abstract: The purpose of this study was to examine the feasibility and preliminary efficacy of a theory-driven and a atheoretical reminder point-of-choice (PoC) prompt interventions on reducing workplace sedentary behavior in office workers with self-reported low usage (<4 hours per day) of their sit-stand workstations in the standing position. The design of this study was a cross-over trial including randomization into either the theory-driven or atheoertical reminder condition, after completion of a no prompt control condition. Participants (N=19) included full-time, primarily female, Caucasian, middle-aged office workers. The primary aim of this study was to assess the feasibility of these two PoC prompt conditions on reducing sedentary behaviors through the use of a Therapy Evaluation Questionnaire. The secondary aim of this study was to assess the preliminary efficacy of the two PoC prompt conditions on reducing sedentary behaviors relative to no-prompt control using the activPAL micro device. For the primary aim, descriptive means adjusted for ordering effect were computed. For the secondary aim, mixed-effects regression models were used to cluster for observations within-persons and were adjusted for age, gender, race, job-type, and ordering effects. During the no-prompt control, participants spent 267.90 ± 68.01 sitting and 170.20 ± 69.34 min/8hr workday standing. The reminder PoC prompt condition significantly increased sanding time (b[se] = 24.52 [11.09], p=0.034) while the theory-driven PoC condition significantly decreased time spent in long sitting bouts b[se] = -34.86 [16.20], p=0.036), both relative to no prompt control. No statistically significant reductions in sitting time were seen in either PoC prompt condition. Furthermore, no statistically significant differences between the two PoC prompt conditions were observed. This study provides feasibility insight in addition to objective measures of sedentary behaviors regarding the use of PoC prompt interventions in the workplace. / Dissertation/Thesis / Masters Thesis Exercise and Wellness 2018

Often described as passive learners, students with learning disabilities (LD) sometimes approach writing as a negative and burdensome task. Their reaction may imply that writing requires processes that they find difficult. The purpose of this study was to examine the extent to which high-interest narrative writing prompts for 12- to 13-year-old students in special education increase accuracy and total words written (TWW) in a 3-min timed writing sample compared to low-interest writing prompts. High-interest writing prompts are story starter topics chosen by each participant as preferred ones for writing tasks. Participants will be three individuals from a sixth- and seventh-grade special education language arts class who have been classified with LD. Initially, participants will select high- and low-interest writing topics using a prompt selection procedure. Given 40 potential writing topics, individual participants will select their 10 highest and lowest topics of interest. Participants completed 20, 3-min timed writing samples based on high- and low-interest narrative writing prompts. High- and low-interest topics were counterbalanced. Percent accuracy, TWW, and correct writing sequences (CWS) were recorded by the researcher. Using a multi-element design, the results confirmed that high-interest writing prompts produced more volume in comparison to low-interest writing prompts. However, results did not show higher accuracy in the high-interest condition. Results are discussed in terms of constructing writing lessons for sixth- and seventh-grade students with LD.

In 2013, developers of the Next Generation Science Standards implemented national K -12 directives and elevated engineering design to the level of scientific inquiry. Teaching design, however, is challenging to educators due to the complex nature of design problems, which cannot be solved via simple algorithms. Solving design problems requires a more reflective and iterative approach that emphasizes metacognitive skills like planning, monitoring, and taking another person’s perspective. Educators are further challenged by children’s immature metacognitive skills, which may be insufficient to engage in the entire design process. A qualitative study of paired seventh graders demonstrated a pragmatic learning activity for enhancing adolescent designs during their earliest phases through guided peer interactions with metacognitive prompts. Four distinct interaction styles were observed among the pairs. Each style varied by which verbal and social phenomena were used to make changes. The metacognitive prompts used in the learning activity can be adapted to any design challenge. Furthermore, an additional, exploratory case demonstrated a restructuring of the learning activity in which the metacognitive prompts were generated naturally by the students themselves. The student-generated prompts were design-specific and timely; delivered in the moment when a student was struggling with a design element. The result was a dynamic co-construction and co-ownership of the designs.

This study attempted to determine if a low-cost, minimally time consuming intervention could increase document completion – specifically end of shift reports. Using a concurrent multiple baseline design, automated phone calls reminded staff to complete their end of shift reports. Participants were the staff members at 16 group homes. All participants were trained Direct Support Professionals. The dependent variable was completion of end of shift reports as a percent of opportunities. There was a measurable response to the intervention. Overall, the percent of completion increased from 4% in baseline to 22% during intervention. The agency desired a much higher response level so a future research opportunity could address the limitations of this study by exploring the motivating operations impacting document completion and identifying individual staff rather than using aggregate data.

The present four field studies explored the effectiveness of multiple prevention techniques designed to increase the frequency of cashiers' identification (ID)-checking behaviors from a customer-focused and cashier-focused approach. Studies 1 and 2 examined customer-focused approaches, whereas Study 3 examined a cashier-focused approach. Study 4 examined a combination of the cashier-focused and customer-focused approaches. From a customer approach, Study 1 investigated the use of four prompts (a no-prompt control, an antecedent only, an antecedent with a positive consequence, and an antecedent with a negative consequence) at encouraging cashiers to ask customers for their ID during a credit purchase. Research assistants (RAs) visited various stores and made credit purchases, while displaying one of the four prompts covering their card's signature line to the cashier during check-out. The results showed RAs were checked for ID the most when using the prompts containing the antecedent and consequence, which was checked for ID significantly more than the no-prompt control. Study 2 (also a customer approach) attempted to replicate Study 1 in a non-college community. Using a similar methodology as Study 1, the results showed RAs were checked for ID the most when using the prompt with the antecedent and positive consequence, which was checked for ID significantly more than the no-prompt control. From a cashier approach, Study 3 investigated the use of a goal-setting and prompt intervention led by the restaurant manager to increase the frequency of cashiers' ID-checking behavior. Using an A-B-A (Baseline-Intervention-Withdrawal) reversal design at one of two restaurants, the results showed the intervention restaurant's percentage of ID-checked purchases increased from Baseline to the Intervention phase. But, it decreased slightly during the Withdrawal phase, showing functional control but also some maintenance over the target behavior. The percentage of ID-checked purchases at the control restaurant was almost nonexistent throughout the study. Study 4 investigated the impact of using two intervention approaches (i.e., the customer and cashier approach) as opposed to one (i.e., the customer approach) to increase the frequency of cashiers' ID-checking behavior. While the A-B-A phases were occurring in the restaurants used in Study 3, RAs entered the restaurants and displayed an antecedent and positive consequence prompt to the cashiers during a credit purchase. The results of Study 4 partially supported the hypothesis. The cashiers in the intervention restaurant significantly checked more RAs for ID when two intervention approaches were combined than when only one intervention approach was used during Baseline, but not during the Withdrawal phase. / Ph. D.

Rapid eating is a frequent problem among individuals with developmental disabilities that can pose a threat to health. The following study sought to reduce the rate of eating behaviors in two adults diagnosed with moderate intellectual disability. Assessment of eating rate took place in the participants' group homes during lunch or dinner meals. Procedures included the use of vibrating pagers with and without verbal prompts to prompt eating and prevent rapid eating behaviors. Results demonstrate a clear reduction in rate of eating when using vibrating pagers and verbal prompts for both participants.

There is much research conducted on training teachers to use the evidence-based teaching strategies known as system of least prompts. However, there is little research conducted on using a modified system of least prompt. This study examined the fidelity of implementation by two early childhood teachers using a modified system of least prompts with preschool aged children. A multiple-probe design across participants was used to determine the effect of fidelity of implementation of a modified system of least prompts strategy on the level of on-task student engagement. The results showed that early childhood teachers could implement the modified teaching strategy with fidelity while also increasing the level of on-task engagement.

Sopsortering på tåg är ett ämne där det saknas vetenskaplig litteratur. Det framstår utifrån författarnas egna observationer som att sopsortering på tåg inte förekommer. De alternativ som observerats är plastpåsar vid tågsäten och en lucka i väggen för blandat avfall. Det är troligt att avfallet går till förbränning då det inte finns några lagar eller regler som kräver att sopsortering ska finnas på tåg. Vetskapen om att ämnet inte undersökts och att det verkar saknas sorteringsalternativ på tåg, la grunden för arbetets syfte. Syftet var att undersöka hur människor upplever sorteringsmöjligheterna på tåg och potentialen att öka insamling med hjälp av bättre sorteringsmöjligheter och prompts. För att besvara syftet, formulerades två frågeställningar,1.Hur upplever människor sorteringsmöjligheterna på tåg, och kan olika typer av sorteringsmöjligheter förbättra dessa? Och, 2.Hur kan prompts användas för att öka sorteringen av pappersavfall på tåg? Teoriavsnittet var grundläggande för både metod, resultat och diskussion. Kapitlet berörde bland annat prompts, normativ påverkan, åtgärder för att kunna förbättra återvinning och en beskrivning av en fältstudie meden observation och utdelandet av flygblad.I arbetet valdes en enkätstudie för att få svar på frågeställning 1. Enkätens huvudsakliga resultat var tvetydigt, det gick inte helt säkert se att de valda interventionerna ökade sorteringsmöjligheterna. För att försöka få tydligare svar och för att få svar på fråga 2. genomfördes ett fältexperiment. Resultatet av fältexperimentet blev inte signifikant. I diskussionen lyftes de huvudsakliga resultaten från enkätundersökningen och fältexperimentet. Resultatet jämfördes med tidigare studier och styrkor och brister med arbetets utförande diskuterades. Slutligen gavs svar angående om syfte och frågeställningar hade besvarats. / Waste recycling on trains is a subject that lacks scientific literature. It seems from the writers own observations that recycling on trains is non existent. The alternatives that have been observed is plastic bags next to train seats and a gap in the wall for mixed waste. It is probable that waste goes to incineration because there is no laws or rules that demand waste recycling on trains. The knowledge about the subject not being researched and that recycling seems to be absent on trains, lay the foundation for this works aim. The aim was to research how people feel the possibilities to recycle on trains are and the potential to increase recycling with better alternatives for recycling and prompts. To answer the aim, two questions were formulated, 1. How does people experience waste recycling possibilities on trains, and can different types of waste recycling possibilities make them better?And, 2. How can prompts be used to increase waste recycling of paper on trains?The theory section was the basis for both method, results, and discussion. The chapter touched on for instance prompts, normative influence, actions to improve recycling and a description of a field study with an observation and the handing out offlyers. In this work a survey was chosen to answer research question 1. The main results of the survey were inconclusive, it was not possible with full certainty to saythat the chosen interventions increased recycling possibilities. To get a clearer answer and to get the answer to question 2. a field experiment was performed. The results of the field experiment were not significant. In the discussion the main results from the survey and field experiment were aired. The results were compared to prior studies and strengths and weaknesses with the work performance was discussed. Finally answers were given about if the aim and research questions had been answered.

As online learning rises in popularity, students are increasingly learning through technology and without regular guidance from teachers. These learning environments differ from traditional classrooms in many ways and deliver different experiences. In this study, participants’ learning environments were manipulated using two independent variables, each with two levels for a total of four conditions: study medium (text was presented either on paper or a screen) and prompt type (text was interspersed with prompts designed either to induce metacognitive processes or to be interacted with non-metacognitively). Ninety-two participants were each assigned to one of the four conditions in a between-subject design, read three expository texts, completed a comprehension test after each text, and responded to a survey at the end of the study. Participants who read text on paper tended to take more notes and spend more time studying than those who read from a screen, but performance was equal between the mediums. Participants receiving metacognitive prompts performed better than non-metacognitive participants on multiple-choice questions with an effect size comparable to those generated by educational interventions in existing literature; however, the performance difference was not statistically significant unless prompt response scores were controlled for. In addition, behavioral differences emerged between metacognitive participants (re-read more) and non-metacognitive participants (summarized more while reading). The results from this study can be used to inform dialogue about technology in classrooms and instructional design.

The purpose of this study was to examine the effectiveness of using the system of least prompts and concrete representations to teach students with moderate and severe disabilities (MSD) to solve simple linear equations. A multiple-probe (days) across participants, single case research design was used to evaluate the effectiveness of task analytic instruction along with concrete representation on teaching students with MSD to solve algebraic equations. The results showed the system of least prompts and concrete representations were effective in teaching students with MSD to solve simple linear equations.