Improving Graduate Students' Graphing Skills of Multiple Baseline Designs with Microsoft Excel 2007

Graphic displays of data for ongoing visual inspections serve as the primary vehicle for interpreting and analyzing treatment effects in single-subject (SS) research (Cooper, Heron, & Heward, 2007). Precision in data analyses is possible only when data are presented in a clear and accurate graphic format, in order for SS researchers to appropriately evaluate the functional relationships between the dependent and independent variables. Due to recent technological advancements (e.g., Microsoft[R] Office software upgrades), researchers are provided with tools to create a graph that is professional, presentable, and that is in an electronic format for dissemination purpose (e.g., publications). However, creating precise electronic SS graphs continues to be difficult for many educators and researchers because of the complexity of graphing knowledge and skills involved in the task (Lo & Konrad, 2007). Microsoft[R] (hereafter MS) Office Excel is one of the most common and standard software available to users for constructing SS graphs. To assist users in creating professionally presented, computer-generated SS graphs, several guidelines or step-by-step instructions for using MS Excel as the graphing software are available. For example, Carr and Burkholder (1998) offered step-by-step procedures for graphing reversal, multiple baseline, and multielement design graphs using Excel 97 for Windows 95/NT or MacOS operating systems. Similarly, Moran and Hirschbine (2002) provided a technical tutorial of detailed steps for creating reversal design graphs using Excel 97 and Excel 2000. Hillman and Miller (2004) expanded on this paper by further illustrating steps for creating multiple baseline graphs using Excel 97 and 2000. To supplement the contents of their most recent edition textbook, Applied Behavior Analysis for Teachers (2006, 7th ed.), Cihak, Alberto, Troutman, and Flores (2006) provided step-by-step instructions for using Excel 2003 or earlier versions to construct six types of SS design graphs including AB design, reversal, changing criterion, multiple baseline/probe, alternating treatments, and multi-treatments designs. Finally, Lo and Konrad (2007) expanded on previous publications by refining and detailing two task analyses specific for creating various SS single data path and double data paths graphs using Excel 2003 or earlier versions. In addition to the aforementioned guidelines in using MS Excel program for graphing SS research data, tutorials or instructions for creating SS graphs are also available to users with either MS Word for Windows 2003 and Mac 2004 (Grehan & Moran, 2005) or MS PowerPoint 2003 and MS PowerPoint for Mac (Barton, Reichow, & Woolery, 2007). Despite the availability and usefulness of various approaches or instructions for creating SS graphs using MS software programs, previous published guidelines become impractical for users who adopt the newest version of MS Office 2007 program. This new version presents drastic changes in commands and toolbars compared to its earlier versions, making it very difficult for users to follow when using MS Office 2007. Recently, Dixon et al. (in press) updated the graphing task analyses by Carr and Burkholder (1998) and provided new task analyses for creating SS graphs in Excel 2007. Using a between-subject design, Dixon et al. compared the Excel 2007 SS graphing skills of 22 graduate students using either the Carr and Burkholder or the new task analyses. The authors found that participants who received the new task analyses created SS graphs more quickly and accurately than those using the Carr and Burkholder procedure. The three sets of task analyses (i.e., reversal designs, multielement designs, and multiple baseline designs) by Dixon et al. are very timely and useful; however, some Excel 2007 users may benefit from streamlined task analyses that attend to the following aspects not addressed in Dixon et al. task analyses: (a) setting data points to fall on the tick marks of x axes, (b) raising the 0 off the x axes while maintaining appropriate scales, (c) providing appropriate and consistent scales on the x and y axes, (d) offering instructions for creating multiple data paths on one graph, (e) offering various graphics accompanying key steps throughout the task analyses, and (f) providing detailed instructions for inserting new columns for additional information (e. …