Behaviorism in Practice

It's that time of year - State Standardized Assessments! I used much of my review time over the last week and a half to include behaviorist strategies and technology.

My school purchased Interwrite's Personal Response System (PRS) "clickers". They are similar to a remote control and the PRS program allows for multiple-choice questions to be inserted. Once the students type in their response, I get immediate feedback of their understanding - a bar graph pops up! It shows how many students chose the correct and incorrect answer. It is a great tool for informal assessment, reviews, etc. as well as keeping my students engaged in the lesson or activity. After some trouble with behavior, I included an extra incentive: for every 5 questions correct, they would receive ONE Skittle. This is behaviorism at work! Standridge (2002) defined positive reinforcement as "something is added to increase desired behavior". By offering a skittle reward, I encouraged my students to show their best work to prove their knowledge.

The drill and practice of behaviorism can also be accomplished through technology. Even with songs, poems, tricks, etc., there is no substitute for automaticity of math facts. One way I use technology to encourage fact recall speed is my SMARTboard and "Hit the Button". During Team Time (a 45 minute block of targeted math instruction), my students challenge each other to see how many problems they can 'hit' in one minute. Their scored definitely increased each time. Not only were they challenging each other, but I could also see the internal motivation from improving their score. I would like to incorporate graphing their results into next year's challenge! The graph would be a great way to "reinforce effort" (Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn, and Malenoski, 2007). Were my students taking extra time to master the facts? If so, their efforts would be visible on their graphs.

I agree with Dr. Orey that technology should rarely be used for remediation (Laureate Education, 2009). Instead it should be used as guided or independent practice for a developing skill, in which the technology can help lead the student to mastery. This applies to a program my district subscribes to Larson's Math, which Dr. Orey would classify as Programmed Instruction or an online tutorial. Students have their own account that tracks their progress for the major math skills: +, -, *, / whole numbers, decimals, fractions, geometry, etc. Students complete levels and they are able to print certificates. Sometimes I assign Larson's as an early finishers' assignment, but it is also great to take my whole class to the computer lab for independent practice. I can use this time to tutor small groups or individuals struggling with certain skills.

I look forward to hearing your thoughts! Jenelle

Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2009). Program Four. Behaviorist Learning Theory [Motion Picture]. Bridging learning theory, instruction, and technology. Baltimore: Author.

Pitler, H., Hubbell, E., Kuhn, M., & Malenoski, K. (2007). Using technology with classroom instruction that works. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.

Standridge, M.. (2002). Behaviorism. In M. Orey (Ed.), Emerging perspectives on learning, teaching, and technology. Retrieved May 13, 2009, from http://projects.coe.uga.edu/epltt/