A Tutorial for the Design and Use of Assessment-Based Instruction in Practice

Area of Science:

• Behavior Analysis
• Educational Psychology
• Applied Behavior Analysis

Background:

• Assessment-based instruction enhances skill acquisition by using learner data to select optimal interventions.
• Practitioners require practical guidance for developing effective assessments to guide instruction.

Purpose of the Study:

• To provide Board Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBAs) with a sequential, practical framework for designing and implementing assessment-based instruction.
• To offer resources and examples for conducting assessment-based instruction in applied settings.

Main Methods:

• The article outlines a nine-step process for developing and utilizing assessment-based instruction.
• Key steps include topic selection, intervention identification, target behavior definition, experimental design choice, skill and target selection, procedure equating, data collection template design, assessment execution, and result utilization.

Main Results:

• The described process facilitates the systematic development and application of assessment-based instruction.
• Examples and materials are provided to support practitioners in each step of the assessment process.

Conclusions:

• Implementing this structured approach enables BCBAs to effectively use assessment data to guide skill acquisition procedures.
• This framework promotes data-driven decision-making, increasing the efficacy and efficiency of educational interventions.