What is event recording?
Event recording is really a process for documenting the number of times a behavior occurs. An observer using event recording is really a tally mark or documents somehow every time a student partcipates in a target behavior. The observer also records the timeframe in which the behavior has observed. For instance, a tutor could be thinking about frequent a student correctly pronounces one word, requires help, leaves the desk, participates in class, comes to fruition at class punctually, or interacts positively with peers.
Event recording occurs within a specific period of time. For example, it can be important to observe a student during math class from 9:00-9:30 over a few days to determine a pattern of behavior. Specifics of the frequency of an behavior is obtained by recording in a specific time period. As an illustration, an instructor may collect event recording data daily in the 9:00-9:30 class. When the amount of time varies, the data gathered during event recording is documented being a rate. For instance, the rate may reflect the quantity of behaviors for each minute or by the hour.
Which are the pros and cons of event recording?
The major benefit from event recording is it may be easy to implement and is used while teaching class. There are numerous easy approaches to record behaviors because they occur: Use a wrist counter; make tally marks over a small note, or put paperclips, pennies, or buttons in a pocket and move these to an alternative "target" pocket as each behavior occurs. Following the observation period, this is a simple task to think about your wrist counter, accumulate the amount of pieces of the "target" pocket, or count the number of tally marks on the recording form.
Event recording seriously isn't helpful once the behavior appealing occurs at a really high rate or occurs over extended periods of your time. Behaviors that could occur at a high rate or higher extended periods could include temper tantrums, reading, staring off into space, or conversing with peers. In these cases event recording is probably not the very best measurement choice.
When should event recording be used?
Event recording works extremely well should your objective would be to decrease or increase frequent a behavior occurs. When the behavior that you are investigating can be simply counted, event recording will be the best method to use since it may be easy to record and perhaps might be completed without upsetting ongoing activities. A behavior can easily be counted when:
- The behaviour features a clear beginning and end to enable you to easily tell if the behavior starts and when it ends, and
- It does not happen at this kind of high rate it problematical to document.