ABA Level 1 (Russian) Session 6: Active Student Responding: Increasing Learner's Motivation and Self-Monitoring

This 2-hour webcast will provide a review of theory, practice, and methodology designed for teachers, paraprofessionals, and parents working with persons with autism and/or supervising direct treatment staff, and other professionals working with adolescents and/or adults with autism and related disorders.

How can we increase student motivation, buy-in, and responsibility for their own learning and still keep them engaged? According to studies, active student responding can increase student success and can allow students to become more engaged in their own learning as active participants. The idea behind active student responding is that students become responsible for their own learning by participating in activities on all levels and all students are equal participants in the learning activities, rather than just the student who is called on or raises his or her hand. This technique has been shown to be successful with students with disabilities as well as typical students (Lerner, 2011). There are many benefits to active student responding including:

• More student engagement
• Increased scores on tests and quizzes
• Less off-task and out-of-seat behavior
• Increased retention of facts and information

Active student responding has been tried at many different grade levels, including college and in training programs as well, with good results Colbert, 2005). When using active student responding, there are many different techniques that instructors can use to actively engage all the students. Instructors are encouraged to be creative in thinking of ways to facilitate student participation and ownership.

Some types of active student responding activities are:

• Choral responding
• Using response cards
• Using personal whiteboards
• Reading out loud
• Fill-in-the-blank supplements to lectures and other activities

There are many other interesting ways to enhance student participation using these techniques. Instructors are encouraged to be creative in thinking of ways to facilitate student participation and ownership of their learning.

In addition to the actual techniques involved in active student responding, instructors should be familiar with the benefits of this teaching method and how this strategy increases learning and decrease problematic behavior.

Other topics we will be discussing within this webcast include:

• How to incorporate active student responding in your classroom or training program
• How bringing active students responding to the curriculum can benefit students at all levels
• How to utilize peers when incorporating active student responding in the special education classroom or with special needs students

Outcomes:

• Upon completion of Active Student Responding, participants will:
• Understand active student responding and how this technique enhances student learning.
• Identify ways to use active student responding in an educational or learning setting.
• Understand how to utilize active student responding with students both with and without disabilities.
• Understand how active student responding can be used to lower rates of problem behavior in a group setting.

NOTE: This course is NOT designed to teach students how to replace the role of an experienced BCBA. We STRONGLY recommend that every ABA program be created by, or in conjunction with, experienced, qualified BCBAs.

MANDATORY DISCLAIMER:  The Behavior Analyst Certification Board  (“BACB”) does not sponsor, approve or endorse Special Learning or Step By Step, the materials, information, or sessions identified herein.