“The Institute for Psychology of
Elite Performance (IPEP) is housed
within the School of Sport, Health
and Exercise Sciences, Bangor
University. IPEP was established in
2000 and its mission is to develop
excellence within business, sport
and the military.”
http://ipep.bangor.ac.uk/
School of
Sport, Health
& Exercise
Sciences
Institute for the Psychology of Elite
Performance (IPEP)
Effective Coaching
Structuring Practice &
Delivering Feedback
Dr. Gavin Lawrence
Effective Coaching
Skill acquisition/coaching process
Conveying
information
Demonstrations Verbal
instructions
Structuring
practice
Variability of practice,
Contextual interference
Providing
feedback
Precision, Frequency,
Timing, assistance
Figure 1. The skill acquisition/coaching process (adapted from Lavelle et al., 2003)
How do we learn and store skills?
Schema Theory (Schmidt, 1975)
2. Parameters/commands assigned to the
movement program (movement force & timing)
3. Feedback about the movement outcome
4. Sensory consequences of the movement
(proprioception, audition, visual)
Individual movement
Movement commands
1. Initial conditions (body position, wind strength, rig, boat class)
Movement outcome
Schema for different skills
Structuring Practice
What is contextual interference?
What is variability of practice?
How do they work?
How and when should we prescribe them?
Practice makes Perfect?
Development of skill is generally
and positively related to practice
Perfect Practice makes Perfect?
Optimisation of performance during practice
will lead to the best memory of what has been
‘learned’
Time constraints require the teaching/re-learning of more than one skill (actions
from different skills; tacking, Gybing, sail setting, heeling)
How do we schedule the practice
session to get the best learning?
Blocked
Random
Repeated rehearsal of one task before
moving on to another
Repeated rehearsal of one task is
avoided
1hr session – 3 skills
1hr session – 3 skills
20 mins on skill 1, 20 mins on skill 2,
then 20 mins on skill 3
Skill 1, 2 and 3 are practiced in an
assorted/intermingled fashion
Good performance
Poor performance
Poor learning
Good learning
How do we schedule the practice session to get the best learning?
Contextual Interference
Structure conditions that lead to poor practice
performance often lead to better learning
Why?
ACTION PLAN RECONSTRUCTION
(Lee & Magill, 1985)
ELABORATION HYPOTHESIS
(Shea & Zimny, 1983)
RETROACTIVE INHIBITION
(Dey, 1969)
Must be:
Different Skills
Greater the difference, greater
the effect
Challenging the performer
How do we schedule the practice session to get the best learning?
Variability
of
Practice
Movements from the same class of actions (Same skill)
Variable
Constant
Initial conditions
Repeated rehearsal of one criterion
outcome of a single action (same direction
and distance)
Good performance
Poor learning
Variable
Rehearsal of a variety of movement
outcomes with the same action (different
directions and distances)
Poor performance
Good learning
Movement commands
Constant
Movement outcome
How to effectively structure practice?
Contextual interference vs.. variable practice?
Skills from different classes of
movements (different skills)
Modifications of the same skill
Low CI
High CI
Blocked
Random
Novice
Intermediate/Experienced
Children
Adults
Early stages of learning – need to understand ‘what’ is required (Gentile, 1972, 2000)
engage in complex cognitive tasks (Fitts and Posner, 1964)
constrain multiple joints to act together (Bernstein, 1967)
Random
High
Structuring Practice
Constant
Low
Children
Experienced/
Experts
Practice
Variable
High
Contextual
Variability of
Interference
Adults
Children
Novices
Blocked
Low
Novices
Effective Coaching
Skill acquisition/coaching process
Conveying
information
Demonstrations Verbal
instructions
Structuring
practice
Variability of practice,
Contextual interference
Providing
feedback
Precision, Frequency,
Timing, assistance
Figure 1. The skill acquisition/coaching process (adapted from Lavelle et al., 2003)
Providing Feedback
Performance/predicted success
Nominal task difficulty: difficulty regardless of performance
Functional task difficulty: how challenging the task is relative to the skill level
Expert
Skilled
Intermediate
Novice
low
Nominal task difficulty
high
Feedback and Task Difficulty
Optimal Challenge points.
1.
2.
3.
No learning without information/feedback
Learning reduced with too much information
Learning achievement depends on optimal amount of
information which differs as a function of skill level.
Considerable
Optimal
challenge
points
Minimal
low
high
functional task difficulty
Performance decrease
Potential available feedback
Expert
Skilled
Intermediate
Novice
Feedback and Task Difficulty
high
Potential learning benefit (dashed line)
Performance in practice
(solid line)
high
Optimal challenge
point
Potential
learning
benefit
low
low
low
high
functional task difficulty
Feedback and Task Difficulty
expert
novice
high
Potential learning benefit (dashed line)
Performance in practice
(solid line)
high
Optimal challenge
point
low
low
low
high
functional task difficulty
Feedback and Task Difficulty
Do we need to provide it?
How much should we provide?
When should we provide it?
How precise should it be?
FREQUENCY, PRECISION, AND TIMING.
Feedback and Task Difficulty
Structuring practice and optimal learning point – CHALLENGING THE LEARNER.
Feedback – often too much, too precise and too soon
‘misty coaching world’
Bandwidth
Summary
Self Selected
Appropriate Focus of Attention
Feedback Specifics
Sensory FB
Is the learner
experienced?
no
Is the
no
task
simple?
yes
Does the learner
comprehend the
fundamental
motion/movement
pattern?
no
Provide fundamental
movement FB
yes
Provide movement parameter
FB
yes
Provide more precise FB
Provide less frequent FB
Intrinsic FB sufficient
Provide FB when requested
Review Nov 13
Feedback and Focus of Attention
Internal focus
Attention is directed to performers own body
External focus
Attention is directed at the effects that the performers movements have on
the environment
What type of instructions do you give?
Instructions and feedback – typically given about the movement pattern or technique
Coordination; order, form, timing etc.
Ineffective when compared to external focus of attention!!!
Feedback and Focus of Attention
Cognitive/novice
Internal focus; performers
consciously control their
actions, constrain the motor
system and intervene with
automatic control processes
Forces learners to the cognitive end of
the continuum
Autonomous/expert
External focus; allows
unconscious, fast, reflexive
processes to control actions;
outcome is achieved as a ‘byproduct’.
Forces learners to the
autonomous end of the
continuum
Constrained action hypothesis (Wulf & colleagues (2001,2001,2003)
“The Institute for Psychology of
Elite Performance (IPEP) is housed
within the School of Sport, Health
and Exercise Sciences, Bangor
University. IPEP was established in
2000 and its mission is to develop
excellence within business, sport
and the military.”
http://ipep.bangor.ac.uk/
School of
Sport, Health
& Exercise
Sciences
Institute for the Psychology of Elite
Performance (IPEP)
Effective Coaching
THANK YOU FOR
LISTENING!!
Dr. Gavin Lawrence