Practice and learning
“ a learning programme requires skills
to be practiced using repetition and
progression to improve movement
technique”
There are different types of practice
methods that can be used in skill
learning.
• Whether the skill is taught together (whole
learning) as one sequence or broken down
(subroutines) into different parts (part
learning).
• Whether the practice is continuous (massed)
or spread out (distributed)
Whole learning
• Whole learning occurs when the skill is taught together “ in one
piece”. Some skills need to be learnt as a whole as they can’t be
broken down.
• The skill is first demonstrated and then
practised as a whole, from start to finish.
• It helps the learner to get a feel for the skill,
timings and end product.
• It is best used for fast skills which cannot
easily be separated into sub-parts.
• It is unsuitable for people with low attention
spans, complex or dangerous skills.
Part practice
• The parts of the skill are practiced in
isolation.
• Useful for complicated and serial skills.
• Good for maintaining motivation and
focusing on specific elements of the skill.
“It is possible, however, that the transfer of the skills
from parts, to a whole may not be effective and it may
also reduce the kinaesthetic awareness (feel) for the
full skill”
DESCRIBING OVERHEAD
CLEAR
PREPERATION
ACTION
RECOVERY
•START FREOM BASE
•SHOULDER/ARM BROUGHT
FORWARD AT SPEED
•RACKET COMES DOWN
AND ACROSS BODY
•ACTION RESEMBLES
THROWING ACTION
•RETURN TO MIDDLE OF
COURT INTO ‘READY’
POSITION WAITING TO
RECEIVE NEXT SHOT
•TRACK SHUTTLE AND
MOVE TOWARDS IT
•TURN BODY SIDE ON
•RACKET UP AND BEHIND
HEAD
•WEIGHT ONTO BACK FOOT
•FRONT ARM OUT FOR
BALANCE/TRACK SHUTTLE
•WEIGHT TRANSFERS ONTO
FRONT FOOT AT SHUTTLE
IMPACT
•CONTACT SHUTTLE ABOVE
HEAD
•STRIKE THROUGH
SHUTTLE
Whole Learning Vs Part Learning
Whole Learning
• Good for learning simple
skills
• Allows skills to be learnt as
a whole, giving learner and
experience of how the skill
feels- kinaesthetic
• Used to identify technical
faults in the overall skill
Part Learning
• Good for learning complex
skills.
• Allows skills to be broken
down into manageable
parts, making learning more
achievable.
• Used to help correct
technical faults in
technique.
Activity
• In badminton:
– give an example of a whole practice
– Give 3 examples of part practice
Massed and Distributed Practice
Massed Practice
“ this is practicing a skill without a break and occurs
when an activity is repeated continuously over a
period of time with very little or no rest”
E.G
- Continuously practicing a serve for 20minutes
- Performing set plays with a team for 20minutes
- Continuously rallying the overhead clear.
Massed practice
Advantages:
• Good for learning
simple skills
• Good when first
learning a skill
• Allows skill
requirements to be
reinforced though
repetition
Disadvantages:
• Performer can become
bored by the repetitive
nature.
• Requires large amounts
of concentration and
motivation
• Can cause fatigue due
to no rest
Distributed Practice
• This is practicing the skill with breaks in between
activities. It involves practice sessions in which
there is an equal or greater amount of rest
between each practice trial.
E.G 2mins work on overhead clear followed by 2mins
rest of footwork based activities then repeat.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8z
U5NZeyilc
Distributed practice
• Advantages:
- Good for continuous
activities that could
become tiring
- Gives players rest,
allowing them to recover
and think about how to
improve (mental
practice).
- Maybe more effective
than massed practice due
to similarity with actual
game
Disadvantages:
- Can take longer to develop
skills, due to lack of
repetition compared with
massed practice.
Activity
Types of practice
Skill (whole or
part)
Practice time
(Distributed or
Massed)
National level badminton player
Whole
Massed
Beginning badminton player learning how to serve for
the first time
Part
Massed
PE class practicing a Badminton over head clear they
learnt 3 weeks ago.
Whole
Distributed
An Un-coordinated PE student trying to master the
badminton smash
Part
Massed