Basics Article #1: TAGteach - Get the Point!

OK - maybe we got a bit ahead of ourselves in our excitement over blogging and did not start at the beginning to explain what TAGteach is exactly. Since I have had a few questions about this, I will rectify the situation by posting a series of articles here that explain the basics of TAGteach. Here is the first one...

What is the point?

With TAGteach™ (Teaching with Acoustical Guidance), a new way of teaching using positive reinforcement, it’s a tag point. A tag point is a response, action, or position that when accomplished is reinforced. The reinforcement for performing a tag point correctly is an audible tag (click) made by a handheld tagger (clicker). The tag marks the exact moment the tag point is executed correctly and gives immediate and clear feedback to the student or athlete. TAGteach works on the principle of identifying correct behavior and making it stronger while ignoring mistakes and allowing them to disappear.The tag becomes a positive reinforcer through pairing with tangible rewards (a sticker for example) or as a result of good feelings associated with success. Younger students trade their tags in for beads, stickers or other prizes. Older students and higher level athletes often do not require a tangible primary reinforcer, since they are reinforced just by receiving the immediate and clear feedback from the tag.

Clarity and simplicity are key aspects of TAGteach. A tag point is defined so that the teacher can easily judge whether the tag point is achieved and can mark it with a tag. For example, a teacher might say to a learner who is being taught to draw the letter O, “The tag point is start from the top.” Once this has been done correctly several times the teacher can move on; “The tag point is move the pencil tip to the left.” If there is any difficulty and the student does not succeed after three tries, the teacher will break the skill down into smaller parts and go back to a previous point of success. With some students it may be necessary to place a dot at the place where the letter should start, or to trace letters or to use other prompts to help the student succeed at first. These prompts can be gradually faded out as the student improves.

There is no scolding or negativity associated with TAGteach. If the learner hears the tag he knows that the tag point was achieved. If he doesn’t hear the tag he knows to try again. There is no “better, but…” in TAGteach. If the tag point for a handstand is “point your toes” and the learner points her toes, but her legs were apart, the learner receives the tag and the teacher does not say “That was better, but next time try to keep your legs together.” Instead, the teacher awards the tag for pointed toes and after a few repetitions says to the learner, “Now at the top of the handstand the tag point is legs together.” The learner may forget to point her toes while thinking about keeping her legs straight. In this case the pointed toes tag point can be revisited a few times and eventually the learner will achieve a toe point with straight legs without ever being told that something was wrong. The learner learns to self-assess and think for herself without relying on corrections from the teacher.

The next article in this series will discuss reinforcement schemes that have been used by TAGteachers. We invite you to join the TAGteacher discussion group at TAGteach.com to meet others who are implementing TAGteach in various disciplines.