VERND2110 Data Collection, analysis and Learning conditions Course description

In this course, students are given an introduction to topics that are important in order to ensure that people with various functional impairments can live good and independent lives. Applied behaviour analysis as a professional point of departure for mapping and analysis forms an important part of the course, as do assessments of care, training and change measures.

Grade scale A-F.

The elective course is initiated provided that a sufficient number of students choose the course.

After completing the course, the student is expected to have achieved the following learning outcomes defined in terms of knowledge, skills and competence:

Knowledge

The student is capable of

• defining behaviour analytic principles such as reinforcement, stimulus control and motivating operations
• describing the use of behaviour analytic principles to promote socially valid behavioural changes
• describing and justifying training programmes that promote basic skills, activities of daily living and verbal behaviour
• describing the use of behaviour analytic principles to promote socially valid behavioural changes
• describing various types of functional analyses
• explaining methods for measuring behaviour and explaining why various observation and registration methods are suitable for different purposes
• describing the logic behind various types of single subject/N=1 experimental designs
• explaining legislation, ethics, norms and guidelines relating to measures based on behaviour analytic principles and functional analyses, including explaining issues relating to protection of privacy, duty of secrecy, social validity, user participation, self-determination and the use of force and power
• explaining how radical behaviourism, which entails philosophy of science and values in behaviour analysis, is relevant to measures based on behaviour analytic principles.

Skills

The student is capable of

• planning and justifying measures based on behaviour analytic principles that are intended to promote desired behaviour or reduce challenging behaviour
• planning and justifying the use of functional analysis
• measuring behaviour to document the effect of measures based on behaviour analytic principles
• evaluating the effect of measures based on behaviour analytic principles through inspection of visual presentations of single-subject/N=1 experimental designs

Competence

The student

• is capable of describing the use of behaviour analytic principles to promote socially valid behavioural changes
• is capable of explaining practical, normative and ethical issues of importance to deciding on, planning and implementing measures based on behaviour analytic principles
• has the necessary competence to independently implement and measure the effect of measures based on behavioural analytic principles
• is capable of using research articles and other specialized literature in his/her application of behaviour analytic principles to promote behavioural changes

The course includes lectures, supervised group work, workshops and self-study. The student must also participate in skills training, role play and video demonstrations. The student must take two multiple choice tests during the course: before the teaching begins, a pretest will be given to assess the students’ previous knowledge. The students later take a posttest to map each student’s learning/understanding of the teaching. Students can take the posttest up to three times

The following required coursework must be approved before a student can receive a final assessment:

• pretest when the course begins
• participation in supervised group work
• one written individual assignment of no more than 800 words
• posttest at the end of the course

Supervised individual written exam, 4 hours

The following coursework is a part of the portfolio and therefore needs to be approved to pass the exam:

• 4 lab exercises in groups of 2-4 students
• 5 assignments given during the semester

The exam is a portfolio exam consisting of the following:

• Results of five assignments given out during the semester
• Reports from lab exercises
• Project report prepared in groups of 2-4 students (approximately 20-30 pages), including oral/visual (video) presentation of the project
• A reflection note (approximately 2-5 pages) on the process, your role and contributions in the project

Each student's work will be assessed together as a portfolio with one individual grade at the end of the semester, but all parts that make up the portfolio must be assessed as 'pass' in order for the student to pass the course. 

The exam cannot be appealed. If a student fails the portfolio assessment, they will be given one opportunity to resubmit the portfolio.

In the event of a resit or rescheduled exam, an oral examination may be used instead. In case an oral exam is used, the examination result cannot be appealed.

All.