Information sources to characterize behaviors in teaching programming

Abstract

Like other phenomena, behavior can be observed in different ways. Research of Programming of Conditions to Development of Behaviors characterize complex behaviors from the proposition of intermediate behaviors, in order to enable the teaching of characterized behaviors, the evaluation of the repertoire of learners related to this behavior and performance evaluation. This characterization can be performed from different sources of information. Implications of the choice of information source for characterizing behaviors in Programming of Conditions to Development of Behaviors research were evaluated. Among the relevant aspects are the unit of analysis to be observed, the characteristics of each type of information source and the available resources. The characterization of behaviors through the literature allows access to the phenomenon of interest in several works,
including those derived from scientific studies, with a high degree of reliability. The characterization through interviews or direct observation, on the other hand, is influenced by the repertoire of the subjects observed or interviewed and may not be sufficient to characterize the behaviors that make up a given phenomenon. Behavior Analysis literature may have clearer descriptions of behavior components as a
result of the language used, while literature from other areas may contain additional information useful for characterizing the phenomenon of interest. Well-conducted interviews with people with a high degree of proficiency in the behavior of interest help to identify variables not considered in the literature. Direct observation makes
it possible to identify specific variables of the context in which the behavior is presented, but makes it impossible to identify prerequisite behaviors and constituents of the behavior being observed. The use of each type of information source can present advantages and disadvantages, with regard to the scope and detail of the behaviors characterized, which will imply in the other phases of Programming of
Conditions to Development of Behaviors research, including the teaching of these behaviors. The complementarity of sources is an alternative to overcome the limits that a single type of source presents, enabling a more complete understanding of the phenomenon of interest. The possibilities for complementing sources include using
more than one type of information source in a survey and carrying out different surveys to characterize the same phenomenon.