Module JXH-2057:
Skill Aquisition
Skill Acquisition 2024-25
JXH-2057
2024-25
School Of Human And Behavioural Sciences
Module - Semester 2
10 credits
Module Organiser:
Vicky Gottwald
Overview
The course is delivered by a UKCC Level 4 Coach. Broadly speaking, the course is divided into three parts, namely, ‘instructions and demonstrations', 'delivering feedback' and ‘optimising practice environments’. In the opening section, we will address issues related to delivering instructions and providing effective demonstrations. In the second part, delivering feedback, we will discuss considerations for how and when the frequency, timing, and detail of corrective feedback should be provided. In the final section, optimising practice environments, aspects surrounding variability, challenge, pressure, and multiple skill learning will be addressed. All of these sections have implications for how information and practice should be structured and organised to bring about effective learning and expertise development. Considerations regarding how task difficulty and expertise level impact on the effective development of expertise will be a central theme to all three sections.
The course is divided into three parts, namely, ‘instructions and demonstrations, ‘optimising practice environments’, and ‘delivering feedback’. In the opening section, we will address issues related to delivering instructions and providing effective demonstrations. In the second part, optimising practice environments, aspects surrounding variability, challenge, pressure, and multiple skill learning will be addressed. In the final section, delivering feedback, we will discuss considerations for how and when the frequency, timing, and detail of corrective feedback should be provided. All of these sections have implications for how information and practice should be structured and organised to bring about effective learning and expertise development. Considerations regarding how task difficulty and expertise level impact on the effective development of expertise will be a central theme to all three sections.
Learning Outcomes
- Apply skill acquisition techniques to the coaching process to enhance learning.
- Be able to communicate contemporary approaches to skill acquisition to support applied practitioners.
- Identify learning challenges of coach and athlete in relation to individual, task, and environmental constraints.
- Understand and be able to critique underlying theories of skill acquisition.
Assessment method
Coursework
Assessment type
Summative
Description
This assignment requires students to complete a 1500-word coaching essay on the lecture material covered on the structuring practice and feedback aspects of the coaching process. Based on the principles students have learned in class and from the additional readings, they will need to devise a coaching essay aimed towards using the principles, theories, and literature within structuring practice and feedback to optimise the skill acquisition in a sport (or domain) of their choice. Students will be free to choose the sport, the goal of the coaching session(s), the skills to be practiced and the level of the learner(s).
Weighting
60%
Due date
13/05/2024
Assessment method
Coursework
Assessment type
Summative
Description
For this assignment students will have a choice. Students will be required to write an essay to support young coaches to enhance the way in which they EITHER ‘deliver instructions’ OR use ‘demonstrations’. The essay should a) explain key concepts (i.e., internal and external focus of attention OR observational learning) and how these relate to coaching (i.e., instruction OR demonstrations), b) discuss relevant theory and literature, c) support the reader to consider how they might apply findings into their own practice (by including specific practical examples) and d) should be written in a manner that is accessible to the reader. Whilst the target audience is practitioners, students should still reference work accordingly. This is important to support arguments with scientific evidence.
Weighting
40%
Due date
11/03/2024