How to configure CAB work expectations

In addition to randomness in reinforcement in the different steps of the EO (i.e. "surprise shorties"), SBT EO trials also typically include randomness in work expectations during a specific CAB. For example, a CAB3 typically includes instructional control of a few (1-3) responses/time units of cooperation, while a CAB5 typically includes short (CAB5s), medium (CAB5m), and long (CAB5l) trials, each with randomly-chosen, but respectively increasing, expectations.

To assist with randomly choosing an appropriate expectation of work for a specific CAB during an EO trial, ABAKadabra includes a configurable CAB modifier expression for each CAB that allows a user to programmatically include additional instructions for the CAB in the EO plan during a SBT session.

Example - default CAB6 work expectations

The default value of the CAB6 CAB modifier expression is the following:

({1, 3, 6, 10, "10+"})[math.random(1, 5)] .. " work unit(s)".

In English, this expression means:

Randomly choose the value 1, 3, 6, 10, or 10+ and append it to "work units(s)"

This means that whenever we see a CAB6 in an EO plan during a SBT session, the CAB6 instruction will include text such as "6 work unit(s)". This text prompts the teacher of the amount of work the teacher should expect during the CAB6 in that EO trial.

Example - default CAB5 work expectations

The default value of the CAB5 CAB modifier expression is the following:

({1, 3, 6, 10, "10+"})[
  math.random(1, 3 + math.floor(
    eo_trial_results("cab5", "cab5", 8).success_trials_count/3
  ))
] .. " work unit(s)"

The expression for CAB5 is a bit more complex than the other CABs (such as CAB6 discussed above) since the CAB5 expression expands the CAB work expectations based on the student's current progress through CAB5 (e.g. CAB5s, CAB5m, CAB5l). In English, the expression means:

From the last 8 CAB5 trials in the current CAB branch, if 0-2 were successful then randomly choose a value from [1, 3, 6], if 3-5 were successful then randomly choose a value from [1, 3, 6, 10], if 6-8 were successful then randomly choose a value from [1, 3, 6, 10, 10+] and append the value to "work unit(s)".

Drawbacks of CAB work expectations

At this time, the result of the CAB modifier expression for the EO trial is not recorded in the result data. Therefore, the when using the CAB modifier expression as an indicator of the CAB work expectations for the CAB during the EO trial, the CAB work expression is only displayed as a prompt to the instructor during the EO plan.