SECTION B Flashcards
Performers need to learn skills in order to take part in physical activity. Skilled
movements are learned, economic and consistently successful.
State three other characteristics of skill.
[3 marks]
Marks for this question: AO1 = 3
Mark first 3 answers only. Award one mark for each of the following.
Coordinated / controlled (1)
Fluency / flowing / smooth (1)
Adaptable (1)
Aesthetically pleasing (1)
Goal orientated behaviour / predetermined results (1)
Precise / accurate / correct technique (1)
Accept other appropriate characteristics of skilled performance.
Vygotsky’s Social Development Theory is a constructivist theory. Learning is built up box
in stages based on the current level of performance.
Outline the three stages of development in this theory.
Give a sporting example for each stage. (3)
What can I do (alone) e.g. I can hold a golf club and stand correctly (1)
What can I do with help e.g. I can swing the club and make contact with the ball with help from
my coach. (1)
What can I not yet do e.g. I cannot yet hit the golf ball with any accuracy towards a target (
Verbal guidance is a suitable way of introducing a new skill to a cognitive learner.’
Discuss this statement.
[4 marks]
Advantages (sub max 3 marks)
Can be used in conjunction with visual guidance to give cognitive learner more information /
highlight specific cues (1)
Helps to build correct mental image which a cognitive learner can refer back to (1)
Positive feedback/verbal guidance can be used to maintain motivation as the performer is in the
cognitive stage of learning (1)
Disdvantages (sub max 3 marks)
Too much information/information overload may cause confusion/place too much demand on
the memory of a cognitive learner (1)
Verbal guidance during performance can cause the performer to lose concentration especially
in the cognitive stage (1)
Technical terms may not be understood by a cognitive performer (1)
Incorrect verbal guidance may decrease the performance which could develop bad habits in a
cognitive learner/unaware of correct technique (1)
Some performers may struggle to create a mental image from verbal guidance alone / visual
guidance may be more effective (1)
All points must be applied to a cognitive learner to gain credit.
Goalkeepers in hockey need to respond quickly to the actions of the attacking players. box
Analyse the factors which will affect a goalkeeper’s response time and the strategies
a coach can use to help them respond quicker.
[8 marks]
AO1 – Knowledge of response time, factors and strategies in isolation
eg Response time is the time from the onset of the stimulus to the completion of the task and can
be calculated by adding the reaction time to the movement time. Reaction time is the time taken
from the onset of a stimulus to the onset of an action whereas movement time is the time taken to
complete the task/from the start to the end of the action.
Factors affecting response time may include: Number of choices (Hicks law); single channel
hypothesis; psychological refractory period; anticipation; selective attention.
Strategies to improve response time may include: Training with specific stimuli from performance;
making stimuli more intense to improve concentration/develop selective attention; improving fitness
to decrease movement time; using anticipation.
AO2 – Application of factors and / or strategies affecting response time for the goalkeeper
eg Reaction time for a goalkeeper is choice reaction time. The attacker may provide a range of
stimuli and the goalkeeper has a number of possible responses. Hick’s law states that reaction time
increases as the number of choices increases therefore reaction time will be slower in this situation
compared to a situation which only requires simple reaction time.
A coach could improve the fitness of a goalkeeper to improve response time. By using interval
and/or plyometric training the player’s speed will increase thus decreasing the movement time.
AO3 – Analysis of strategies which could be used to improve response time
eg A coach could improve the fitness of a goalkeeper to improve response time. By using interval
and/or plyometric training the player’s speed will increase thus decreasing the movement time. This
will allow the goalkeeper to make saves from faster/closer shots more easily.
By making the ball brighter during training sessions the coach can develop the goalkeeper’s
concentration and selective attention. This will mean that in a game they may be able to focus on
the relevant stimuli like the ball, blocking out irrelevant stimuli like the crowd, in order to make saves
at important times.
Skill classification can be used to place skills onto a range of continua including: box
• Simple – Complex
• Discrete – Serial – Continuous
• Self-paced – Externally paced
• High Organisation – Low Organisation.
‘Progressive part practice is suitable for developing a tumbling routine in gymnastics.’
Evaluate this statement, using your knowledge of the continua listed above.
[15 marks]
AO1 – Knowledge of skill classification and progressive part practice
A simple skill requires few decisions and limited information processing whereas complex skills
require greater decision making and more information processing/performance of a number of sub
routines.
Discrete skills have a clear beginning and end, continuous skills have no clear beginning and end
and serial skills are made up of a number of discrete skills.
A Self-paced is one in which the performer decides when the movement will take place whereas
with an externally paced skills, other factors determine when movement begins.
Low organisation skills are relatively easy to break into sub routines whereas high organisation skills
are harder.
Progressive part practice involves practising the first part of the skill then adding parts gradually.
From example learning part A; then part B; then practising A and B together before adding part C. It
is sometimes known as chaining.
AO2 – Application of skill classification to a gymnastics tumbling routine
eg In this case a gymnastics routine is a simple skill as the routine is pre-set and there are few
decisions to be made whilst performing/complex as the perform is required to link a high number of
sub routines.
A tumbling routine in gymnastics can be discrete because it has a clear beginning and end / serial
due to it being a series of discrete skills.
A tumbling routine in gymnastics is self-paced as they usually decide when to begin the routine and
how fast to move / externally paced is due to the gymnast having to start tumbling in time with the
music.
A tumbling routine is a low organisation skill as it is relatively easy to break into sub routines.
A gymnast can use progressive part practice to learn a tumbling routine in stages e.g. they could
learn a somersault before learning a forward roll and then combine the two together.
AO3 – Analysis/evaluation of the suitability of progressive part practice
eg Progressive part practice is good to use with skills such as tumbling as due to its low
organisation, this method of practice allows the performer to break the routine down and master
each individual move before moving on to the next. This can result in an increase in motivation and
also reduces the risks involved when learning complex routines.
However, a gymnast may get stuck with one particular move within the routine that may slow
progress using progressive part practice. Therefore a more suitable method may be to use whole
part whole. This will allow the performer to develop a kinaesthetic feel for the routine whilst still
improving the specific weakness.
Progressive part practice can, however, be time consuming and if the performer already knows the
routine and is preparing for competition whole practice may be more effective.
Credit other relevant discussion about whether progressive part practice would be suitable for the
development of a gymnastics tumbling routine.
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