Rockman et al worked with The University of Massachusetts (UMass) to conduct the external evaluation of the Behavior Analysis Autism Training Project funded by the U.S. Department of Education’s Fund for the Improvement of Post Secondary Education (FIPSE). The goal of the project was to develop a series of four courses (BIA: Behavioral Intervention in Autism) to train people to work with children with autism. Rockman et al provided formative feedback as the courses were being designed (pilot courses) and summative feedback of the field courses offered to the public. This evaluation included a comparison between the implementation of the online courses with face-to-face versions of the same courses.

Selected Findings:
Results suggest that the two versions of these courses were equally successful in teaching students about using applied behavioral analysis in autism education.

Students in both course formats were equally satisfied with the course content and instruction, consistently rating all features at or above 4 on 5-point scale.

As students’ satisfaction with the quality and relevance of course content and with their course instructor increased, so did their overall satisfaction with their courses.

REPORTS:

Summative Evaluation Report (pdf)

A Comparison Between Online and Face-to-Face Instruction of an Applied Curriculum in Behavioral Intervention in Autism (BIA)
AERA (American Educational Research Association) Presentation Paper (pdf)

RESOURCES:

Behavioral Intervention in Autism program description