Week 5 (ML) - Instructional Principles in Skill Acquisition

Question 1

What is contextual interference?

Answer 1

Is the interference in performance and learning that arises from practising one task in the context of other tasks

Two main types
Random: Frequent changes in task demands
Blocked: Repetitive execution

Question 2

Who is random practice better for?

what stage of learning

Answer 2

Random practice is shown to be better in the associative-autonomous stage

The golf study (Porter and magill 2010) - showed there was no differences in random vs blocked in novice golfers

Question 3

Describe the challenge point hypothesis?

Answer 3

Suggests that optimal learning occurs when
- the difficulty of a task is appropriately matched to the learner’s current skill level.
- If the task is too easy, the learner may not engage enough to improve,
- if it’s too difficult, they may become frustrated or overwhelmed.
- Proposes that there is an ideal “challenge point” where the task is sufficiently challenging to promote learning, but not so difficult that it hinders performance.

Beginners will recieve high amounts of information rapidly at lower functional task difficulty

Whereas experts will need to get up to higher levels of task difficulty before new/available information will be challenging.

Question 4

Massed vs Distributed Practice

Answer 4

Massed Practice
- More practice, less rest
- learning sessions are grouped tightly or continously together
- Better for short term gains

Distributed Practice
- Less practice, more rest
- Learning sessions are spread across time
- Better for long term gains and memory consolidation

Question 5

Whole VS Part Practice

Answer 5

Whole Practice
- The skill is practiced in its entirety
- used for discrete and continous skills

Part Practice
- The skill is broken down into smaller parts and each part is practiced in isolation
- Used for serial skill movements (e.g. basketball layup)

Question 6

What is the Naylor and Briggs Hypothesis (1963)

Answer 6

Refers to the relationship between organisation and complexity
Suggests that skills with high organization (closely linked components) are easier to learn and should be practiced as a whole, while skills with low organization (distinct parts) are more complex and should be learned through part practice

• High organisation would have low complexity (whole practice) - picking up a cup
• Low organisation and high complexity (part practice) - transferring from bed to wheelchair

Question 7

What is Fractionisation?

Answer 7

Breaks the task down into sub-components that typically occur simultaneously

e.g. Learning the guitar. A beginner might start by practicing the finger placement and strumming motion separately before combining them to play a full chord progression

Question 8

What is Segmentation?

Answer 8

Separating movement skill into parts and progressively combining

e.g. Learning to swim the butterfly stroke. The swimmer might first practice the arm movement, then add the body undulation, and finally combine both parts with the leg kick to complete the full stroke

Question 9

What is Simplification?

Answer 9

Adjusting the task difficulty - slowing the speed, reducing the load or having cues

Learning to serve in tennis. A beginner might start with a slower ball machine, reduce the height of the net, or practice serving with a larger racket to simplify the skill before moving to regular play

Question 10

Massed practice vs Distributed practice impacts on mental fatigue?

Answer 10

Massed Practice (MP)
Requires ↑ cognitive effort
↑ MP + ↑ Fatigue –> ↓ Learning & ↑ Mental Fatigue

Distributed Practice
↓ Mental Fatigue BUT may have slower progress in skill development