PE - skill acquisition

What is a skill?

A learned ability to bring about pre determined results with the minimum outlay of time, energy or both.

What are the required characteristics of a skill?

• Aesthetically pleasing

• Controlled / coordinated

• Efficient

• Fluent / smooth

• Accurate

• Consistent

• Economical

What determines it a skill is open or closed? And give examples

Environmental influences. Eg open skill - dribbling past a defender. Closed skill - darts throw.

What determines a skill being gross or fine? And give examples.

Large muscle groups vs small muscle groups. Eg gross skill- rugby tackle. Fine skill- snooker shot.

What decides if a skill is simple or complex? And give examples.

The number of decisions needed to make. Simple skill - split leap in gymnastics. Complex - 10 bounce trampolining routine.

What determines is a skill is self paced or externally paced? And give examples.

If you have to control the skill or react to something else. Self paced - High jump. Externally paced- Block in volleyball

What determines it a shill is low organisation or high organisation? And give examples.

How you break the skill down. Low organisation- discus throw. High organisation - triple jump.

What are discrete, serial and continuous skills? And give examples.

Skills can be discrete (readily identifiable beginning and end), serial (a series of discrete actions), or continuous (no readily identifiable beginning and end). Discrete - snooker shot. Serial - triple jump. Continuous - dribbling in a hockey game.

What is transfer of learning?

When a skill learnt in one activity can affect/ influence / impact skills in another.

What is positive transfer? And give an example.

Learning a skill facilitates the learning of an additional skill. Eg overarm volley in volleyball and a tennis serve.

What is negative transfer? And give an example.

Learning a skill hinders / inhibites the learning of an additional skill. Eg forehand clear in badminton and a forehand drive in tennis.

What is zero transfer? And give an example.

Learning a skill has no effect on learning another skill. Eg a tackle in rugby and a tumble turn in swimming.

What is bilateral transfer? And give an example.

Learning and practicing a skill on one side of the body improves learning on the other side of the body. Eg snooker shot from one hand to another.

How do you ensure positive transfer?

• Ensure the skill is over learned

• Make practice sessions realistic and relevant to competitive environment

• Give praise and positive reinforcement

• Coach makes performer aware of possible transfers

• Identify elements that may hinder learning

• Slow planned progression

• Eliminate bad habits

• Ensure performer is motivated

What are the different types of practice?

• Massed

• Distributed

• Mental

• Varied

What is massed practice?

• Continuous practice without rest periods.

• Used when the skill is closed, simple and discrete.

• Used when a performer is highly motivated, autonomous and physically fit.

What are the advantages and disadvantages of massed practice?

Advantages

• Improves fitness

• Skill becomes over learned and habitual

• Motor programmes are formed and stored

• Efficient use of time

Disadvantages

• Can cause fatigue

• No time for feedback

• Might not be physically fit to perform this type of practice

What is distributed practice?

Practice with rest periods included for those that may have low motivation and/or fitness.

What are the advantages and disadvantages of distributed practice?

Advantages

• Used for complex skills

• Useful for discrete skills

• Provides time for mental rehearsal

• Helpful for beginners

Disadvantages

• Can be time consuming

• Breaks can be unnecessary for experienced athletes

What is mental rehearsal?

Going over the skill in the mind without moving. This can be used when the skill is complex or serial.

What are the advantages and disadvantages of mental practice?

Advantages

• Can be used for cognitive and autonomous players

• Produces clear mental images

• Helps with motivation, confidence and anxiety

• Muscles are stimulated

• Reaction time improves

Disadvantages

• Mental images must be accurate

• Difficult for cognitive performers

• Difficult if environment is not quiet

What is varied practice ?

Practicing skills and drills in a consistently changing environment. Used for open, externally paced and complex skills.

What are the advantages and disadvantages of varied practice ?

Advantages

• Increased motivation

• Performer gains experience from lots of situations

• Positive transfer into gave play

Disadvantages

• Time consuming and fatiguing

• Risk of negative transfer

What is whole practice?

Practicing the skill in its entirety without breaking it into sub-routines.

What is whole-part-whole practice?

Skill is attempted fully to get initial feel then is broken up to perfect.

What is progressive part practice?

Skill is learnt in parts, broken down into consecutive parts.

What is a cognitive learner?

Beginner

• Thinking and working out.

• Slow and uncoordinated.

• Trying to copy demonstrations.

• Motor programmes haven’t developed.

• Trial and error.

• Extrinsic feedback.

What is an associative learner?

Mediocre

• Becomes accomplished performer.

• Trial and error.

• Compares performance to top level

• Movements become smooth and coordinated.

• Feedback becomes more intrinsic.

What is an autonomous learner?

Expert/pro

• Reached after effective practice.

• Must continue to practice in order to stay at this level.

• Fluent, efficient and automatic.

• Basic skills have developed as motor programmes.

• Less trail and error.

• Intrinsic feedback.

What is a learning plateau?

A period of time during performance where there are no signs of improvement.

What's the first stage of the learning curve?

• Rates of success are slow and performance is poor

• New to the task - cognitive.

• Using trial and error.

What's the second stage of the learning curve?

• Sharp increase in success rate.

• Performer has began to master the task.

• Fluency increases and motivation increases.

What's the third stage of the learning curve?

• Learning plateau reached.

• Progress has been haltered.

• Performance levels are maintained.

What the fourth stage of the learning curve?

• Reduced success rates.

• Drive reduction occurs

• Tedium.

• New challenge or goal must be set.

What are the causes of a learning plateau?

• Loss of motivation

• Poor coaching

• Reached ability level

• Goals set too high or low

• Mental / physical fatigue

• Tedium

What are some cures for the learning plateau?

• Set new goals

• Positive feedback

• New coach / different methods of coaching

• Play against the same ability

• Set ‘SMARTER’ goals

• Rests to improve fatigue

• Varied practice to improve tedium

What are the different types of guidance?

• Visual

• Verbal

• Mechanical

• Manual

What is visual guidance?

Allows performer to see how to perform a skill.

• Eg demonstrations, images, videos.

• Must be within their capability

What is verbal guidance?

Instructions on what to do and how to do it.

• Best used in conjunction with visual guidance.

• Used more for autonomous players.

What is mechanical guidance?

Use of an artificial device or aid to shape movement.

What is manual guidance?

Physical supporting the performer.

What is operant conditioning?

• Psychologist : Skinner (1948)

• Uses rewards and punishment to modify behaviour

• Rewards - more likely to repeat

• Shapes behaviour using reinforcements

What s observational learning?

• Psychologist : Albert Bandura (1977)

• 4 stages :

Stage 1- attention

• Grab attention to sell the demonstration

Stage 2- retention

• Ability to remember and recall from memory

Stage 3- motor production

• Ensure player can recreate the demonstration with their capabilities

Stage 4- motivation

• Drive needed to copy the demonstration

What is social development learning?

• Learning by association with others influence (MKO - more knowledgeable others).

• Inter-psychological learning will take place - the process of learning from others externally.

• Constructivism - build on what you know, by interacting with others and copying actions, skills are improved - socialisation.

• 3 stages of proximal development - 1. Can do alone. 2. Can do with help. 3. Cannot do yet.

What is insight learning?

• The performer needs to understand the whole problem before performing the skill correctly.

• They base their response on their previous experiences and their current situation.

What is intrinsic feedback?

Feedback that comes from within the performer as a result of their own sensory experience during or after performing a skill.

What is extrinsic feedback?

Feedback provided by an external source, such as a coach or video, to enhance performance and learning.

What is positive feedback?

Feedback that reinforces and encourages a performer by acknowledging their successful actions and efforts.

What is negative feedback?

Feedback that provides information about errors or areas needing improvement, helping the performer to identify mistakes and enhance performance.

What is knowledge of performance?

Feedback related to the quality of movement during a skill execution, focusing on the technique rather than the outcome.

What is knowledge of results?

Knowledge of results is feedback that provides information about the outcome of a performance, indicating whether the goal was achieved.

What is the purpose of feedback?

• Reinforces correct actions.

• Corrects errors.

• Eliminates bad habits.

• Acts as a motivator.

• Builds confidence.

What does Whiting's information processing model look like?

What is the input data from display in Whiting's information processing model?

The information available to the performer- relevant or irrelevant.

What do the 5 arrows represent in Whiting's model ?

The 5 senses -internal and external.

Internal

• Touch

• Balance

• Kinaesthesias

  External

• Vision

• Hearing

What are perceptual mechanisms in Whiting's model?

Interprets information from the display

Uses DCR process.

• Detection - receive cues.

• Comparison - compare to cues stored in memory systems.

• Recognition - what response is needed

What are the translators mechanisms Whiting's model ?

• Uses gathered information to make a decision - decision making.

• Corrects response selected in form of a motor programme.

What are the effector mechanisms in Whiting's model ?

• Transfers decision via nervous system to complete the action.

• Impulses are sent to relevant working muscles.

What is selective attention?

The process of focusing on specific stimuli or information while ignoring others, allowing for improved processing of relevant information.

What is the importance of selective attention?

• Aids concentration

• Improves reaction time

• Filters out distractions

• Control arousal levels

• Reduces chance of information overload in the short term memory

How do you improve selective attention?

• Increase stimulus intensity

• Relevant practice / learn to ignore irrelevant stimuli

• Practice with distractions

• Mental rehearsal / imagery

• Make stimuli unique / memorable

• Highlight specific cues

• Optimum arousal levels