Skill Acquisition

Classwork Date  Lesson 1 –  By the end of this lesson you should be able to:  Understand the concepts of a continuum  Knowledge of the 6 continua  Understand the importance / implications that a knowledge of classification has for the structuring of learning & practice.

What is a continuum?  Is an imagingnary scale between 2 extremes that shows a gradual increase/ decrease in a number of characteristics.

Points to note 1. It is not simple or precise. 2. Some skills have elements of all characteristics to some extent. 3. Characteristics change depending on the situation in which the skill is performed. 4. We always have to justify the i) situation the skill is being performed in ii) reasons why we have placed the skill at that point on the continuum.

Muscular involvement continuum  Gross skills – those involving large muscles movements e.g. running & swimming  Fine skills – those involving more intricate movements using small muscle groups e.g. Wrist / finger action of a spin bowler in cricket.

 Fine Gross

Environmental influences continuum  Open skills – affected by the environment; predominately perceptual; movements must be adapted; mostly externally paced e.g. pass in rugby/netball  Closed skills – not affected by the environment; predominately habitual; set movements; self paced e.g. tennis serve

 OpenClosed

Continuity continuum  Discrete skills – Clear beginning/end; skill can be repeated but performer starts again; single specific skills e.g. catching a ball.  Continuous – No obvious beginning / end; continued for as long as performer wishes; the end of one cycle is the beginning of the next; repetition of the same skill or movement; no clear sub routines e.g. cycling.  Serial – Several discrete elements put together to make integrated movements / sequence; order of elements is important e.g. triple jump.

 Discrete Serial Continuous

Pacing continuum  Self (internally) paced – the performer has the rate in which the skill is carried out under control; involves proactive performance e.g. high jump.  Externally paced – control over the rate is not held by performer; often involves the reaction of the performer e.g. receiving a pass.

 Self paced Externally paced

Complexity continuum  Simple skill – Small amount of information to be processed & few decisions to be made e.g. swimming  Highly complex skill – Large amounts of information to be processed & a number of decisions to be made quickly; high number of sub – routines that are co- ordinated & performed quickly & accurately e.g. tennis serve.

 Simple Complex

Organisational continuum  High – organisational skills – Sub routines are closely integrated and difficult to separate in practice; best practised as a whole e.g. cartwheel  Low - organisational skills – Sub routines tend to be discrete & may be practised separately and then integrated into the whole skill; can be leant / practised using part method e.g. swimming strokes

 LowHigh