UnitLevel 5Postgraduate

EDF5680 Behaviour analysis: Concepts and foundations

Faculty of Education

EDF5680 Behaviour analysis: Concepts and foundations is a level 5, 12-credit-point, postgraduate unit from the Faculty of Education, offered in 2020 in Semester 1 at Clayton. It has no prerequisites and unlocks 2 units, leading on to 3 units in all.

Credit points: 12
Offered in 2020: Semester 1; Clayton
Workload: 288 hours; per semester

This is the 2020 handbook entry. See the 2021 entry.

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Requisites

Before EDF5680

No prerequisites or corequisites.

After EDF5680

2 units list EDF5680 as a prerequisite or corequisite.

Overview

This unit consists of four modules; Philosophy of Learning (Module 1), Principles of Learning (Module 2), Behaviour Consultation and Assessment (Module 3), and Professional Ethics for Behaviour Analysts (Module 4). In Module 1, you will be introduced to philosophical foundations of behaviour analysis. You will explore the history of radical behaviourism, compare and contrast radical behaviourism with other theories of learning and behaviour, and discuss the basic assumptions and core characteristics of the science of behaviour analysis. In Module 2, you will be introduced to basic concepts and principles in behaviour analysis, including reinforcement, motivation, and stimulus control. You will explore two functionally distinct types of behaviour, respondent and operant, and discuss how the environment influences each type of behaviour. In Module 3, you will learn to conduct basic behaviour assessments to inform the selection of treatment goals and objectives. You will learn about (a) important considerations for selecting and defining target behaviours, (b) various strategies for measuring behaviour, (c) methods for assessing and improving the quality of measurement, and (d) tactics for constructing graphic displays of data. In Module 4, you will be introduced to the Behaviour Analyst Certification Board's Professional and Ethical Code of Conduct. You will explore professional and ethical issues in behaviour analysis, including your ethical responsibilities to clients, colleagues, supervisees, other professionals, the BACB, and society as a whole. You will analyse common ethical challenges in applied behaviour analysis, and discuss potential solutions.

This unit aligns with BACB 4th Edition Task List requirements.

Offerings in 2020

Teaching period	Campus	Mode
First semester	Clayton	Flexible

Learning outcomes

When you finish this unit, you should be able to:

1
Identify the goals of behaviour analysis as a science, and explain behaviour in accordance with the philosophical assumptions of behaviour analysis
2
Compare and contrast behaviour analysis with other theories of learning and behaviour
3
Apply the defining characteristics of applied behaviour analysis to various interventions and teaching tactics to determine if they are behaviour analytic
4
Compare and contrast respondent and operant learning, and the role of antecedents and consequences in each type of learning
5
Describe and provide examples of basic principles of learning, including reinforcement, punishment, extinction, motivation, and stimulus control
6
Select and define socially significant target behaviours
7
Identify the strengths and limitations of different measurement systems, select appropriate measurement systems for different dimensions of behaviour, and use continuous and discontinuous measurement systems
8
Create graphic displays of behaviour
9
Describe the BCBA's ethical responsibilities to clients, colleagues, supervisees, other professionals, the BACB, and society
10
Identify potential ethical code violations, and describe strategies to remediate them

Workload and teaching

Minimum total expected workload equals 288 hours per semester (24 hours per week of study). The Association for Behavior Analysis International (ABAI) is responsible for verifying that the Monash MEd in ABA course meets specific standards and rules. The ABAI requires that you participate in a total of 270 hours of direct instructional activities aligned to the 4th Edition Task List (across all units that comprise the verified course sequence). Coursework delivered via distance format is required to include verifiable methods that ensure you are in contact with the material for the time proposed. Therefore, participation in asynchronous and synchronous online learning activities is mandatory and must be verifiable. In EDF5680, you must complete 122 hours of direct instructional activities, comprising:

(a.) Contact hours for flexible students:

4 x 3 hour face-to-face workshops (12 hours), 16 x one-hour online tutorials, and 94 hours of online instruction over the semester; or
4 x 3 hour online workshops (12 hours), 16 x one-hour online tutorials, and 94 hours of online instruction over the semester*

(b.) Additional requirements (all students):

166 independent study hours

*International students studying in Australia are not permitted to undertake this contact hour delivery mode.

Contacts

Chief Examiners: Dr Erin Leif
Unit Coordinators: Dianne Verstappen

Common questions

What are the prerequisites for EDF5680?

EDF5680 has no prerequisites.

What can I take after EDF5680?

EDF5680 is a prerequisite or corequisite for 2 units, including EDF5681 and EDF5682. Those lead on to 3 units in all.

When is EDF5680 offered?

In 2020, EDF5680 runs in Semester 1 at Clayton.

How much work is EDF5680?

The handbook expects about 288 hours of study across the semester. No students have rated its difficulty yet.

More details

Credit points: 12
Level: 5
Study level: Postgraduate
Faculty: Faculty of Education

Type: Coursework
EFTSL: 0.250
Student contribution: SCA Band 1
Study abroad: Not available
Handbook years: 20202021