methods of presenting practice

Whole practice

• involve performing one skill in its entirety without breaking it into subroutines from start to finish in continuous motion

• creates fluency - might be chosen in whole practice when:

  • skill is fast, ballistic and discrete such as sharp action of a tennis serve

  • skill is highly organised - cannot be easily broken down into subroutines

  • simple - doesn’t require much thought, fewer demands are placed on perfumer

  • kineasthesis of whole task is required as learner develops + ready to perform whole task

  • performer is advanced - autonomous stage + Abel to meet demands - detailed/ precise

  • e.g golf swing by experienced performer - discrete, fast and quick - cope w demands + just the time movement - hard to breakdown

Advantages of whole practice

• gives feel for whole skill and the links between each subroutine are maintained

• short amount of time to perfect performance

• builds up motor programmes

• helps create specific images that can be stored as plan called motor programme which is stored in long term memory and contains mental image of all parts of the skill

• more realistic than part practice - produced effect of positive transfer of skills in training to pitch

• helps make skill consistent - good habits = skilled performance = almost automatically

disadvantages of whole practice

• performer may not be able to cope w demands at once

• too much info - fatigue from non stop performing with no break

• how ever there is a solution to this

• coach may attempt WHOLE PART PRACTICE

Whole part practice

perfumer attempts whole skill to get a feel for the movement, specific weaknesses

• each pair practiced individually and is isolated e.g fairly experienced volleyball player has issues spiking, whole action performed + specific issue w arm action can be identified

• used when beginner is doing complex task + Amy need to focus on one part of the skill to progress

• importnant if skill is hard to break down

• skill not broken up so links between subroutines are maintained

Advantages of whole part practice

• provide motivation when success achieved

• provides immediate feedback - corrects errors improving performance

• fluency and integration of sub routines can be maintained while errors are corrected

• maintains feel for whole skill and transition between each part of it

disadvantages of whole part practice

• may produce negative transfer effects unless coach integrates part back into whole in the same training session

• more time consuming than whole

• however sometimes its necessary to break down parts and one method of this is called PROGRESSIVE PART PRACTICE

progressive part practice (chaining)

• practicing the first part of the skill+ then adding the parts gradually

• serial skills when order is important e.g dance routine

• useful when skill is low organised

Advanatges of progressive part practice

focused on one aspect - correct specific weaknesses

can rest so fatigue reduced

each part brings success ins ages - motivation levels restored

builds initial understanding so can improve confidence

disadvantages of progressive part practice

time consuming

might neglect feel of whole task

might ignore links between subroutines

danger of negative transfer between each sequence of skill - first part taught well

Part practice

• parts of the skill are practiced in isolation

• useful for complex +serial skills to focus on specific elements

• low organisation skills

advantages of part practice

• makes teaching dangerous skills safer

• help perfoemres gain confidence

• gives a better understanding of the techniques involved

disadvantages of part practice

• doesnt allow performer to gain kinaesthesic sense of the skill