VERB2300 Applied Behavior Analysis Course description

The course focuses on planning, documentation and evaluation of interventions based on applied behaviour analysis. The primary focus is to promote mastery of functional skills, independence and improved quality of life for service recipients. Students are expected to integrate knowledge from previous courses and explain their choice of assessment tools, target behaviours, mearsurement techniques, experimental designs, and interventions. Social validity must be assessed, and the choices must be in accordance with the applicable rights and legislation. In this course, students will put several of the theoretical principles from VERB2200 into practice. The course is taught over ten weeks.

All answers are assessed by one examiner.

An external examiner is used regularly, at a minimum of every third completion of the course. When selecting answers for external evaluation, a minimum of 10 percent of the answers shall be included, with no fewer than 5 answers. The external examiner’s assessment of the selected answers shall benefit all students.

The course provides a basic introduction to human anatomy and physiology. The students learn about the structure and function of organ systems with a focus on the nervous system. Furthermore, students learn about motor development and about the primary needs of humans, the various nutrients and their function. The students also learn about the infectious agents, about their structure and properties, about the spread of infection and hygienic measures, and the immune system.

The student must have been admitted to the programme.

On successful completion of the course, the student has the following learning outcomes classified as knowledge:

Knowledge

The student

• can describe the structure of a cell and its function• can describe the structure and function of different organ systems, with a particular focus on the nervous system• can account for the primary human needs• can describe the most important hygienic principles• can present key aspects of microbiology• can describe the division, function and structure of the immune system• can describe normal motor development and factors that can affect development• can describe the normal development and function of the senses and factors that can affect development

Teaching and learning methods include lectures, seminars, group work and self-study.

The following required coursework must be approved before the student can take the exam:

• 80% attendance at seminar

The research question for the bachelor's thesis is prepared on the basis of an evidence-based project work, training and/or care measure implemented in cooperation with the service recipients and others in the supervised practical training course VERPRA35. The research question and the thesis outline are approved in the course of VERPRA35. The bachelor's thesis is a specialisation in a topic and research question chosen by the student him/herself. The bachelor's thesis will document that the student has acquired important and fundamental knowledge and skills in project, care and/or change processes, or quality-enhancing measures.

The bachelor’s thesis is written over a period of eight weeks of full-time work.

None

On successful completion of the course, the student has the following learning outcomes classified as knowledge, skills and general competence:

Knowledge

The student

• can explain different data collection and processing methods and different forms of reporting in line with ethical and legal requirements
• can explain different principles for assessing scientific quality
• can explain the specific area of specialisation he/she has chosen

Skills

The student

• can ensure protection of privacy, cf. the General Data Protection Regulation (GPDR), obtain consent and observe the duty of confidentiality
• can formulate a reasoned research question of relevance to the area of specialisation in accordance with the general requirements that apply to research questions
• can carry out relevant literature searches
• can make a critical assessment of the scholarly contributions made by others in his/her chosen area of specialisation
• can assess data collection methods, principles and concepts relevant for assessing scientific quality
• can use the relevant thesis structure and cite references in accordance with the applicable APA standard
• can apply relevant research results
• can document a project, care or educational intervention or a quality-enhancing measure
• can apply academic knowledge in a critical discussion of his/her own work, including the findings described in his/her own bachelor's thesis.

General competence

The student

• can engage in critique of the discipline and has insight into professional, ethical and legal challenges and dilemmas in social education
• can document and communicate social education work
• can assess and discuss the use of digital tools and AI in professional work, including ethical and legal implications

10 credits overlap with VERN1500/VERND1500/VERNL1500