PE Exam Notes

Sport specific skill

Advanced versions or combinations of fundamental motor skills relevant to the rules and equipment of a sport.

Fundamental motor skill

Foundational skills that provide the basis for the development of sport specific skills.

Fine motor skill

A skill that recruits smaller or less muscle groups, which is focused on precise and controlled movements.

Gross motor skill

A skill that recruits larger or more muscle groups, which is focused on producing speed or force.

Discrete skill

A skill with a distinct beginning and end.

Serial skill

Several skills performed in a coordinated sequence.

Continuous skill

A skill with no clear beginning and end.

Open skill

A skill performed with little to no control over the environment.

Closed skill

A skill performed with the greatest control over the environment.

Intertrial variability

Higher variability skills are more open.

Pacing

Self paced skills are more closed.

Predictability and stability

Higher predictability and stability are more closed.

Cognitive learner

A person who has had little to no exposure to a particular movement skill and asks a lot of questions, often inconsistent in skill execution.

Associative learner

A person beginning to refine their technique and success in a particular movement skill who can sometimes detect and correct their own errors.

Autonomous learner

A person who can complete a skill automatically in various settings, able to recognize and correct their own errors with high consistent performance.

Attention

Amount of conscious thought required to complete a movement skill.

Error

A skill performed incorrectly or which does not achieve its intention.

Continuum of learning

A spectrum from cognitive to autonomous in which all learners can be placed.

Enabler

Something or someone that has a positive influence on one's participation and skill development.

Barrier

Something or someone that has a negative influence on one's participation and skill development.

Family

Initially the most powerful influencer on participation in physical activity.

Peers

During school years, the desire to belong to a peer group can influence participation in physical activity.

Community

The social and cultural characteristics of a community can influence participation in physical activity.

Motor skills, participation and performance

If a person is unable to perform fundamental motor skills, their participation is likely to decrease, which will also decrease their performance.

Qualitative movement analysis (QMA)

Used to assess movement then improve movement which will lead to an increase in performance.

Preparation

Involving the collection of all relevant information including a purpose, knowledge of the skill, amount of observations to be made, and method of observation to be used.

Observation

Involving watching the skill be performed either live or digitally.

Evaluation

Involves judging the quality of the skill that was observed and how it may be improved.

Error correction

Involves addressing issues or weaknesses observed using coaching.

Validity

Refers to whether a test measures what it is intended to measure.

Reliability

Refers to if a test will produce the same or similar results when repeated.

Inter-rater reliability

Refers to the degree of agreement amongst different observers.

Intra-rater reliability

Refers to the consistency of scores given by the same assessor.

Linear acquisition

Based on a learner moving through predictable, step by step stages of skill development.

Non-linear acquisition

Acquiring skills through a non-fixed path may involve rapid change and regressions.

Direct coaching

Where feedback is generally given on every attempt and the learner has little need to make decisions.

Constraints based approach

More adaptive and changes depending on individual, environmental and task constraints.

Types of constraints

Includes individual constraints (personal to the player), environmental constraints (playing area), and task constraints (in game activities).

Confidence

The belief an athlete or learner has about their ability to execute a skill or successfully.

Motivation

The causes of the initiation, maintenance and intensity of behaviour.

Intrinsic motivating factors

Factors internal to the athlete such as happiness or satisfaction.

Extrinsic motivating factors

Factors external to the athlete such as prize money or trophies.

Positive motivation

Involves reinforcing or encouraging good performance.

Negative motivation

Involves criticizing or punishing poor performance.

Optimal arousal

Arousal is how ready a person is to perform an action.

Ways to increase arousal levels

Includes increased breathing rate and acting energetically.

Ways to decrease arousal levels

Includes reducing breathing rate, progressive muscle relaxation (PMR), and meditation.

Concentration

The ability to focus on relevant cues and ignore distractions.

Types of concentration

Includes broad internal, narrow internal, broad external, and narrow external.

Types of practice

Includes part practice (practicing smaller skill parts) and whole practice (performing the entire skill).

Practice distribution

Includes massed practice (longer, less frequent) and distributed practice (shorter, more frequent).

Practice variability

Includes blocked practice (practicing the same skill continuously) and random practice (varying skills in a nonsequential order).

Types of Feedback

Includes intrinsic feedback, proprioception, augmented feedback, concurrent feedback, terminal feedback, knowledge of results, and knowledge of performance.

Frequency of feedback

During the cognitive stage frequent feedback is necessary but less is needed as the learner develops.

Linear motion

Movement of an object or body in a straight line or curved path.

Angular motion

Movement of an object or body around an axis (rotational).

General motion

A combination of linear and angular motion (most human movement).

Projectile motion

The flight path of an airborne body or object that can be manipulated by three main factors.

Projectile

An airborne body (e.g. person) or object (e.g. ball).

Air resistance

Force acting on a projectile that affects the horizontal distance.

Gravity

Force acting on a projectile that affects the vertical distance.

Speed of release

The rate at which a projectile is released into the air.

Angle of release

The angle at which a projectile is released into the air.

Height of release

The starting height at which a projectile is released into the air.

Mass

The measure of the quantity of matter found in an object or body.

Inertia

The reluctance of a body to change its state of motion.

Force

A push or pull from one body with mass to a second body, causing it to accelerate, decelerate or change direction.

Distance

The amount of ground an object covers throughout its motion (or degrees it rotates).

Displacement

Overall change in position from start to finish (contains direction).

Speed

Distance / time - the rate at which an object is moving from one location to another.

Velocity

Displacement / time - another rate at which an object is moving, contains direction.

Acceleration

The rate of change in velocity of an object or body.

Momentum

The amount of motion that an object possesses, calculated as Mass x Velocity.

Moment of inertia

The reluctance of a body to rotate, calculated as radius^2 x mass of rotating object.

Summation of forces

The correct timing and sequencing of body segments through a range of motion.

Impulse

The change in momentum of a body, calculated as Impulse = force x time.

Torque

A force that causes an object to rotate.

Friction

Occurs when two surfaces come into contact and may require high or low amounts for successful skill execution.

Lever

A structure made up of a rigid bar, an axis, force input and resistance; used to manipulate other objects.

Axis

The point of rotation for a lever (e.g. an elbow).

Range of motion

The full extent (in degrees) that a lever can move through its potential arc.

Mechanical advantage

The measure of a lever's ability to produce speed or force, calculated as MA = length of force arm / length of resistance arm.

Third class lever

Where the force (effort) is applied between the axis (fulcrum) and the resistance (load).

Newtons first law

An object in motion stays in motion unless acted upon by an unbalanced force.

Newtons second law

An object will accelerate proportionate to the force applied and inversely proportionate to its mass; Force = mass x acceleration.

Newtons third law

Every action has its equal and opposite reaction.

Equilibrium

When all opposing forces are balanced, which can be static (stationary) or dynamic (whilst moving).

Stability

The degree to which the body resists changes in equilibrium.

Balance

The ability to maintain or control equilibrium.

Base of support

The area of an object that is in contact with a surface; greater base of support equals greater stability.

Line of gravity

Imaginary line that travels through the centre of gravity into the middle of the base of support.

Centre of gravity

The central point of an object around which weight is evenly distributed.

ATP

Adenosine triphosphate - a high energy compound that muscle cells break down to provide energy for movement.

ADP

Adenosine diphosphate - by-product of ATP once it has been broken down; can be resynthesized back into ATP.

Fuel

A compound that releases energy for ATP resynthesis when broken down.

ATP-CP system

An anaerobic system which uses phosphocreatine as a fuel; has a small yield and fast rate.

Anaerobic glycolysis system

An anaerobic system which uses glycogen as fuel; has a medium yield and medium rate.

Aerobic system

Uses glycogen, free fatty acids or protein as fuel; has a high yield and low rate.

Fatigue

The inability to continue functioning at the level of one's normal physical capabilities.

Fuel depletion

Reduction in the amount of fuel available for energy systems to utilise.