> I have spent the better part of the morning trying to find something on the
> web (anything?) that will help students master the basics of classical
> conditioning. I have found lots of basic text stuff, mostly with the same
> example (dogs and some auditory stimulus), but I can't find anything
> 'interactive' or anything that goes into something beyond salivating dogs.
> Do any of you have any URLs that might be of value tucked away in your list
> of resources?
I don't have any web addresses, but here's a quick demo to do that all my
students have liked thus far for operant conditioning:
1) After covering operant conditiong and shaping in class, get a
volunteer, and have this person wait outside the room (far enough away so
they can't hear)
2) Explain to the class that you plain to have the class shape the
volunteer's actions toward a targeted behavior by clapping as the
individual gets closer to the desired behavior (clapping more intensely as
the volunteer gets progressively closer).
3) Have the class decide what they want the person to do, but KEEP IT
SIMPLE. No writing or saying anything (too many
possibilities). Something like turning on/off a light/overhead, sitting
on a table, pulling down a screen would all be good examples.
It's a nice little demo that breaks up the class a bit and gets every
student involved. Let me know if you have any questions/comments about
this.
Have Fun!
Matt
