Abbey’s Run Equestrian is absolutely delighted to be the Australian distributor for PORTL manuals & kits.

Developed in the US by Mary Hunter & Dr. Jesús Rosales-Ruiz, PORTL (the Portable Operant Research and Teaching Lab) is a tabletop game that provides an interactive environment for learning about behavior principles and investigating behavioral phenomena. It is played using a collection of small objects, a clicker to select behavior, and small blocks as reinforcers.

PORTL had its beginnings in another game, called GENABACAB, which was developed by English dog trainer Kay Laurence. More than a decade ago, Laurence taught this game to Dr. Jesús Rosales-Ruiz and his graduate students. The students started playing the game with each other and were hooked. They also began modifying the game to create an apparatus that could be used for teaching and research.

Students need minimal instructions initially to start playing PORTL. However, as they gain more experience with the game, they can use it to ask and answer complex questions about behavior. This gives them a sense of discovery and gets them excited to learn more about how behavior works.

You can find out a heap more about PORTL and see videos of PORTL in action by visiting the Behavior Explorer website: https://behaviorexplorer.com/articles/portl-intro/

The PORTL manual:

This 200 page manual contains 40+ learning exercises. These lesson have been developed over the past seven years in undergraduate courses, graduate courses, and professional workshops. The manual is a thorough guide that explains how you can use PORTL to explore the principles of behavior, improve your teaching skills, and conduct inquiry and research projects.

The manual is divided into four main sections:

- The first part of the manual introduces you to the game of PORTL. You will learn what supplies you need to play PORTL, learn how to set up the teaching environment, and practice the PORTL reinforcement system. It also includes several sample curricula that can be used as you go through the manual.

- The second part of the manual will teach you about differential reinforcement and shaping. The six shaping foundational exercises in Chapter 4 will help you see the component pieces that make up larger behaviors and let you practice teaching these components. As you practice these exercises, your shaping skills and problem-solving skills will improve.

- The third part of the manual will allow you to model a variety of different principles and concepts using PORTL. This includes schedules of reinforcement, stimulus control, concepts, and behavior chains. As you complete these exercises, you will discover more about how behavior works.

- The fourth part of the manual will acquaint you with errorless learning, inquiry projects, and research projects. The skills you have practiced in the earlier chapters will come together as you learn how to teach behaviors with minimal errors and practice using PORTL to ask and answer your own questions about behavior.

You will need minimal instructions to start playing PORTL. However, as you gain more experience with the game, you can use it to ask and answer complex questions about behavior.

The PORTL kit:

To play PORTL, you require a kit of various items.

Each kit contains a a collection of 30+ small objects, a clicker, reinforcer blocks, cue cards, and a handy storage pouch. An assortment of objects is included so that it will be easy for you to teach many of the behaviors described in the manual.

Please note: The photos above show a sample PORTL kit. The 30+ small objects in each kit will vary from what you see pictured here. Items may differ based on color, size, or type. Each kit contains an assortment of items that will be conducive for shaping different actions and for completing the exercises in the manual.

Each kit contains:

- 30+ small objects

- A clicker

- 10 reinforcer blocks

- A small bowl to collect and store the reinforcer blocks

- Playing cards to use as cues

- A storage pouch

***PORTL manual & kit set is $88.00 AUD***

***Price is inclusive of postage & handling (standard parcel mail via Australia Post) for one book and one kit to anywhere in Australia. Orders will be shipped ASAP once payment has been received***

***To keep the cost of purchasing PORTL as affordable as possible, we are not selling via a shopping cart at this point in time. Payment options are Direct Deposit or PayPal. For orders or enquiries, please email info@abbeysrunequestrian.com.au ***