Triadic Instruction of Chained Food Preparation Responses: Acquisition and Observational Learning

Abstract

This research examined whether constant time delay would be effective in teaching students with moderate mental retardation in triads to perform chained tasks and whether observational learning would occur. Three chained snack preparation tasks were identified, and each student was directly taught one task. The other 2 students observed the instruction. The instructed student told the observers to watch and to turn pages of a pictorial recipe book. The teacher provided frequent praise to the instructed student based on performance and to the observers for watching the instruction and turning pages. A multiple probe design across students and tasks was used to evaluate the instruction. The results indicated that each student learned the skill he or she was taught directly, and the observers learned nearly all of the steps of the chains they observed. The implications for classroom instruction and future research in observational learning are discussed.

Effects of First Aid Training Using Small Group Instruction With Young Children With Disabilities

“…Nevertheless, the two studies discussed suggest that preschool children with disabilities can learn basic first aid skills and that social modeling procedures are effective in teaching these skills. Although only one of these studies incorporated observational learning, others have found observational learning to be effective in teaching chained tasks to students with disabilities (Griffen, Wolery & Schuster, 1992;Schoen & Sivil, 1989). Thus observational learning seems to be a promising strategy for teaching safety skills.…”

Checklist for Successful Implementation of Field-Based Research

“…The University of Kentucky Checklist for Collaborative Field-Based Research is a result of experiences gained by the authors when implementing applied research in classrooms in which teachers implemented interventions (Collins, Branson, & Hall, 1995;Collins & Griffen, 1996;Collins, Schuster, & Nelson, 1992;Collins, Stinson, & Land, 1993;Doyle, Gast, Wolery, Ault, & Meyer, 1992;Doyle, Wolery, Ault, Gast, & Wiley, 1989;Griffen, Wolery, & Schuster, 1992;Hemmeter et al, 1996;Hemmeter, Towne, & Collins, in progress). These studies have involved (a) implementation of the research methods by direct-service providers currently teaching in the public schools, (b) direct supervision of the implementation by university staff, and (c) overall supervision of the investigations by faculty serving as co-principal investigators.…”

Teaching a simple meal preparation skill to adults with moderate and severe mental retardation using video modeling

“…Werts, Caldwell, and Wolery (1996), for example, found that students with disabilities acquired chained academic tasks such as using a calculator and playing an audiotape after systematically observing proficient peer models perform those tasks. Similarly, Griffen, Wolery, and Schuster (1992) showed that students with disabilities acquired almost all of the steps necessary to independently complete snack preparation tasks after observing other students receive direct instruction on the tasks. These results suggest that a useful strategy for establishing new skills is to arrange for the systematic observation of another individual modeling or receiving direct instruction on the skill.…”