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Shaping the Future

One client at a time

Audio Script: Welcome to the course, Shaping the Future: One client at a time. To move through the course, there are buttons on the bottom right that will move you to the next slide or back a slide, or let you return to the main menu, start over, or quit the course altogether. If you prefer to see written text instead of audio, click the text button.
There is also a course menu along the lower left side of the screen. This menu will tell you where you are within the course. Clicking on a different tab on the menu will let you jump to that section of the course. When you are ready to begin, click the next button. (Help, Glossary, audio volume, if time?)

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Your Mission
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The Mission: Youre a counselor and have begun working with your first client, Hannah, a single mom with three boys. She is having trouble getting her middle son to do his chores. You want to help her learn how to give him consequences. Your supervisor told you to use the technique of shaping to teach her. The information on the following pages will give you additional information about the technique of shaping. You choose what and how much information you need to help Hannah and complete your mission. When you have enough information, the Complete the Mission button on the next page will let you complete the knowledge check and finish the course. Good luck.

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What information would you like?

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selection.
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Hannahs Story: Branch 1

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Hi, Im Hannah. I have three boys and am a single mom. My middle son, Jake, doesnt listen and wont do his chores when I ask. It goes something like this. I tell Jake to take out the trash. Jake says okay but doesnt do it. I repeat the instruction, sometimes 15 times or more, usually raising my voice louder and louder. He argues, sometimes walks away, and has even told me to shut up. Then I usually end up taking it out myself. I dont know what to do.

He spends most of the time watching tv, playing his video games, and fighting with his brother and sister. Somethings got to change or Im going to go crazy.

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Conceptual Example #1: Branch 2

Have you ever wondered how an infant goes from this Course Menu

Image from: http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/images/results.aspx?qu=baby+crawling&ex=1#ai:MP900431016|

To thishttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jr0bXVlBd3A (need to insert this video of baby taking first steps). Start over Quit
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Conceptual Example #2
Have you wondered.? Course Menu Audio: Have you ever wondered how a baby goes from thishttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bt077TOugdA

to talking in complete sentences?

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Shaping
Course Menu Learning in both of these cases occurs through shaping. Shaping occurs when small approximations or steps are praised to encourage successive improvements toward an end goal. Think about the small steps the baby took before they could do the final skill. Think about what parents do to encourage them along the way. This process is shaping. Start over Quit

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Definitions and Descriptions: Branch 3

Course Menu The next pages contain written definitions and descriptions of terms important to understanding the technique of shaping.

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Important Terms
Course Menu Shaping: A technique that is used in operant conditioning in which the behavior is modified by stepwise reinforcement of behaviors that produce progressively closer approximations of the desired behavior.
Reinforcement

First Approximation

Second Approximation

Desired Outcome = Success!

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More Important Terms

Course Menu Operant Conditioning: A method of learning that occurs through rewards and punishments for behavior. Through these rewards and punishments, an association is made between a behavior and a consequence for that behavior. B. F. Skinner made this concept popular by teaching animals to press a lever for food.
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More Important Terms

Course Menu Behavior: An individual, observable act. A group of behaviors make up a skill. For example, picking up a toothbrush is a behavior in the skill of brushing your teeth.
Reinforcement

Skill: A set of related steps or behaviors that link together to produce a desired result.
Approximation: A small step or behavior that the person makes which is closer to the desired outcome (behavior or skill). Start over

Behavior Behavior

Skill

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More Important Terms

Course Menu Reinforcement: Something that happens after a behavior that increases the likelihood of that response occurring in the future. For example, if you give someone money for doing a job, they are more likely to do the job again.
Reinforcement

http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/images/results.asp x?qu=dollars&ex=1#ai:MP900448296|

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More Important Terms

Course Menu Punishment: Something that happens after a behavior that decreases the likelihood of that response occurring in the future. For example, if you take away the car after a teen gets a ticket, he is less likely to speed in the future.

Consequence: Something that occurs after a behavior. It may increase or decrease the likelihood of that behavior occurring in the future. Taking away the car was the consequence of speeding. Getting money was the consequence of doing the job.

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Video Explanation and Example: Branch 4

Course Menu The next page contains a video description of shaping and an example of how shaping might be used to help a man with dating difficulties become more successful. Click on the video to start it. The navigation buttons below the screen will let you start, stop, and replay the video.

http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/images/results.aspx? qu=man+with+glasses&ex=1#ai:MP900422224|

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v =OCUWHP4YDgU Course Menu This page will be used to launch the video. There will be no other graphics on the page to distract from the video.

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Practice: Branch 5
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You want to teach your dog, Jangles, to flip a light switch with her nose. You plan to use shaping to do so. First, you grab some small dog treats and a portable light switch. You lay the portable light switch on the floor and sit down with Jangles and the treats. On the next page you will need to put the steps you will take to shape Jangles behavior in the correct order by dragging and dropping them to the empty boxes on the right side of the page. When you are finished hit Submit Answer.

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These are the steps in correct order: Tap the side of the light switch until Jangles touches the switch plate with her nose. Give her a treat. Wait until Jangles touches the plate on her own.

Practice Activity

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Give her a treat. Give a treat every time Jangles nudges her nose on the plate. Wait until Jangles touches her nose to the switch. Give her a treat. Wait until Jangles nose nudges the light switch all the way up. Give her three treats and say Good job.

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Correct feedback popup (square box that pops up over screen 17): Correct. You placed the steps in the correct order to shape Jangles behavior!
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Incorrect feedback popup (square box that pops up over screen 17): Incorrect. Please try again. I would like to have it highlight which steps are incorrect if possible. No partial credit will be given. Learner will be allowed to try 2 times before the correct answer will be given.

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Complete the Mission: Branch 6

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Now that you have all the information about shaping that you need, you are ready to teach Hannah how to give her son, Jake, a consequence when he doesnt do his chore as asked. Use the technique of shaping to teach her.

On the next page, put the steps in the order they should occur to teach Hannah by dragging and dropping them to the empty boxes on the right. Keep in mind that these steps would probably take place over several counseling sessions. Note: there are several correct ways to sequence the steps. When you are finished, click Submit Answer.

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These are the steps in correct order: Praise Hannah for setting expectations and suggest she only give Jake one instruction. Role-play and praise Hannah for giving only one instruction.

Practice Activity

Suggest that Hannah tell Jake he will lose TV and video games if he doesnt follow her instructions.

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Role-play and praise Hannah for telling Jake the consequence. Suggest that Hannah actually take away the TV and video game if he doesnt follow her instructions. Role-play and praise her for taking the TV and video game away. When you observe Hannah taking away the items, she is threatening him three times before taking them away. Therefore, you suggest that she refrain from giving warnings and just take them away immediately after he fails to follow her instruction. Role-play and praise her for resisting threats and warnings.

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Correct feedback popup (square box that pops up over screen 20): Correct. You placed the steps in the correct order to help Hannah give a consequence!
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Incorrect feedback popup (square box that pops up over screen 20): Incorrect. Please try again. I would like to have it highlight which steps are incorrect if possible. No partial credit will be given. Learner will be allowed to try 2 times before the correct answer will be given.

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Reflection

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If you would have developed your own steps for shaping Hannahs skill, how would you have done it? Would you have taught her in the same order as the example or would you have done it differently? Take some time to think about your answers to these questions before moving to the next screen.

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You have completed this course

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Hopefully you were able to correctly complete the mission and successfully Shape the Future.

Thanks for playing!

Click on the Next button for course credits.

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Course Menu

Credits
Designed by Tammy Olson March, 2013

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