That is true. In my learning classes, I was just judged on the outcome not the process. Did the animal perform the behavior or not (and the already cited, "the rat is always right"). The instructor wasn't there for the hours of training that were involved.
I'm not sure if others were saying that the fact that real animals automatically shape lever-pressing is like or unlike Sniffy but Sniffy does usually learn to press the lever on his own, usually in less than a class period so if I start it at the beginning of class, by the end there will usually be some lever pressing if that is all I am trying to demonstrate. Rick Dr. Rick Froman, Chair Division of Humanities and Social Sciences John Brown University Siloam Springs, AR 72761 [email protected] ________________________________________ From: William Scott [[email protected]] Sent: Sunday, March 14, 2010 9:27 PM To: Teaching in the Psychological Sciences (TIPS) Subject: RE: [tips] Sniffy.... >>> Rick Froman <[email protected]> 03/14/10 9:56 PM >>> wrote: there is no reason that an online course couldn't use a real animal, assuming the students weren't allergic or had other distracting reactions to the animal like disgust. You could just require them to purchase an animal or use a pet they have to learn a behavior. Unless you think learning principles are only generalizable to lab rats. ------- An online course using a real animal in this way does not allow the instructor to observe the way the animal is shaped as it would be in an actual as opposed to a virtual lab. This of course is the virtue of a simulated rat where the instructor could in theory look over the actual reinforcement events and "behaviors" in a recorded transcipt. But that is worthless if the students do not get success even if they have done things correctly. I have had students shape actual (not virtual) dogs, cats, monkeys, and even snakes, so my comments had nothing to do with saying that learning principles are only generalizable to lab rats. Bill Scott --- You are currently subscribed to tips as: [email protected]. To unsubscribe click here: http://fsulist.frostburg.edu/u?id=13039.37a56d458b5e856d05bcfb3322db5f8a&n=T&l=tips&o=1290 or send a blank email to leave-1290-13039.37a56d458b5e856d05bcfb3322db5...@fsulist.frostburg.edu --- You are currently subscribed to tips as: [email protected]. To unsubscribe click here: http://fsulist.frostburg.edu/u?id=13090.68da6e6e5325aa33287ff385b70df5d5&n=T&l=tips&o=1291 or send a blank email to leave-1291-13090.68da6e6e5325aa33287ff385b70df...@fsulist.frostburg.edu
