The Comprehensive Evaluation of a Self-Instructional Program on Functional Behavioral Assessment

Computer assisted instruction has been used to teach a variety of skills to persons who work with school-age children. However, with few exceptions, the computer-based instructional materials that have been developed to provide training for school professionals have not been subjected to comprehensive empirical validation. More comprehensive evaluations can provide information regarding the validity of content, the quality of design, the perceptions of users, and the barriers that might be encountered when implementing professional development software. The purpose of this study was to conduct a comprehensive evaluation of a computer-based self-instructional program on functional behavioral assessment. This article describes a study that evaluated a self-instructional tutorial on functional behavioral assessment using a comprehensive model of evaluation. The model included the evaluation of (a) content, design, and organizational acceptance, (b) effectiveness of the training, (c) the perceptions of users, and (d) difficulties encountered during implementation. The article discusses the results of the evaluation, presents implications for researchers and software developers, and concludes with suggestions for future research.