Overview
This lecture reviews key concepts in motor skill learning, including skill classification, stages of learning, practice types, and feedback, as covered in Level 2 PE.
Motor Skill Definition and Classification
- A motor skill is a learned, coordinated activity that achieves a specific goal.
- Fine motor skills use small muscles for precise movements (e.g., playing tiddlywinks).
- Gross motor skills use large muscle groups for major movements (e.g., swimming).
- Closed skills occur in stable, predictable environments under the performer’s control.
- Open skills happen in changing environments with many external factors affecting performance.
- Discrete skills have a clear start and end (e.g., a single jump).
- Serial skills combine several discrete skills in a sequence.
- Continuous skills have no definite beginning or end (e.g., running).
- Self-paced skills are initiated by the performer (e.g., a tennis serve).
- Externally paced skills are triggered by external factors (e.g., starting a race with a gun).
Stages of Learning
- Cognitive Stage: The learner understands how to perform the skill and mentally organizes subroutines.
- Associative Stage: The learner practices to correct mistakes, requiring extensive practice.
- Autonomous Stage: Skill execution becomes automatic and requires little conscious thought.
Practice Methods
- Massed Practice: Repeated practice with minimal breaks, suitable for motivated athletes and simple skills but risks fatigue and injury.
- Distributed Practice: Practice sessions are interspersed with rest breaks, better for beginners, complex, or high-energy tasks.
- Whole Learning: Teaching the entire skill at once.
- Part Learning: Breaking the skill into subroutines and teaching each part separately.
Types of Feedback
- Internal Feedback: Comes from inside the body (e.g., muscle sensations).
- External Feedback: Comes from outside sources (e.g., coach's comments, crowd reactions).
- Knowledge of Results (KR): Information about the outcome of the skill, usually from external sources.
- Knowledge of Performance (KP): Information about the execution of the skill, from internal or external sources.
Key Terms & Definitions
- Motor Skill — A learned, coordinated movement to achieve a goal.
- Open Skill — Skill performed in a changing environment.
- Closed Skill — Skill performed in a stable environment.
- Discrete/Serial/Continuous Skill — Ways to classify skills by structure.
- Massed/Distributed Practice — Types of practice based on rest intervals.
- Whole/Part Learning — Methods of teaching skills.
- Internal/External Feedback — Sources of performance information.
- Knowledge of Results (KR) — Feedback on the outcome.
- Knowledge of Performance (KP) — Feedback on the technique.
Action Items / Next Steps
- Summarize these notes and prepare one question for the next class.