the learning environment

• The Learning Environment


  • The nature of skill
  • Practice methods
  • The performance elements
  • Feedback
• Conducive learning environment


  Learner is safe, comfortable, using appropriate equipment and facilities, can focus on the task without distractions
• Criteria to classify movement tasks

  • Stability of the environment (Open or Closed)
  • Precision of the movement (Gross or Fine)
  • Distinctiveness of beginning and end points (Continuous, Serial or Discrete)
  • Timing (Externally Paced or Self Paced)
• Open skills


  Take place where circumstances are unpredictable and continually changing, must be adapted by the individual in response to external factors
• Open skills


  • Surfing
  • Tackle in rugby league
  • Goal keeping save in soccer
  • Intercepting a pass in hockey
• Closed skills


  Occur where circumstances are predictable and consistent
• Closed skills


  • Tee shot in golf
  • Discus throw
  • Serve in volleyball
  • Free throw in basketball
• Gross motor skills


  Movements that involve large muscle groups, such as running, swimming and throwing
• Fine motor skills


  Movements that involve only small muscle groups, such as the finger release in archery
• Discrete skills


  Have a clearly defined beginning and end to the movement and tend to be of a short duration
• Discrete skills


  • Golf shot
  • Tennis serve
• Serial skills


  Combination of a number of smaller, almost discrete skills into a whole skill
• Serial skills


  • Gymnastics routine comprising a round off, back handspring and back somersault performed consecutively
• Continuous skills


  Have no clear beginning or end and tend to be of an ongoing nature
• Continuous skills


  • Swimming
  • Jogging
  • Rowing
• Self-paced skills


  Performed in the time frame determined by the athlete
• Self-paced skills


  • Golf shots
  • Bowling in cricket
  • Tenpin bowling
• Externally paced skills


  Performed with influence exerted by an external source such as the actions of a team mate or opponent
• Externally paced skills


  • Tackling in rugby
  • Saving a goal in soccer
  • Returning a serve in tennis
• Categorising skills helps determine appropriate practice methods and adapt learning tasks to suit different stages of skill acquisition
• Learners at the cognitive stage of skill acquisition benefit from practising skills in a closed environment, then progressing to more open environments as they improve
• Skill progression in tennis

  • Forehand shot without a ball (closed)
  • Forehand shot hitting balls from a ball machine (predominantly closed, becoming more open)
  • Hitting rallies with a partner (open)
• Decision-making


  The various decisions made by an athlete during a performance, such as where to hit the ball, who to pass to and when, where to kick the ball and where to stand defensively
• Improving decision-making


  • Demonstrations of good decision-making
  • Asking questions to encourage thinking
  • Practicing in game-like scenarios
  • Exploring various scenarios by changing oppositional tactics or strategies
  • Encouraging creativity
• Strategic and tactical development

  Comes through technical efficiency, understanding the game, and good execution
• Players who understand the game and which strategies/tactics are better in various situations are more successful in executing and selecting the right one</b>
• Strategy


  The overall method used to achieve the goal, normally winning the competition, including where an athlete should be at a particular time and what they should do
• Tactics


  Gaining an advantage over the opposing player, normally connected with game sense and decision making
• Tactics need to be practised in game situations in order to be effective
• Factors affecting choice of practice method

  • Type of skills to be taught
  • Complexity of the skill
  • Classification of the skill
  • Environment
  • Ability level of the performer
  • Motivational level of the performer
• Whole method


  The skill is practised in total
• When to use whole method

  • Skill is of low complexity or a simple task
  • Skill has high organisation
  • Skill consists of interrelated subroutines
  • Skill has discrete skills of short duration
  • Performer is experienced and has high levels of attention
• Skills/activities suitable for whole method

  • Somersault or tumble in gymnastics
  • Dart throw
  • Snooker or pool shot
  • Tennis serve
• Part practice


  The skill as a whole is broken down into parts for practice
• When to use part method

  • Skill has high complexity
  • Skill is of low organisation
  • Skill has independent subroutines
  • Skill is slow or serial, where the skill as a whole is of long duration
  • Skill is dangerous
• Advantages of part method

  • Allows confidence to grow when building up more complex tasks
  • Can help prevent injury by reducing fatigue
• When part method is preferred

  • Performer is a beginner
  • Performer has limited attention span
  • Performer is in the early stages of learning
  • Performer is having problems with a particular aspect of a skill
  • Performer has limited motivation
• Whole-part-whole method


  Combination of whole and part methods, learner first practices the whole movement, identifies difficult components which are then practiced separately, then the parts are re-combined into the whole for further practice
• Advantages of whole-part-whole method

  • Develops greater positive transfer and fluency of movement patterns
  • Whole skill can be developed more quickly
  • Learner may experience increased motivation and drive to learn
• Massed practice


  Practice done with little rest and long duration sessions