Computer Assisted Systematic Analysis of Instructor and Learner Behavior (CASAIL): Physical Education & Coaching Edition

Daniel Frankl, Ph.D. The purpose of the Computer Assisted Systematic Analysis of Instructor and Learner Behavior--Physical Education and Coaching Edition (CASAIL--PEC)™ application is to combine computer technology with the theory and practice of student teacher preparation. CASAIL's Teaching and Coaching Edition was designed to help student teacher supervisors, student teachers, and teachers and coaches to evaluate instructional efficacy, lesson density, and learner behaviors in an accurate, fast, and relatively effortless manner. Information contained in this text is intended to enable any reader, computer capable or not, to get started right away. Users familiar with the Windows 95/98 or Windows NT operating systems should be able to take full advantage of this product and may still find this manual useful. The Computer Assisted Systematic Analysis of Instructor and Learner Behaviors--Physical Education and Coaching Edition (CASAIL--PEC)™ was designed to incorporate two existing and well developed concepts -- paper and pencil evaluations of teaching performance, such as, Academic Learning Time-Physical Education (ALT-PE), the Flanders' Interaction Analysis System (FIAS) (Flanders, 1965, cited in Darst, Zakrajsek, & Mancini, 1989), Teacher's Questionnaire on Students' Activities (TQSA) (Mancini, Wuest, & O'Brien (1989) and programming software (Visual Basic 4.0 Professional Edition) in Microsoft's Windows environment. CASAIL's features and format are based on an adaptation of several pencil and paper formats, most notably Siedentop's(1984) Academic Learning Time-Physical Education(ALT-PE), and Harari's (1993) Wingate Supervision Observation Format (WSOF). The WSOF is an open, flexible, paper and pencil recording system, which allows the user several options in supervising the acquisition of simple, intermediate, and complex teaching skills. The WSOF is based on the Ohio State Supervision Research Program and observational tools developed over the course of years by Dr. Daryl Siedentop and his colleagues. Ideally, a programmer should have a clear vision of what the software would enable its users to accomplish long before the first line of code is written. Thus, at the onset of this project a decision regarding the specifications and scope of this tool had to be made. CASAIL was ultimately crafted as a data recording and analysis instrument that combines a reasonable number of controls with a flexible interface that allows effortless changes and modifications of data input default values and descriptors.

CASAIL's 1.0 Features Default and custom made Model Options Lesson Information and Student Information Forms (for keeping track of unit plans, lesson plans and saved recorded individual lessons) Eight controls for data collection (Academic Learning Time in Physical Education settings (ALT-PE) variables (e.g., Waiting or Pause, Transition, Management, Lecture, Demonstration/Explanation, Warm-Up, Drills, Game, Activity, Testing...etc.; any of the default controls can be modified using the "Edit Model Data" function) Opportunities to Respond (talliying of successful and unsuccessful learner on-task experiences) Instruction related behaviors, such as provision of Feedback (Positive, Negative, KP, KR, etc.), Modeling (by instructor, student, correct/incorrect etc.), attention to safety issues (positive/negative) etc. (any of the default feedback controls can be modified using of the "Edit Model Data" function) Instructional Space (available with CASAIL version 1.0 are: Soccer field, basket ball court, and football field). In addition, instructor, learner, or object (e.g., ball) movement in the instructional space may be recorded. Subjective Summative Evaluation with choices ranging from 1 (poor) to 5 (excellent) on a color coded Likert scale that includes the following two main categories and its corresponding subcategories:

A default CASAIL version, and additional CASAIL models (including models for evaluation of coaching efficacy, and evaluation of lecture classes) Notepad for Qualitative Comments (reflections, ideas, comments, constructive criticism, praise, etc. may be logged in as the observed lesson progresses) Built-in computations of kilocaloric expenditure by the average student during the recorded session. Each available model includes different weight ranges and its corresponding kilocalory/minute of specific activity value. Data selection function for analysis (any data section of a particular session may be selected and analyzed separately. For example, the use of time during the warm-up or cool down may be analyzed leaving out the rest of the data. Visual presentation of entered data (bar graphs representing a percentage of "positive" versus "negative" feedback or rate of number of observations per time unite; pie chart, and Gantt chart) Data selection function and segment analysis (allows the selection of any data block within any timed interval from start to end of one data recording session) Printing function On-line help On-line hardware, software, programming and Internet, computing terms and definitions for novice and advanced users (Copyright 1994-1999 by Daniel Frankl, Ph.D.)

Page updated: Oct. 20, 2003