Discrete Trial Teaching

Question 1

Define Discrete Trial Teaching

Answer 1

Discrete Trial Teaching is a highly structured teaching arrangement in which individual tasks (broken into necessary component tasks given the learner’s needs) are presented as instruction (Sd), paired with a Prompt (as needed) followed by a response (R) from the learner and then the consequence from the teacher (Sr+-) so (Sd ➡️R➡️Sr+-). This trial is then followed by a planned inter-trial interval before the next discrete trial is presented.
This is most often used in a 1-on-1 teaching context (frequently with table centric activities) but can be done in a group and/or more natural contexts.

Question 2

Discrete Trial Teaching

Define Mass Trials

Answer 2

Trials of the same task/program are presented repeatedly for a set number of trials.

i.e.
Presenting 10 consecutive trials of the imitation task, “do this” (paired with a modeled response) then moving on to another task for the next 10 trials

Question 3

Discrete Trial Teaching

Define Mixed Trials

Answer 3

Trials from various tasks/programs are presented in random order for a set number of trials or a set amount of time.

i.e.
Present 20 trials, intermixing trials of “do this”, “Find the______”, “tell me your name”, “what is this?”

Question 4

Discrete Trial Teaching

Define Discriminative Stimulus (Sd)

Answer 4

A Stimulus in the presence of which a particular response will be reinforced.

i.e.
Instructions such as “touch the bear” is an Sd indicating that using finger to touch picture of bear will be reinforced. If no one said “touch bear”, touching the bear would not result in Reinforcement.

For pigeon in Skinner’s box, the light being on was Sd indicating pecking the lever would result in food. No light meant pecking would not result in food.

Question 5

Discrete Trial Teaching

Define Error Correction

Answer 5

Planned staff response following client errors to ensure the Sd is effectively paired with correct responding.

BCBAs will likely write error correction plan for specific programs into each protocol.

i.e.
Re-presenting the same Sd paired with a prompt.

Prompt-test-retest strategy: Prompt the correct response, test independent responding, provide a distractor trial, re-test independent responding

Question 6

Discrete Trial Teaching

Define Prompt

Answer 6

An additional stimulus paired with the Sd/instruction that brings about correct responding. If it doesn’t evoke correct responding, then it isn’t a Prompt.

i.e.
Pairing “touch bear” with a gesture toward the correct picture.

Using a larger font for the correct response (e.g. Child’s name) versus incorrect responses (e.g. Names of family members).

Pairing Sd “wash hands” with physical guidance of client’s hands toward faucet.