Developing and Implementing Emergent Responding Training Systems With Available and Low-Cost Computer-Based Learning Tools: Some Best Practices and a Tutorial

Abstract

Systems and protocols based on emergent responding training have been demonstrated to be effective instructional tools for teaching a variety of skills to typically developing adult learners across a number of content areas in controlled research settings. However, these systems have yet to be widely adopted by instructors and are not often used in applied settings such as college classrooms or staff trainings. Proponents of emergent responding training systems have asserted that this failure might be because the protocols require substantial resources to develop, and there are no known manuals or guidelines to assist teachers or trainers with the development of the training systems. In order to assist instructors with the implementation of systems, we provide a brief summary of emergent responding training systems research; review the published computer-based training systems studies; present general guidelines for developing and implementing a training and testing system; and provide a detailed, task-analyzed written and visually supported manual/tutorial for educators and trainers using free and easily accessible computer-based learning tools and web applications. Educators and trainers can incorporate these methods and learning tools into their current curriculum and instructional designs to improve overall learning outcomes and training efficiency.

Keywords: Computer-based training; Educational technology; Emergent responding; Equivalence-based instruction.

Fig. 1

Illustration of an equivalence class consisting of a picture of a horse (A), the English word horse (B), and the Spanish word caballo (C). Trained responses are represented by the solid arrows, and tested emergent responses are represented by the dotted arrows