This text was edited and curated by Dr. Maggie Pavone at Lindenwood University with the help of grant funding from the Dissemination of Behavior Analysis Special Interest Group of the Association of Behavior Analysis International

CCBY 2.0, 2021

The rising cost of education and exam preparation materials in applied behavior analysis is a serious concern that is largely ignored by the professional behavior analytic community. Open educational resources (OER) are educational materials (textbooks, readings, games, quizzes, etc.) that are made available at no cost to students and are a way to address exponentially growing costs of higher education (EDUCAUSE, 2010; Abramson, 2011). The benefits of OER are aligned with Skinner’s vision for saving the world: they increase access to ABA knowledge for a wider range of learners, especially students from underserved areas or with few resources (Skinner, 1987; University of Texas, 2016). This open educational resource is hosted online for download, remix, and adoption by any individual with an internet connection. The authors and contributors hope this will create a disruption in the current publication climate and also have long-lasting impact on the community of individuals who may want to learn about the science of applied behavior analysis. Chapters are written by BCBAs and graduate students with peer reviews by a team of volunteer BCBAs, BCBA-Ds, and other doctoral-level collegiate faculty in order to ensure accuracy and readability. As an OER, this resource is open to addition and editing and welcomes additional comments or reviews. The editor and authors have provided contact information in each section. The text should continue to improve and evolve as a growing support for the dissemination of behavior science.

This work was made possible through funding received from the Dissemination of Behavior Analysis Special Interest Group Annual Grant Award. For more information about the Association for Behavior Analysis International’s DBA SIG, visit DBASIG.com.

For more information about Open Educational Resources in Applied Behavior Analysis, visit this short training:

Creative Commons Licenses and Ethics of OER in Behavior Analysis by the OER SIG