Discrete-trial teaching: A scoping review
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Frank-Crawford, Michelle A., John C. Borrero, Alyssa Fisher, Paige Talhelm, and Nathalie Fernandez. “Discrete-Trial Teaching: A Scoping Review.” Behavioral Interventions (23 March 2024). https://doi.org/10.1002/bin.2012.
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This is the pre-peer reviewed version of the following article: Frank-Crawford, Michelle A., John C. Borrero, Alyssa Fisher, Paige Talhelm, and Nathalie Fernandez. “Discrete-Trial Teaching: A Scoping Review.” Behavioral Interventions (23 March 2024). https://doi.org/10.1002/bin.2012., which has been published in final form at https://doi.org/10.1002/bin.2012 . This article may be used for non-commercial purposes in accordance with Wiley Terms and Conditions for Use of Self-Archived Versions.
Abstract
Discrete-trial teaching (DTT) is an arrangement used in skill acquisition. The components that comprise DTT vary widely across applications, and previous reviews evaluating its efficacy have largely reported on DTT as part of a comprehensive intervention package. The purpose of this scoping review was twofold: to describe the component variations of DTT (descriptive analysis) and to evaluate the general efficacy of DTT in teaching new skills to individuals with disabilities (efficacy analysis). One hundred and thirty-four studies were included in the descriptive analysis of DTT and 82 were included in the efficacy analysis. Results indicated that many of the components of DTT align well with best practice recommendations, including that reinforcers be delivered continuously and immediately following correct responses. Overall, DTT was efficacious in teaching new skills; however, there were limited evaluations of the maintenance, generality, and social validity of the findings. The outcomes are discussed in light of best practice recommendations and as a guide for future practice and research.