Behaviorism in Practice (Application 2 for EDUC 6711)

Behaviorism has become something of a dirty word with many educators today. I do not consider myself to be a behaviorist, and yet to dismiss the ideas behaviorism presents means having to do away with strategies that are proven to work along with a lot of great technology. Every day I use rewards and punishment in the classroom. I also use drill and practice sessions to help my students master the skills they need to be as independent as possible in the community. To this end, I try to make these sessions as interesting and motivating as possible by using technology. One example is through the use of a computer program that my speech therapist and I designed to reward correct responses from the student with music and a short video, which are very motivating to my students. In their book, Using Technology with Classroom Instruction that Works, Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn, and Malenoski (2007) talk about using technology to help students reinforce their effort and when doing homework and practice sessions (pgs. 155–164 & 187–201).

When reinforcing student effort, behaviorist theory would have the student keep track of their achievement based on effort to see that when they put more effort in their achievement improves. Pitler et al, suggest making this easier by using spreadsheets and data collection tools such as online surveys using Survey Monkey. When students see that their increase in effort leads to higher achievement it helps reinforce the effort and becomes self-motivating.
Some skills lend themselves to needing more than just a memorizing of facts. These skills such as learning to do addition problems require repetitive practice for the student to become efficient. For years, teachers made dittos for students to get this drill and practice to ensure that students would be able to perform the skill proficiently. While this practice can be dull and non-motivating for most students, there are many technology options available that can make this practice more fun and exciting. Pitler et al, recommend the use of word processing applications, spreadsheets, multimedia resources, Web resources, and communication software to help increase the student motivation to practice and do homework, thereby increasing their efficiency at completing the task. Word processers can help students analyze their writing and offer suggestions at making it more sophisticated. Spreadsheets allow students to manipulate and graph data in different ways leading to a better understanding of the concepts they are learning. The use of software that allows students to make multimedia projects can be highly motivating and rewarding for students while also giving them the opportunity to become proficient with tools they may need in the workforce. Web resources can help replace drill and practice dittos with online educational games and can be done from both school and home. Some of their examples include BrainPop, BBC Skillswise, and IKnowThat.com. A Google search will turn up hundreds more, some better quality than others. By using communication software students can work together on a shared document by using any computer with Internet access. This promotes team work and collaboration. Online software includes Writeboard, Google Docs, and YourDraft. This can also be done using a wiki service such as Wikispaces.

With all these wonderful resources available, it is easy to see that behaviorism in the classroom can be a beneficial and positive thing.

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