The Application of Applied
Behavior Analysis to Academic
Research in the Special
Education Classroom
Fall 2014
The Application of Applied
Behavior Analysis to Academic
Research in the Special
Education Classroom
Fall 2014
Wednesdays, 4:15 p.m. - 6:45 p.m.
CTLB 230
Professor: Susan Copeland, Ph.D., BCBA-D
Teaching Assistant: Rob Shauger, M.A.
Table of Required Readings/Tasks
Comprehensive Article Review
Template to use to write the Comprehensive Article Review
Description of the Research Proposal Assignment.doc
This document contains the rubrics and checklists class assignments (other than the Article Critique) that will be used to evaluate the assignments. You can print out a copy to include with your assignments, or copy and paste into your documents.
Writing Resources
Purdue Online Writing Lab (great help with academic writing and APA formatting)
UNM Zimmerman Library Research Tutorials
Course Description
The purpose of the course is to introduce graduate students to single-case research and its utility as a research methodology. Although use of single-case research in other disciplines will be considered, its application to educational research will be emphasized. This will include discussion of practitioner use of single-case methodology to evaluate the efficacy of educational practices.
Students in this course will learn the components of various single-case designs and their efficacy in addressing differing research questions. Students will evaluate and compare strengths and weaknesses of each design type. They will critically analyze singe-case research studies to inform their understanding of research design. They will also demonstrate proficiency in behavioral observation and data collection and in designing a single-case research study to examine a research question. There will be consideration and discussion of ethical research practices with an emphasis on issues related to single-case methodology. The format of the course will be a mixture of lecture, seminar discussions of readings and topics, and in-class activities.
Course Objectives
Students in this course will:
•Describe the components, uses, advantages, and limitations of single case designs that examine the effects of an intervention (e.g., withdrawal design, reversal design, multiple baseline designs, multiple probe design, changing criterion design) and those that compare the effectiveness of one or more interventions (e.g., alternating treatments design, multielement designs, repeated acquisition designs).
•Describe ethical issues that must be considered when conducting research in educational settings, especially when conducting research with individuals with disabilities.
•Operationally define behaviors and develop appropriate systems to measure these behaviors.
•Demonstrate the ability to display data graphically.
•Define reliability, validity, and generalization in regards to single-case research design.
•Define and demonstrate evaluation of interobserver agreement and procedural fidelity.
•Define and describe possible assessment approaches to social validity.
•Define and demonstrate appropriate analysis of single case data.
• Write a research proposal for a single case study that includes formulation of a research question, review of relevant literature, detailed description of methods, and proposed analysis of data.
Required Texts
Gast, D. L. (2010). Single subject research methodology in behavioral sciences. New York:
Routledge.
American Psychological Association. (2009). Publication manual of the American Psychological Association (6th ed.) Washington, DC: Author.
Kratochwill, T. R., Hitchcock, J. Horner, R. H., Levin, J. R., Odom, S. L., Rindskopf, D. M., & Shadish, W. R. (2010) Single-case design technical documentation, Version 1.0 (Pilot). Retrieve this from What Works Clearinghouse website: http://ies.ed.gov/ncee/wwc/pdf/wwc_scd.pdf
Other Required Readings are in a course pack available at the COE Copy Center.
Contact Information: 505-277-7276 Email: coepub@unm.edu
Recommended Texts
Bailey, J. S., & Burch, M. R. (2002). Research methods in applied behavior analysis. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
Franklin, R. D., Allison, D. B., & Gorman, B. S. (1997). Design and analysis of single-case
research. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.
Graham, S. (2005). Criteria for evidence-based practice in special education [Special Issue].
Exceptional Children, 71(3).
Hersen, M., & Barlow, D. H. (1976). Single-case experimental designs: Strategies for studying
behavior. New York: Pergamon Press.
Kazdin, A. E. (1982). Single-case research designs: Methods for clinical and applied settings. New York: Oxford University Press.
Kennedy, C. H. (2005). Single-case designs for educational research. Allyn & Bacon: Boston: MA. [technical but full of excellent information]
Kratochwill, T. R., & Williams, B. L. (1988). Perspectives on pitfalls and hassles in single-
subject research. Journal of the Association for Persons with Severe Handicaps, 13, 147-154.
Spooner, F., & Browder, D. M. (2003). Scientifically based research in education and
students with low incidence disabilities. Research & Practice for Persons with Severe
Disabilities, 28, 117-125.
Tawney, J. W., & Gast, D. L. (1984). Single subject research in special education. New York:
Merrill.
Thompson, T., Felce, D., & Symons, F. J. (2000). Behavioral observation: Technology and applications in developmental disabilities. Baltimore, P. H. Brookes.
Class Schedule & Handouts
Week 1
Overview of course
What is single-case research?
Handouts: Baer_Wolf_& Risley: Some Current Dimensions of Applied Behavior Analysis
Week 2
History of single-case research; overview of logic and foundations
Ethics and Research
Handouts: 1. Belmont Report
Foundations Single Case Research Designs
List of funding sources for graduate students attending conferences for (thanks to Yi Ling!)
Week 3
Characteristics of Quality Single-case Intervention Studies
Developing a Good Research Question
Writing a research proposal
Handouts: Developing Quality Research Studies, EBPs, ResearchQuestions.pdf
Assignment due: Plagiarism Tutorial
Week 4
Measurement & Evaluation
Threats to internal validity
Replication
Handouts: Activity-Definitions (we will work on these in class)
Measurement, Evaluation, and Replication
Week 5
Defining and Measuring Behavior
Selecting relevant dependent measures
Social Validity
Handouts: Social Validity
Guest Speaker: Dr. Megan Griffin
Week 6
Defining and Measuring Behavior, continued
Interobserver agreement
Visual Representation of Data
Handout: Measurement (I am bringing a copy of this handout to class.)
Guided Notes: Chapter 7
Assignment Due: Comprehensive Article Review
Week 7
Visual Analysis of Data
Handout: Visual Analysis
Bring your laptops and a flash drive to class
Week 8
Visual Analysis, continued
Withdrawal & Reversal Designs
Handouts: Reversal Withdrawal Designs
Presentation of Research Study : Susan
Week 9
Multiple Baseline & Multiple Probe Designs
Handouts: Multiple Baseline Designs
Guest Speaker: Dr. Ann-Marie Orlando
Due: Take Home_Quiz 1
Presentations of Research Study : Rob
Meetings for draft of research proposal
Week 10
Comparative Intervention Designs
Handouts Comparative Designs Part I
Student Presentations of Research Study: Yunji (multi-treatments design); Samantha (alternating treatments)
Meetings for draft of research proposal
Week 11
Comparative Intervention Designs, continued
Handouts: Comparative Designs_Part II
Student Presentations of Research Study: Jessica (parallel treatments)
Meetings for draft of research proposal
Week 12
Variations of Multiple Baseline & Combination Designs
Handout: ChangingCriterion/Variations on MBD
Assignment due:Take_Home_Quiz_2
Student Presentations of Research Study: Edie (changing criterion)
Meetings for draft of research proposal
Week 13
Statistical Analysis & Single Case Research Data
Meta-analysis and Single Case Research
Handouts: Statistical_Analysis Meta-Analysis
Week 14
Due: Research Proposal Presentations
Week 15 Reading Day
Week 16
Course Wrap-Up
Due: Final Research Proposal Paper