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Effects of wait-time and intertrial interval durations on learning by children with multiple handicaps
G Valcante1, W Roberson, W R Reid
1College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville 32610.
Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis
|January 1, 1989
Summary
Increasing teacher wait-time significantly improved learning for multiply handicapped students. Longer wait-times were more beneficial than shorter ones, regardless of the interval between practice trials.
Area of Science:
- Special Education
- Applied Behavior Analysis
- Educational Psychology
Background:
- Effective instructional strategies are crucial for students with multiple handicaps.
- Optimizing timing parameters in instruction can enhance learning outcomes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine how teacher wait-time and intertrial interval durations affect the skill acquisition of multiply handicapped students.
- To determine the optimal combination of wait-time and intertrial interval for instruction.
Main Methods:
- Four multiply handicapped students participated in the study.
- Instruction involved 10 different skills under four conditions: long/short wait-time and long/short intertrial interval.
- Wait-times and intertrial intervals were standardized to approximately 1s (short) and 10s (long).
Main Results:
- Student performance was consistently superior when instructors used a long wait-time.
- The duration of the intertrial interval did not significantly impact performance when wait-time was long.
Conclusions:
- Longer teacher wait-times are a critical factor in improving instructional effectiveness for multiply handicapped students.
- Instructional design should prioritize maximizing teacher wait-time to enhance student learning.