More on Learning

Are you teaching or are your students learning? If you answer teaching or both then I would invite you to open your mind and allow this entry to lead you forward into a simple introduction of how a person learns. I have obtained knowledge on the subject from an article on the internet by Brian McCormick titled "Learning Sports Skills and Motor Development". In addition I stumbled and bumbled through several case studies of the motor skill development process. First and foremost let me say that I am not and do not claim to be an expert. I am simply passing along information to start interested instructors down a path of further discovery.

Motor skill and cognitive learning have different processes and protocol. But the best motor skill development includes cognitive learning which allows for longer retention. In the traditional teaching method teachers lecture, describe, show, and tell how an action is to be performed but what is said can not convey the action. When an instructor informs a student of the action the student may remember the action but this in no way ensures that they have retained the action itself or the feel of this action. In the article Mr. McCormick quotes a passage from the Inner Game of Golf by Gallwey, in summary the passage states there are two paths that instructors can take. One path being of formulas and the other of feel. The instructor who only takes one path will never be able to experience the other path. But the one who travels both paths may share the best of both worlds to help his atheletes improve. The instructors that have the knowledge of how their students learn and develop will be the most successful.

I stated in the earlier post on this subject that Mark Evershed beleived that people learn through the aquistion of smaller steps and in a progression. Like mathematics we learn best when we are fed knowledge in a progression that builds on each step. According to the article the skill acquistion order is: Basic nonlocomotor (stationary like bending and stretching), locomoter (traveling, walking or hopping), and manipulative (object control, like bouncing and catching a ball). When these motor skills are developed and married together then a person may perform a sport skill.

A person will travel through different stages or as Mr.McCormick stated "movement patterns". Each stage has its own behavioral hint. In the beginning stage these notions are limited to actions surrounding body and space. At the intermediate level the cues include space but now involve force (power to move the body). In the advanced stage we will continue with force but emphasise on relationships (adjustments on body, space, and force to change or refine the skill).

It is important to understand these stages because a student cannot retain or master a skill if two or more are being relayed at once. Nor can the motor skill be developed if the student is asked to perform a movent in the intermediate or advanced level when the movements of the basic level have not been accomplished. Asking a student to hit down, swing out, and release without guiding them through basic balance and rotation would be conterproductive in ingraining a good golfswing.

There a three basic stages of learning cognitive (beginner), associative (intermediate), and autonomic (advanced). It is very important that the students are not hurried through each of the stages. Providing ample time to comprehend and ingrain each stage is critical in the development of a motor skill.

The cognitive stage is the beginning stage. This is the stage that requires the most instruction. The stage is blundering and full of errors. Repition is a big part of the cognitive stage. The cognitive stage is also the easiest stage to produce sensory overload. Be cautious of providing the athlete with an overabundance of information. In this stage the student is very self judging so it is important that the instructor convey the art of letting go. To comprehend the errors as what they are and not judge oneself as "not able to" or "terrible".

The Associative stage becomes smoother and progression invreases in speed. In this stage the basics of the skill have been learned and mastered to the extent that advancement is needed. The errors are fewer and far between but are recognizable by the student. This is where the skill becomes honed. For the instructor it is very important to understand that this is the level where the teaching begins to fade. The function now is to assist the athelete with their needs and provide specific yet constructive feedback. Allow the student to be aware of their environment so that they can make corrections on their own. The instructor then can interject with very narrow, focused objectives. In this stage instructors are improving the student not breaking down or changing.

The final stage is the Autonomic stage where the learning is almost complete. This stage could take the longest and in some cases never completely be fullfilled. The student now can make their own corrections. The student is also cognitive on the process to correct. In this final stage the instructor ask questions. The Autonomy Stage is lends itself to the indirect teaching style which is student centered. In indirect teaching the emphasis is on guided discovery and problem solving. Guided discovery includes motivation to creative thinking, problem solving, and self improvement. The student rather than the teacher is the focus.

In summary it is important that we as PGA Professionals understand the learning process so that we may guide our students into playing the game to their highest ability. Without an understanding of the process we are not providing our students with the highest probability to obtain and retain the motor skill of the golf swing. Old school teaching might improve the student today, but tomorrow will allow them decline back into an area of frustration. If our goal is to truly promote the game, then it is imperative that we learn to guide the student into obtaining the skill and not teach them a skill. Work to ensure your students are learning but your not teaching. By this I mean teaching as we know it in the traditional means.

I will reiterate that most of the information for this post came from Mr. Brian McCormicks article. This is a link to the article http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/12731/learning_sports_skills_and_motor_development.html?cat=4. Please refer back to the article for more detailed information.

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