Using Behavioral Learning to Build Skills

Building skills with behavioral learning focuses on task-based learning, or areas where a specific outcome is required. A skill is defined as a "patterned set of operations requiring routine--though not necessarily easy--physical activity, mental activity, or both" (p. 46). ​There are a variety of skills that come to mind, from a nurse who follows the same steps to place an IV, to a bus driver who performs safety checks on his or her vehicle prior to leaving the yard, to a foreign language teacher who leads learners through repeated practice to enforce vocabulary and pronunciation. 

​

Behavioral learning is at its most effective when facilitators provide learners with a specific set of objectives to identify outcomes, and a list of tasks to accomplish said outcomes, a process known as shaping. There may be multiple steps involved in order to shape behavior, since there are tasks which require many steps to complete, which also lends toward instructional scaffolding. In the case of that nurse placing an IV, there are a number of steps involved, from finding the best vein to use to attaching the bag to deliver fluid or whatever might be necessary to the patient. Each step will have a specific set of measurable objectives in order determine success, and each step also builds upon the next.

​

As with many other aspects of instruction, facilitators can use feedback to guide learners, whether to support what they've done right, or to provide any necessary corrective action if there are issues in the way that the task has been performed. Davis and Arend identify four types of feedback: positive reinforcement, negative reinforcement, extinction, and punishment. Even though I have it listed in a separate tool, the method of providing feedback in the Five Step Training Model is preferable to me and, in my opinion, is far more suitable to corporate training than any of those listed here. Regardless, feedback is an important part of the process and it should not be neglected.​

This is an important tool for me, because many of the things I'm responsible for teaching right now are task-based. By giving learners specific steps, discussing the outcomes, and identifying any potential pitfalls, I provide information they need to make their jobs easier.

​

Reference:

Davis, J.R., & Arend, B. (2013). Facilitating seven ways of learning: a resource for more purposeful, effective, and enjoyable college teaching. Sterling, VA: Stylus Pub