SUNY Buffalo State TLE TeachLivE™

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Individualized Clinical Coaching in the TLE TeachLivE™ Lab:

Enhancing Fidelity of Implementation

of System of Least Prompts

among Novice Teachers of Students with Autism

 

 

Principal Investigator: Krista Vince Garland, Ph.D.

Co-PIs: Kara Battin-Holden, M.Ed., Dennis Garland, Ph.D.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Please note that this manuscript has been accepted for publication in Teacher Education and Special Education.

 

Purpose of the study

This research project has two research questions:

 

• To what extent is the fidelity of implementation of System of Least Prompts (SLP) affected when participants

       are prepared using individualized clinical coaching in the TLE TeachLivE™ virtual classroom laboratory

 

• To what extent did participants value their preparation of System of Least Prompts (SLP) with individualized clinical coaching while in the TLE TeachLivE™ virtual classroom laboratory?

 

 

Results

Results from visual analysis of this study suggest individualized clinical coaching (ICC) in TLE was successful in increasing fidelity across all participants while implementing SLP.

Each participant met criteria (80% over three consecutive sessions) in a brief period (average of four, 15 minute sessions) of intervention and maintained an average well above criterion mastery during post-treatment

sessions.

 

Results regarding social validity indicated that all participants highly agreed on the appropriateness of the text selection, procedures used to teach the skill of SLP (the coaching intervention), and inherent value of gaining knowledge in utilizing the SLP in general curriculum. Participants stated that they benefited from the reflection process (i.e., AAR journal) and ICC. Specifically, participants mentioned how the reflection helped them write

down thoughts and acknowledge where they felt they were in most need of improvement.

 

In addition, participants reported that they benefited from the modeling and 1:1 feedback. Participants said

that the experience felt similar to working with a real student, that the avatar’s mannerisms as a student with

ASD were “pretty natural”. Participants discussed the ease by which they were able to suspend disbelief. One participated commented, “I absolutely felt I was there [in the classroom].” In addition, several participants

firmly believed learning about the SLP in the TLE TeachLivE™ lab was a more valuable and intensified

experience than just using a textbook.

 

Several participants mentioned that they would prefer to pay for time in the lab in lieu of buying a traditional textbook. Overall, participants highly valued their preparation of the SLP when receiving ICC in the classroom simulation lab.

 

 

 

Teaching Adult Learner Characteristics and Facilitation Strategies

Through Simulation-Based Practice 

 

Principal Investigator: Sally Speed, M.A.

Co-PIs: Elizabeth Bradley, Ph.D., NCHP, Krista Vince Garland, Ph.D.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Abstract

This project is a practicum in which a curriculum module was developed using adult learning

theory to develop strategies applied in face-to-face facilitation sessions.  This module will be included in a graduate level course in the Creative Studies Department of Buffalo State College.

  The curriculum identified the characteristics of adult learners and the behaviors that manifest

from those characteristics and helped Creative Studies graduate students develop strategies to manage these behaviors in facilitation sessions. The module included practice sessions for facilitation using TeachLivE, a mixed reality simulation that offers education students practice in classroom management with avatar children to enhance their teaching skills.  Three adult

TeachLivE avatars were adapted for this module to provide a similar practice opportunity for

the Creative Studies graduate students.