lecture_7

Classification of Motor Skills

• Open Skills:

  • Performed in dynamic and unpredictable environments.
  • Examples: volleyball spike, wrestling.

• Closed Skills:

  • Performed in stable and predictable environments.
  • Examples: running on an indoor track, tennis serve.

Classifying Skills

• Discrete Skills:

  • Clear beginning and end, brief movement duration.
  • Example: throwing a ball.

• Continuous Skills:

  • Repetitive movements, no clear beginning or end.
  • Example: swimming, running.

• Serial Skills:

  • Composed of several discrete skills combined.
  • Example: a gymnastics routine.

Factors Influencing Motor Skill Learning

1. Observational Practice - Learning by watching others.
2. Learner's Focus of Attention - Concentration on specific aspects of performance.
3. Feedback - Information provided regarding performance.

Key Concepts in Motor Development

Definitions

• Motor Development: Change in motor behavior throughout the lifespan (Clark & Whitall, 1989).
• Growth: Quantitative changes in physical size measurable by height, weight, muscle mass, etc.
• Maturation: Qualitative changes that lead toward maturity, affecting organ and tissue function.

Characteristics of Motor Development

1. Continuous Process: Ongoing, cumulative development.
2. Age-Related but Not Age-Dependent: Development varies with age but is not strictly time-bound.
3. Sequential Skill Progression: Developmental skills progress in a sequence.

Importance of Motor Development

• Essential for teaching fundamental movement skills (FMS) and correcting movement behavior.
• Supports creation of age-appropriate activities for diverse abilities.
• Aids in understanding normal developmental patterns across the lifespan.

Domains of Human Development

• Affective: Emotional development.
• Motor: Physical skill development.
• Cognitive: Intellectual growth.
• Physical: Changes in body composition and health.

Newell's Model of Constraints (1986)

Constraints Affecting Movement

• Individual Constraints:

  • Structural: Relate to body structure (e.g., height, weight).
  • Functional: Relate to behavior (e.g., motivation, focus).

• Environmental Constraints:

  • Exist outside the body and are not task-specific, including physical (temperature, surface) and sociocultural factors (cultural norms, gender roles).

• Task Constraints:

  • Specific to the skill or task at hand (e.g., rules, equipment).

Interaction of Constraints

• Movement is shaped by the interaction of individual, environmental, and task constraints.
• Motor development is viewed ecologically, as a lifelong process affected by changing constraints over time.

Addressing Constraints in Motor Learning

Adaptive Sport/Activity

• Modifications can be made to include children with specific needs in physical activities.

Task Constraints Modifications

• Skill Level Modifications: Adjusting skills for inclusivity (e.g., wheeling instead of running).
• Rules Modifications: Changing game rules for greater success and involvement (e.g., allowing extra tags).
• Equipment Modifications: Using softer, lighter, and appropriately sized equipment to enhance participation.

Environmental Constraints Modifications

• Adjusting facilities or playing areas to ensure participation, such as using smaller spaces or modifying boundaries for safety.

Affordances in Motor Development

• Affordances: Opportunities for action provided by environmental objects/surfaces. The interaction of a child with their environment allows for certain movements, emphasizing the importance of body scaling when learning new skills.