Skill Aquisition Flashcards
What are the characteristics of a skill (9)
Learned Aesthetically pleasing Consistant Efficient Fluent Accurate Controlled Economical Goal Directed
Simple skills
Few subroutines, and does not require much thought (few decisions to be made)
Complex skills
Multiple subroutines, and decision making and coordination are important
Gross skills
Large muscle groups create powerful movements. Basic motor skills
Fine Skills
Small muscle groups create precise and accurate movements. Require coordination
Discrete skills
Clear beginning and end to the skill
Serial skills
Linked discrete skills that form a continuous movement
Continuous skills
No clear beginning or end, the end of one subroutine is the beginning of the next
Open skills
Unpredictable environment, that players respond and adapt to through making decisions
Closed skill
Predictable environment, means fewer decisions are required and skills are self paced
Self-paced skill
Performer is in control of the start and pace/speed of the skill
Externally-paced skill
The start of the skill, and the pace, is controlled by external factors
Low-Organisation skills
Simple skills that can be easily broken down into parts. Discrete subroutines can be practiced seperately
High-Organisation skill
Complex skills that cannot be easily separated into subroutines
Positive transfer
Previously learned skills aids the learning of a new skill
Negative transfer
Previously learned skills hinders the learning of a new skill
Bilateral transfer
When a skill learned using one limb can be transferred to the opposite limb
Zero transfer
Learning of one skill has no impact on the learning of another
whole practice
Skills are practiced as a whole, not broken down into sub-routines
Advantages and disadvantages of whole practice
+ Good for low organisation skills
+ Promotes kinaesthetic awareness
+ Useful for simple, continuous skills
- Difficult to learn complex skills this way
- Can overload novice performers
Whole-part-whole practice
Skill is performed as a whole, a weakness is identified to practice, then the skill is practiced as a whole again
Advantages and disadvantages of Whole-part-whole practice
+ Good for serial skills
+ Enables some kinaesthetic awareness
+ Useful for complex skills which can be clearly separated into subroutines
- Time consuming
- Not useful for highly organised skills
- Can reduce kinaesthetic understanding of skills
Progressive-part practice
Also known as chaining. The first part of a skill is learned and then the rest of the. parts are added in sequence
Advantages and disadvantages of progressive-part practice
+ Useful for highly organised and serial skills
+ Enables understanding of how the subroutines interact, increasing success and motivation
+ Aids correct timing of each routine
- Disjointed feel to the skill, affecting the flow
- Time consuming
Massed practice
When the performer practices continuously with no breaks
Distributed practice
When the session is broken down into smaller time blocks, with rest periods
Mental practice
The performer goes over the movement or skill in their head/mind without physically moving
Varied practice
Changing the practice type and the practice drills
Advantages and disadvantages of massed practice
+ Useful for continuous skills
+ Useful for those with high fitness and motivation, can also be used to increase fitness
+ Allows motor programmes to be stored
- can become repetitive and tedious
- Hard to focus for long periods
- Should not be used with dangerous skills
Advantages and disadvantages of distributed practice
+ Useful for those with low fitness and motivation
+ Useful for discrete skills and complex skills
+ Allows time for coaching and mental rehearsal
- Time consuming
Advantages and disadvantages of Mental practice
+ Builds confidence through visualising success
+ Controls arousal/anxiety
+ Can be completed when injured
- Not as useful as physical practice when used alone
- Limited effect for simple skills
Advantages and disadvantages of Varied practice
+ Best for open skills
+ Improves selective attention
+ More enjoyable/interesting, so increases motivation
+ Develops decision making and schema
- Time consuming
- Risk of negative transfer with changing practice
What are the characteristics of learners in the cognitive stage
Has to think about the skill Guidance needed Slow and uncoordinated Many mistakes Subroutines explored through trial and error
What are the characteristics of learners in the associative stage
Lots of practice needed to progress
Fewer errors
Greater consistency
Performs in a wider variety of situations
Performance is smoother, more accurate and more efficient
What are the characteristics of learners in the autonomous stage
Very few errors
High levels of smoothness, efficiency and accuracy
Performance is habitual
Able to analyse their own performance
Skill progresses at a slower rate, focussing on finer details
Positive feedback
Used when a performance is successful to positively reinforce the action
Negative feedback
Used when a performance in unsuccessful. Becomes more intrinsic as performers move through the stages of learning
Intrinsic feedback
Comes from within the performer, relating to how the performance felt. Gained from kinaesthetic
Knowledge of performance
Feedback referring to the quality of the movement and technique
Knowledge of results
Refers to the outcome of the performance
What are the causes of a learning plateau (6)
- Motivation
- Boredom
- Coaching
- Limit of ability
- Targets set too low
- Fatigue
What are the solutions to a learning plateau
- Set new targets
- Change of coach
- Use of praise
- Rest periods
- Variety of tasks
- Explain the concept of a learning plateau
- Provide feedback