Enhancing Academic and Social Learning Skills

Abstract

The purpose of this pilot project was to assess the impact of reinforcing activities designed to enhance the social and academic behaviors of emotionally disturbed students. Students were given the opportunity to earn late time television or computer software privileges in return for following social and academic rules. Results indicate promising alternatives for classroom teachers to employ television and computers in combination with feedback to facilitate classroom management and learning. Findings indicated that both male and female students respond to TV and computer access time as a reinforcing activity.