Part 1: Shaping and errorless learning           

Join Dr. Jesús Rosales-Ruiz and Mary Hunter for three intensive days of lectures and hands-on exercises using PORTL. PORTL, or the Portable Operant Research and Teaching Lab, is a tabletop game that will help you learn more about animal behavior and learning. 

This workshop will focus specifically on the topics of shaping and errorless learning. You’ll learn about behavior principles and techniques that will help you create optimal learning situations when working with both animals and people. Throughout the weekend, we’ll talk about reinforcement systems, how to shape actions, arranging the environment to facilitate learning, raising criteria, chaining, writing shaping plans, prerequisite behaviors, and errorless learning. 

In addition to lectures and discussion, this workshop will allow you to practice your shaping skills with another human as the learner. These exercises will help you learn to problem solve and think more creatively when designing training solutions. You will also get to play the role of the learner, which will give you more insight into how people and animals learn. 

WORKSHOP SCHEDULE

FRIDAY - 9:30 - 5:00

Friday morning

Lecture: What is shaping?

PORTL exercises: Reinforcer delivery and timing

Friday afternoon

Lecture: The reinforcement system

PORTL exercises: Shaping foundational lessons

SATURDAY - 9:30 - 5:00

Saturday morning:

Lecture: Movement cycles

PORTL exercises: Shaping foundational lessons (continued)

Saturday afternoon: 

Lecture: Other ways to shape

PORTL exercises: Chaining, raising criteria 

SUNDAY - 9:30 - 4:00

Sunday morning:

Lecture: Are errors necessary for learning? (Part 1)

PORTL exercises: Writing shaping plans

Sunday afternoon: 

Lecture: Are errors necessary for learning? (Part 2)

PORTL exercises: Shaping challenges