Overview
The lecture covers the theory of skill transfer, focusing on how learning one skill affects the learning of another, emphasizing positive and negative transfer, and how to encourage or prevent them in coaching and teaching.
Transfer of Skills Theory
- Transfer of skills refers to how learning one skill influences learning another, either positively or negatively.
- Positive transfer occurs when learning one skill improves the learning or performance of another skill.
- Negative transfer happens when learning one skill impedes or worsens the learning of another.
Encouraging Positive Transfer
- Practice skills in game-related or realistic environments for better skill transfer.
- Coaches should highlight similarities between skills to help learners make connections.
- Teach similar skills together to reinforce shared techniques (e.g., overhead clear and smash in badminton).
- Ensure previous skills are "over-learned" (mastery model) before introducing new skills.
- Use positive reinforcement to encourage effective transfer from one sport or context to another.
- Teach fundamentals before progressing to advanced skills.
- Implement progressive practices, introducing complexity gradually.
- Draw attention to similar information processing requirements across skills.
Types of Skill Transfer
- Proactive transfer: Previous learning affects future learning.
- Retroactive transfer: New learning affects skills learned in the past.
- Bilateral transfer: Skill acquired with one side of the body helps the other side (e.g., right foot to left foot in football).
Preventing Negative Transfer
- Point out differences between similar skills to avoid confusion.
- Ensure thorough learning of skills before moving to new or similar skills (mastery model).
- Teach in clear, incremental steps and avoid overwhelming learners.
- Avoid teaching confusing or very similar skills close together.
- Use "near transfer" by making practice conditions similar to competition conditions.
Key Terms & Definitions
- Transfer of Skills — The influence of learning one skill on learning another.
- Positive Transfer — When previous learning improves new skill acquisition.
- Negative Transfer — When previous learning hinders new skill acquisition.
- Proactive Transfer — Learning today influences learning a future skill.
- Retroactive Transfer — Learning a new skill influences performance of a previously learned skill.
- Bilateral Transfer — Transfer of skill from one side of the body to the other.
- Over-learned — Mastering a skill thoroughly before moving on.
- Near Transfer — Skill transfer due to similarity between practice and performance environments.
Action Items / Next Steps
- Prepare to explain how to encourage positive transfer and prevent negative transfer for exam questions or coursework.