Skill Acquisition
Stages of learning a motor skill
Measuring Learning
Measuring Learning
• Strictly speaking it is not possible to test learning
Measuring Learning
• Strictly speaking it is not possible to test learning
• Coaches generally use three methods to assess
learning: retention tests, transfer tests and plotting
performance
Measuring Learning
• Strictly speaking it is not possible to test learning
• Coaches generally use three methods to assess
learning: retention tests, transfer tests and plotting
performance
• Performance curves
Stages of learning
Stages of learning
• Various authors have discussed the stages
of learning including Adams (1971), Fitts &
Posner (1967), Gentile (1972)
Stages of learning
• Various authors have discussed the stages
of learning including Adams (1971), Fitts &
Posner (1967), Gentile (1972)
• Although they use differing terminology the
majority of authors are saying the same
thing.
Fitts & Posner (1967)
Fitts & Posner (1967)
Three stages of learning:
Fitts & Posner (1967)
Three stages of learning:
1. Verbal Cognitive stage
Fitts & Posner (1967)
Three stages of learning:
1. Verbal Cognitive stage
2. Motor stage
Fitts & Posner (1967)
Three stages of learning:
1. Verbal Cognitive stage
2. Motor stage
3. Autonomous stage
Verbal-Cognitive stage
Verbal-Cognitive stage
• Unfamiliar task
Verbal-Cognitive stage
• Unfamiliar task
• A lot of time “talking to themselves”
Verbal-Cognitive stage
• Unfamiliar task
• A lot of time “talking to themselves”
• A lot of time thinking of corrections
Verbal-Cognitive stage
• Unfamiliar task
• A lot of time “talking to themselves”
• A lot of time thinking of corrections
• Rapid improvements
Verbal-Cognitive stage
• Unfamiliar task
• A lot of time “talking to themselves”
• A lot of time thinking of corrections
• Rapid improvements
• You should expect performance to halting, jerky, uncertain
and poorly timed with the external environment
Verbal-Cognitive stage
• Unfamiliar task
• A lot of time “talking to themselves”
• A lot of time thinking of corrections
• Rapid improvements
• You should expect performance to halting, jerky, uncertain
and poorly timed with the external environment
• Demonstration, verbal, visual and reinforcement are useful at
this stage
Verbal-Cognitive stage
• Unfamiliar task
• A lot of time “talking to themselves”
• A lot of time thinking of corrections
• Rapid improvements
• You should expect performance to halting, jerky, uncertain
and poorly timed with the external environment
• Demonstration, verbal, visual and reinforcement are useful at
this stage
• Coaches should consider the athletes dominant ‘intelligence’
Verbal-Cognitive stage
• Unfamiliar task
• A lot of time “talking to themselves”
• A lot of time thinking of corrections
• Rapid improvements
• You should expect performance to halting, jerky, uncertain
and poorly timed with the external environment
• Demonstration, verbal, visual and reinforcement are useful at
this stage
• Coaches should consider the athletes dominant ‘intelligence’
• Coaches should encourage transfer
Verbal-Cognitive stage
• Unfamiliar task
• A lot of time “talking to themselves”
• A lot of time thinking of corrections
• Rapid improvements
• You should expect performance to halting, jerky, uncertain
and poorly timed with the external environment
• Demonstration, verbal, visual and reinforcement are useful at
this stage
• Coaches should consider the athletes dominant ‘intelligence’
• Coaches should encourage transfer
• Coaches should encourage trial and error
Motor Stage
Motor Stage
• Learners now posses most of the strategic and cognitive
elements
Motor Stage
• Learners now posses most of the strategic and cognitive
elements
• Focus now shifts to refining the movement patterns
Motor Stage
• Learners now posses most of the strategic and cognitive
elements
• Focus now shifts to refining the movement patterns
• Refinement is different for fast skills and slow skills
Motor Stage
• Learners now posses most of the strategic and cognitive
elements
• Focus now shifts to refining the movement patterns
• Refinement is different for fast skills and slow skills
• Refinement is also different for open and closed skills
Motor Stage
• Learners now posses most of the strategic and cognitive
elements
• Focus now shifts to refining the movement patterns
• Refinement is different for fast skills and slow skills
• Refinement is also different for open and closed skills
• Movement appears smoother, less mistakes are made and
learners are more able to anticipate
Motor Stage
• Learners now posses most of the strategic and cognitive
elements
• Focus now shifts to refining the movement patterns
• Refinement is different for fast skills and slow skills
• Refinement is also different for open and closed skills
• Movement appears smoother, less mistakes are made and
learners are more able to anticipate
• Learners are able to give their own feedback (to an extent)
and can detect their own errors
Motor Stage
• Learners now posses most of the strategic and cognitive
elements
• Focus now shifts to refining the movement patterns
• Refinement is different for fast skills and slow skills
• Refinement is also different for open and closed skills
• Movement appears smoother, less mistakes are made and
learners are more able to anticipate
• Learners are able to give their own feedback (to an extent)
and can detect their own errors
• This stage is generally longer than the verbal-cognitive stage
Motor Stage
• Learners now posses most of the strategic and cognitive
elements
• Focus now shifts to refining the movement patterns
• Refinement is different for fast skills and slow skills
• Refinement is also different for open and closed skills
• Movement appears smoother, less mistakes are made and
learners are more able to anticipate
• Learners are able to give their own feedback (to an extent)
and can detect their own errors
• This stage is generally longer than the verbal-cognitive stage
• Feedback should be more precise and targeted
Autonomous stage
Autonomous stage
• Not all learners will enter this stage
Autonomous stage
• Not all learners will enter this stage
• Athletes produce their actions automatically with little or no
attention
Autonomous stage
• Not all learners will enter this stage
• Athletes produce their actions automatically with little or no
attention
• Motor programs develop to such an extent that the athlete
can control their actions for longer
Autonomous stage
• Not all learners will enter this stage
• Athletes produce their actions automatically with little or no
attention
• Motor programs develop to such an extent that the athlete
can control their actions for longer
• Increased automaticity in their sensory analysis of the
environment
Autonomous stage
• Not all learners will enter this stage
• Athletes produce their actions automatically with little or no
attention
• Motor programs develop to such an extent that the athlete
can control their actions for longer
• Increased automaticity in their sensory analysis of the
environment
• This increased capability frees high performers to engage in
higher-order cognitive activities
Autonomous stage
• Not all learners will enter this stage
• Athletes produce their actions automatically with little or no
attention
• Motor programs develop to such an extent that the athlete
can control their actions for longer
• Increased automaticity in their sensory analysis of the
environment
• This increased capability frees high performers to engage in
higher-order cognitive activities
• Self confidence increases and the capability to detect mistakes
in highly developed
Autonomous stage
• Not all learners will enter this stage
• Athletes produce their actions automatically with little or no
attention
• Motor programs develop to such an extent that the athlete
can control their actions for longer
• Increased automaticity in their sensory analysis of the
environment
• This increased capability frees high performers to engage in
higher-order cognitive activities
• Self confidence increases and the capability to detect mistakes
in highly developed
• Further improvement are hard to detect