Abstract:

In this presentation, we describe results of applied behavior analysis intervention studies in which students with and without disabilities use a relatively new form of self-monitoring, that is, tactile-cued self-monitoring, to improve their academic productivity. We highlight the procedures and outcomes from a series of teacher-designed intervention studies that we conducted over the past few years. In two of the studies, student performance improved by a factor of about three times from baseline phases to intervention phases after students used tactile-cued self-monitoring. In Study 1, the percentage of assigned Algebra work that a high school student completed increased from a mean of 21% to a mean of 66%. In Study 2, time required for a middle school student to complete his assigned, daily, independent English assignment decreased from a mean of 30 minutes to a mean of 11 minutes. In Study 3, which employed a multiple baseline across multiple participants, and a new design variation called the range-bound changing criterion design, each participant improved their math fluency (correct answers per minute) on basic math calculations after they used tactile-cued self-monitoring to monitor the pace of their work during independent practice. We also provide practical tips for teachers who have had the irksome experience of viewing a student who produces little work during independent practice activities, especially when that student has the capacity to produce. As with audio-cued and visually-cued versions of self-monitoring, teachers can train students to use tactile-cued self-monitoring to improve academic productivity. These self-monitoring techniques can help teachers minimize the need to use traditional behavior management techniques, particularly frequent verbal reminders, proximity control, and response cost, for students who tend to be off-task during what should be independent practice activities. Overall, results of these studies are consistent with prior findings that indicate self-monitoring techniques help students manage their own behavior, reduce students' over-reliance on teachers' cues, free up teachers' time, and improve students' academic productivity during independent practice tasks in classroom settings.

Keywords:

Self-monitoring, tactile, cues, disabilities, fluency, academic, productivity.