that evaluated three procedures (extinction, satiation, and unchaining) for breaking behavior chains. • Griffen, A. K., Wolery, M., & Schuster, J. W. (1992). Triadic instruction of chained food preparation responses: Acquisition and observational learning. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 25, 193-204. • This article shows that children learned skills by observing their peers perform complex chains of behavior almost as well as they learned skills via direct instruction of the chain from the teacher. • MacDuff, G. S., Krantz, P. J., & McClannahan, L. E. (1993). Teaching children with autism to use photographic activity schedules: Maintenance and generalization of complex response chains. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 26, 89-97. • This article shows how picture schedules can be used to teach and maintain complex behavior chains of after school activities. • Schuster, J. W., Gast, D. L., Wolery, M., & Guiltinan, S. (1988). The effectiveness of a constant time-delay procedure to teach chained responses to adolescents with mental retardation. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 21, 169-178. • This article shows how constant time delay teaching procedure can be combined with chaining to teach complex behavior chains. • Vintere, P., Hemmes, N. S., Brown, B. L., & Poulson, C. L. (2004). Gross-motor skill acquisition by preschool dance students under self-instruction procedures. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 37, 305-322. • This article describes and analyzes procedures for teaching gross-motor chains. • Werts, M. G., Caldwell, N. K., & Wolery, M. (1996). Peer modeling of response chains: Observational learning by students with disabilities. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 29, 53-66. • This article shows how behavior chains can be learned by observing peers complete the chain and describe it as they complete it.