Unit 2 PE Skill Aquisition

What is a skill?

Skill: A sequence of movements (sub routines) with an objective

How are fundamental movement skills important for the development of sport specific skills?

• Fundamental movement skill: Foundation skills that provide that basis for successful participation in a wide range of physical activity 

• Sports specific skill: Advanced fundamental movement skills that are developed to achieve sports specific objectives (e.g. Footy requires running, jumping and kicking) 

When classifying motor skils, what are the two types of skills according to movement precision?

Fine skills: involves small muscles or muscle groups where accuracy and precision is required EG Darts, archery, spin bowling 

Gross skills: involves large muscle groups or whole body movements with less precise movements EG Tennis, jumping, swimming, running 

• Most skills lie along the continuum and aren’t specifically one or the other

When classifying motor skils, what are the two types of skills according to movement types?

• Discrete skills: Have a distinct beginning and end -> throw, kick, basketball shot 

• Serial skills: A combination of seperate skills in order -> gymnastics routine, triple jump 

• Continuous skills: Have no distinct beginning or end -> running, cycling, swimming 

How can the predictability of the environment be classified? What does it depend on?

• Close: Stable environment, internally paced, low inter-trial variability  

• Open: Unstable environment, externally paced, high inter-trial variability 

Depending on: 

• Stability of environment: stable or unstable 

• Timing of skill: Internally or externally paced 

• Inter-trial variability: Low (same each time) or high(different each time) inter-trial variability 

When classifying motor skils, what are the two types of skills according to the predictability of the environment?

Closed motor skill 

• Performed in predictable unchanging environment (stable environment) 

• Athlete has control over timing and can choose when they start the activity (internally paced) 

• Skill is performed the same each time (low inter-trial variability) 

Open motor skill 

• Performed in a constantly changing and unpredictable environment (unstable environment) 

• Athlete has little control of timing as the timing is dependant on external factors such as defenders (externally paced) 

• The skill can be performed differently each time (high inter-trial variability) 

What are the factors that determine the predictability of the envrionment?

• Stability of environment: stable or unstable 

• Timing of skill: Internally or externally paced 

• Inter-trial variability: Low (same each time) or high(different each time) inter-trial variability

• The more performers must adjust their performance to the environment, the more open and unpredictable the environment is

What can motor skills be classified into?

PTP-CO

• Movement precision: Fine motor skills, gross motor skills

• Movement type: (DiSC) Discrete, serial, continuous

• Predictability of the environment which determines whether skills are open or closed

What are the 3 stages of skill learning?

• Cognitive stage (understanding stage)

• Associative stage (practice stage)

• Autonomous stage (automatic stage?

What are characterstics of learners in the cognitive (understanding) learning stage?

Errors: Frequent, large, can’t detect their own

• Frequent errors

• Large errors

• Can’t detect their own errors

• Beginner is trying to understand the task requirments

• Lots of cognitive thought needed to complete the skill

• Uncoordinated movement (not fluid)

• Easily distracted

What do learners in the cognitive learning stage needed to improve their skills?

• Few simple instructions at a time to focus on

• Demonstrations

• Break complex skills down into smaller parts

• Focus on mastering fundamental movement skills

• Provide positive and constructive feedback

• Lots of practice (blocked practice in a closed environment)

What are characterstics of learners in the associative (practice) learning stage?

Errors: Less frequent, smaller and can detect some of their own

• Practice stage of learning

• The learner becomes familiar with the order of sub-routines and their timing.

• Technique is refined, make smaller and less frequent errors

• Can detect some of their own errors

• More gradual improvements (people can stay in this stage for ever)

• Can commence focusing on some tactics

What do learners in the associative learning stage needed to improve their skills?

•Regular feedback to refine skills and reduce chance of poor habits developing

•Opportunities to practise with increased variability (more random and more open)

What are characterstics of learners in the autonomous (automatic) learning stage?

•The skill is automatic, requiring little conscious thought.

•Attention given to tactics and opponents.

•Can use anticipation

•Performance is coordinated, accurate and consistent

•Make few errors, small errors and can self detect and correct

What do learners in the autonomous learning stage needed to improve their skills?

•Practice under game-like conditions to focus on tactics, shot selection

•Practice opportunities with a high level of variability, open environment

•Practice that challenges each athlete to use higher-order thinking via a range of problem-based learning scenarios

What is the type of practice part practice?

Type of practise (part vs whole) 

Part practise: Breaking a skill down into its sub-routines and practising one or more parts 

• Works well for beginners, complex tasks (serial, discrete), elite athletes wanting to refine a skill  

• Important for part practice to practice combining subcomponenets together to understand the whole skill

• Tennis serve ball toss 

What is the type of practice whole practice?

Whole practise: Involves practising a skill in its entirety 

• Not complex, cannot be broken down (continuous), would loose flow/rhythm if broken 

• Gymnastics somersault 

How do the types of practice (whole vs part) compare?

Part practise: Breaking a skill down into its sub-routines and practising one or more parts 

• Works well for beginners, complex tasks (serial, discrete), elite athletes wanting to refine a skill  

• Tennis serve ball toss 

Whole practise: Involves practising a skill in its entirety 

• Not complex, cannot be broken down (continuous), would loose flow/rhythm if broken 

• Gymnastics somersault

How can practice distribution be classified according to two types?

Massed practise: Training sessions that are longer in duration but less frequent 

• Non professional or social athletes/teams 

• Work or school commitments, or family commitments 

• Local team training x2 a week for 3 hours 

Distributed practise: More frequent but shorter training sessions 

• Professional or full time, highly motivated, participating in physically demanding sports 

• AFL team training x5 week for 75 mins 

Distribution of practice - massed practice

Massed practise: Training sessions that are longer in duration but less frequent 

• Non professional or social athletes/teams 

• Work or school commitments, or family commitments 

• Local team training x2 a week for 3 hours 

Distribution of practice - distributed practice

Distributed practise: More frequent but shorter training sessions 

• Professional or full time, highly motivated, participating in physically demanding sports 

• AFL team training x5 week for 75 mins 

What is practice distribution?

The scheduling of practice sessions

How is distributed and mass practise different throughout a training session? 

Distributed -> more frequent breaks, opportunities for feedback, suit cognitive learners of a new skill 

Massed -> continuous practise with little or not rest in between repeat rehearsal of skill in training session 

What are the advantages and disadvantages of massed and distributed practice?

KNOW TWO OF EACH	Massed	Distributed
Advantages	Maximises practise time  Suits non-fatiguing, discrete skills  Suits highly elite, highly motivated performers	Great learner engagement  Assists beginner/unmotivated performers  Reduction of mental and physical fatigue during practise  Suitable when learning a complex skill  Recovery allows mental consolidation
Disadvantages	Physcially and mentally fatiguing  Repetitious and monotonous	More time consuming

How can practice variability be classified according to two types?

Blocked practise: practising the same skill repeating without variation 

• Suits beginners for a new skill, simple task, if physical demands are low 

Practice variability - Blocked practice

Blocked practise: practising the same skill repeating without variation 

• Suits beginners for a new skill, simple task, if physical demands are low 

Practice variability - Random practice

Random practise: practising variety of skills in the same drill or session 

• Suits associative or autonomous, promotes decision making, develops game sense 

• Rallying in tennis using forehand, backhand, smashes 

What are the 4 functions of feedback?

Functions of feedback - IARP

• Identifies errors 

• Allow modification 

• Reinforces learning 

• Provides motivation 

 

What are the types of feedback?

• Intrinsic feedback: Information about the performance comes from our senses, visual, auditory, touch, proprioceptive (muscles stretch receptors that have a sense of space and time), touch 

• Augmented feedback: Information from external sources, coach, crowd, parents 

What are the 5 forms of intrinsic feedback?

• Information about the performance that comes from our senses:

• Visual, auditory, touch, proprioceptive (muscles stretch receptors that have a sense of space and time), touch 

What is the form of intrinsic feedback proprioceptive feedback?

The feedback gained from muscles stretch receptors which have a sense of space and time

What are the 2 types of augmented feedback?

Knowledge of performance: Information about the execution of the skill (technique), usually given during the performance

• Can be internal or external and terminal (given after the performance)

Knowledge of results: Information about the outcome of the skill performance 

• Can be from a coach, teacher, video, spectator or another performer

EG Whether a footy kick was successful or unsuccessful

What is terminal feedback?

Feedback given after the performance

What is the link between motor skill development, participation and performance?

• The development of motor skills allows an individual to participate in sports, leading to better performance, which can lead to increased participation  

• If you have a strong foundation of fundamental movement skills then you are more likely to often perform sport specific skills and therefore more likely to participate and enjoy the activity if you are at it 

• If you have a lack of foundation fundamental motor skills you are less likely to participate in sports due to less enjoyment 

What is the coaching approach direct (or linear) based approach?

• Traditional approach to coaching

• Coach controls the selection of practise drills, their timing and difficulty level 

• Provides feedback to performers to assist movement  

What are characteristics of the coaching approach direct based approach?

• Instructor centred learning (learner is passive) 

• Controlled/predictable environment 

• Emphasis on mastering skill technique on structured drills 

• Feedback provided by a coach 

• Fasted way to develop motor skills, but unengaging and not game-like

What are the advantages and disadvantages of the direct based approach to coaching?

Advantages	Disadvantages
Facilitates early skill development  Controlled environment (closed and stable) = on task  Time efficient  Minimal decision = greater focus on a skill  Easy individual feedback	Boring, repetitive, demotivating  Skill are not practised in games = can break down under pressure  Skill and awareness not developed (drills led by coach)

What is the coaching approach constraints (or non-linear) based approach?

Coaching that manipulates constraints ensuring lots of variability in practice with learning 

What is a constraint?

Factors that influence learning and performance at any moment in time

What are the 3 types of constraints that a constraints based coaching approach manipulates?

Individual constraints (personal to the individual)  

Environmental Constraints (physical and sociocultural)

Task constraints (Constraint most manipulated by a coach) 

What are the individual constraints that a constraints based coaching approach manipulates?

Individual constraints (personal to the individual) 

• Body size (height, weight) 

• Fitness levels 

• Skill levels 

• Motivation levels 

• Age, gender 

• Cognitive ability 

What are the environmental constraints that a constraints based coaching approach manipulates?

Physical environment 

• Playing surface 

• Noise level 

•  Weather 

• Quality of facilities 

Socio-cultural environment (4 P's) 

• Peers 

• Positive role moles 

• Parents 

• Price (can affect access to coaching, facilities, equipment) 

What are the task constraints that a constraints based coaching approach manipulates?

REFfiN: Rules,Equipment, field dimensions, number of players

Example scenario: Year 2 netball

• Rules EG Obstruction allowed

• Equipment: Sashes and lower hoops

• Field/court/pitch dimensions: Half court

• Number of players: More to include whole class and facilitate skill development

What are the advantages and disadvantages of the constraints based approach to coaching?

Advantages	Disadvantages
Practise replicates game  More varied, engaging practise that increases motivation  Independent learning and decision making  Game strategies and tactical awareness  Skill learning easily transfers to game situations	Initial skill development can take long than direct instruction  Harder to control the environment with unmotivated learners in large groups  Individual feedback is more difficult for a coach to provide