Skill Acquisition Flashcards
What mnemonic can be used to remember the characteristics of a skill?
ACEFACE
What does ACEFACE stand for?
• Aesthetically pleasing
• Consistent
• Efficient
• Fluent
• Accurate
• Controlled
• Economical
What is a skill?
The learned ability to bring about predetermined results with the minimum outlay of time, energy or both.
What is an open skill?
A skill performed in an unpredictable environment.
What is a closed skill?
A skill performed in a predictable environment.
What is a gross skill?
A skill that uses larger muscle groups.
What is a fine skill?
A skill that uses smaller muscle groups.
What is a self-paced skill?
When the performer controls the start and the speed of the skill.
What is an externally-paced skill?
When the performer has no control over the start and the speed of the skill.
What is a discrete skill?
A skill that has a clear beginning and end.
What is a serial skill?
A skill that contains several discrete skills in order to make a more integrated movement.
What is a low-organisation skill?
A skill that is easily broken into parts.
What is a high-organisation skill?
A skill that is not easily broken into parts.
What is a simple skill?
A skill that requires few decisions when being performed.
What is a complex skill?
A skill that requires decision-making using lots of information when performed.
What does transfer mean?
The effect of the learning and performance of one skill on the learning and performance of another.
What is positive transfer?
When the learning of one skill helps the learning of another.
What is negative transfer?
When the learning of one skill hinders the learning of another.
What is zero transfer?
When the learning of one skill has no impact on the learning of another.
What is bilateral transfer?
When the learning of one skill is passed across the body from limb to limb.
What are the four types of skill transfer?
• Positive
• Negative
• Zero
• Bilateral
What are the different types of presenting practice?
• Whole
• Whole-part-whole
• Progressive part
What is whole practice?
Practising the skill in its entirety.
When should whole practice be used?
• Skill is fast (ballistic)
• Skill is highly organised
• Skill is simple
• The feel (kinaesthesis) of the whole task is required
• The performer is advanced in the autonomous stage of learning
• The links between sub-routines need to be maintained or the skill needs to be performed in a specific order (e.g. trampoline routine)
What are the advantages of whole practice?
• Helps create specific images that can be stored as a plan called a motor programme
• More realistic than part practice so helps to produce the effect of positive transfer between skills learned in training and those same skills performed on the pitch
• Helps make the skill consistent
What are the disadvantages of whole practice?
• May place unnecessary demands on the performer who may not be able to cope with all the aspects of the skill at once (especially if they’re a beginner)
• Fatigue
• May not address specific weaknesses in performance
What is whole-part-whole practice?
Assessing the skill, identifying a weakness to practise, then putting the skill back together.
What are the advantages of whole-part-whole practice?
• Can provide motivation when success is achieved
• Provides immediate feedback (therefore corrects errors and allows the selected part to be integrated successfully into the whole action)
• Fluency and integration of the sub-routines can be maintained while errors are corrected
What are the disadvantages of whole-part-whole practice?
• May produce negative transfer (unless the coach integrates the part back into the whole during the same training session)
• Time-consuming
What is progressive part practice?
Practising the first part of the skill then adding parts gradually (sometimes called chaining).
What are the advantages of progressive part practice?
• Allows the learner to focus on one aspect of the task and can potentially correct specific weaknesses
• Reduced fatigue
• Maintains motivation
What are the disadvantages of progressive part practice?
• Time-consuming
• Might neglect the feel of the whole task
• Might ignore the links between sub-routines
• There’s a danger of negative transfer between each sequence of the skill (the coach should ensure that the first part of the task is learned well before attempting to make further progress)
What are the different types of practice?
• Massed
• Distributed
• Varied
• Mental
What is massed practice?
Practice with no rest intervals.
What are the advantages of massed practice?
• Promotes fitness
• Skill becomes almost automatic - fixed responses become habitual
• Motor programmes can be stored more easily so that they can be recalled in the future
• Time-efficient
What are the disadvantages of massed practice?
• Fatigue
• Danger of negative transfer (unless the coach makes the practice conditions similar to the real game)
• High demands on the performer
What is distributed practice?
Practice with rest intervals.
What are the advantages of distributed practice?
• Takes the pressure off the performer
• Reduced fatigue
• Good for beginners (allows feedback)
• Chance for motivation to be maintained (by praise from coach)
• Safer
What are the disadvantages of distributed practice?
• Time-consuming
• Not very useful for experienced performers
• Danger of negative transfer (could happen during the rest interval if the coach fails to integrate the practice session)
What is varied practice?
Changing the practice type and the practice drills.
What are the advantages of varied practice?
• Allows the players to adapt their skills to changing environments
• Very appropriate for open skills
• Prevents the players from becoming stale (adds fun)
• Increases motivation
• Helps to build the sub-routines
What are the disadvantages of varied practice?
• Time-consuming
• Danger of negative transfer unless the changing drills are integrated into the aims of the practice session
• Might place unnecessary demands on the players if they are given too many things to focus on
• Fatigue
What is mental practice?
Going over the skill in the mind without movement.
What are the advantages of mental practice?
• Improves confidence
• Lowers anxiety
• Develops cognitive ability
• Improves decision-making
• Can be done when the player is injured
What are the three stages of learning?
• Cognitive
• Associative
• Autonomous
What is the cognitive stage of learning?
The first stage of learning used by a novice. Understanding and sub-routines are explored by trial and error.
What is the associative stage of learning?
The second stage of learning as motor programmes are developed and performance is smoother.
What is the autonomous stage of learning?
The final stage of learning used by an expert when movement is detailed and specific.
What is learning?
A permanent change in behaviour as a result of practice.
What is performance?
A temporary occurrence that can change from time to time because of many external and internal influences.
What is feedback?
Information to aid error correction.
What are the types of feedback?
• Intrinsic
• Extrinsic
• Positive
• Negative
What is positive feedback?
Encouragement
What is negative feedback?
Error correction
What is extrinsic feedback?
Feedback from an outside source.
What is intrinsic feedback?
Feedback from the performer to themselves.
How many stages are there in the learning curve?
Four
Describe stage 1 of the learning curve
• Rate of learning is slow
• Performance level is poor
• Cognitive stage
• Possibly trial and error learning
Describe stage 2 of the learning curve
• Rapid acceleration in the rate of learning
• Reinforcement and motivation provided
Describe stage 3 of the learning curve
• No improvement in rate of learning
• Plateau reached
• Performance maintains the same level
What is stage 4 of the learning curve?
• Towards the end of the task
• Performance deteriorates
What causes the plateau in learning?
• Lack of motivation
• Boredom
• Coaching methods
• Limit of ability
• Targets set too low
• Fatigue
What are the different methods of guidance?
• Visual guidance
• Verbal guidance
• Mechanical guidance
• Manual guidance
What is visual guidance?
Guidance that can be seen.
What is verbal guidance?
An explanation (words).
What is manual guidance?
Physical support from a person.
What is mechanical guidance?
An artificial aid (non-person).
What is operant conditioning?
The use of reinforcement to ensure that correct responses are repeated.
What are the different theories of learning?
• Behaviourist (Skinner - operant conditioning)
• Observational (Bandura)
• Constructivism (Vygotsky)
• Insight (Gestaltist)
What is the behaviourist theory?
It attempts to explain how actions can be linked to stimuli.
What is a satisfier?
An action that promotes a pleasant feeling so that responses are repeated.
What is an annoyer?
An action that creates unease to promote the avoidance of incorrect responses.
What is positive reinforcement?
A pleasant stimulus after the correct response.
What is negative reinforcement?
Taking away an unpleasant stimulus after the correct response.
What is punishment?
An unpleasant stimulus to prevent incorrect actions recurring.
What does observational learning suggest?
That both acceptable and unacceptable behaviour can be learned by watching and then copying other people.
What are the stages of observational learning?
• Attention - making the demonstration attractive to the performer
• Retention - remembering the demonstration and being able to recall it
• Motor production - having the mental and physical ability to do the task
• Motivation - having the drive to do the task
What is social development?
Learning by association with others.
What is inter-psychological learning?
Learning from others externally.
What is intra-psychological learning?
Learning from within after gaining external knowledge from others.
What is constructivism?
Building up learning in stages, based on the current level of performance.
What is the zone of proximal development?
The next stage of learning, based on the performer’s needs, expectations and current level of performance.
What does Vygotsky’s constructivism suggest?
That the learner will use three levels of performance to assess what they need to improve.
What are the three stages of proximal development in constructivism?
• What can I do alone?
• What can I do with help?
• What can I not do yet?
What is insight learning?
Using experience and understanding to solve problems relating to the whole skill.
