Training Preservice Behaviour Analyst Intervention Skills in a Virtual Reality Environment

Abstract

Preservice behaviour analysts need a wide range of professional skills and shaping is one of the critical skills they must learn. This study trained preservice behaviour analysts to acquire shaping skills in a virtual reality environment using the Portable Operant Research Teaching Lab (PORTL). To date no known study has (a) evaluated the effectiveness of shaping skills training to preservice behaviour analyst or (b) attempted to teach these skills in virtual environment format. We used an AB design across participants with three preservice behaviour analysts to learn shaping skills in a virtual reality environment using the PORTL curriculum. The shaping skills comprised creating a teaching plan, setting up for a session, delivering reinforcement, and evaluating a session. For all participants, training resulted in improvement in shaping skills. Participants also maintained the shaping skills for a minimum of two weeks. Further, the effect of the training generalized to a novel learner for all participants. Additionally, participants showed high satisfaction with shaping skills in virtual reality (VR) environment.