Creating Positive Classroom Environments With Electronic Behavior Management Programs

Abstract

Teachers in special education classrooms often struggle with classroom management. In response, many educators are looking for technological solutions to assist in promoting positive classroom environments. Electronic behavior management programs (eBMPs) use strategies based in research that are shown to reduce challenging behavior and encourage positive behavior, such as reinforcement strategies and the Premack principle. This article explains the theoretical efficacies of eBMPs, describes three commonly used eBMPs, and provides procedures on how educators can get started implementing eBMPs with additional tips to consider.

Social Skills Practice Strategy Opportunities for Students With EBD

“…It is important not to collect the social behavioral data and store it away until the next meeting or a prescribed date in the future. Instead, the data should be reviewed on a regular basis to monitor progress (Riden et al, 2019).…”

Supporting Student Behavior Through Behavioral Contracting

“…Teachers can graph data on paper or through the use of a software program (e.g., Excel, PRISM). Researchers have recently developed electronic systems for monitoring behavior that may also be useful in the context of behavior contracting (Bruhn et al, 2016; Riden et al, 2019). When technology is available, these app-based programs can enhance the efficiency of data entry and evaluation.…”

Using Electronic Active Student Responding for Students With EBD

“…Prior to introducing anything new to one’s classroom, become familiar and comfortable navigating and using the program. Spend some time practicing using the new technology as you would in your classroom to build fluency (Riden et al, 2018). For example, there are a wide range of options (e.g., multiple choice, short answer, true/false) when creating ASR activities using Google Forms and you should be familiar with those options and how they may best suit the needs of your students and classroom setup.…”