Preparing for the Learning Experience Chapter 7

Objectives Discuss the concept of the learning experience Explain the role of the movement practitioner in defining learning experiences Describe several learner characteristics of which practitioners should be aware (continued)

Objectives (continued) Explain how movement practitioners can evaluate the progress of learners Assist someone in developing a blueprint for a motor learning experience

Preview In Lewis Carroll’s classic children’s story Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, Alice and the Cheshire cat have the following exchange: (continued)

Preview (continued) Alice: Could you tell me which way I should go from here? Cheshire cat: Well, that depends a good deal on where you want to go. Alice: Oh, I don’t much care where. Cheshire cat: Then it doesn’t matter which way you go. (continued)

Preview (continued) Does it matter which way you go? Why do you go where you go? What does it take to get there?

Overview Concept of learning experience and some of the factors that movement practitioners consider when preparing to assist learners –Goal setting –Transfer of learning –Learner characteristics –Performance assessment Conceptualizing learning using everyday conditions

Goal Setting Set targets for performance improvement Encourage all learners to set goals Know what the learners’ goals are Individualize goals Make sure people have a vested interest in goal setting (continued)

Goal Setting (continued) Understanding the purpose of specific activities Challenging, measurable, achievable, realistic, specific, and beneficial goals Performance-based goals Sufficient time to accomplish a goal Proper apparatus

Types of Goals Outcome goals target performance improvements that focus on the result of the activity (winning a tennis match). Performance goals focus on improving on a previous performance (improving percentage of good first serves). Process goals target the quality of movement and skill execution (tucking body during forward roll).

Targeted Goals Target skills are the skills a person wants to be able to perform. Target behaviors are the actions a person needs to be able to produce to accomplish target skills. Target context is the environment in which the person will produce the target skill.

Locus of Control A person’s perception of who or what controls what happens to him or her Internal vs. external Stable vs. unstable

Transfer of Learning The gain or loss of a person’s proficiency on one task as a result of previous experience What a person learns during practice vs. what he or she can do in the target context (continued)

Transfer of Learning (continued) Generalization is the transfer of learning that occurs from practice to target context (piano recital). Near transfer is the type of learning that transfers from one task to another under very similar tasks or situations. Far transfer occurs from one task to another under very different tasks or settings.

Motivation Motivated—practice longer, more dedicated, more conscientious Not motivated—half-hearted efforts Achievement motivation—the effort a person uses to reach a goal for mastery, for learning, or to surpass others Must see the relevance to be motivated to perform specific tasks

Past Experience Tasks that share many similar elements are expected to transfer to a greater extent than those that do not. Movement elements are motor patterns associated with correct performance. Perceptual elements are task-related stimuli that people interpret for successful performance. (continued)

Past Experience (continued) Conceptual elements are similar strategies, rules critical to performance. Specificity of learning holds that the more similar the movement components and environmental conditions to the target skill, the better the learning experience.

Stages of Learning Verbal–cognitive stage Motor stage Autonomous stage

Verbal–Cognitive Stage A lot of time talking A lot of time thinking Self-talk Verbal guidance Large gains Rapid gains

Motor Stage Solved cognitive problem Refining skill More effective movement More consistency Strategies Need precise feedback

Autonomous Stage Some never get here Little or no attention Longer motor programs Higher-order cognition

Valid Indicators to Assess Skills Outcome measures are performance observations that indicate some aspect of the result as it relates to time, distance, frequency, and accuracy. Process measures indicate something about the quality of movement being produced.

Error Measures Constant error is the measure of a person’s deviation from a target with respect to the amount and direction. Variable error is the inconsistency of results of several movements with respect to the average constant error of the movement.

Observable Products of Learning Knowledge of concepts Control and coordination Muscles used Movement efficiency Attention Error detection and correction