The development of new physical skills brings with it a raft of changes in the skill itself, as well as in the individual performing that skill. Regardless of the complexity of the skill, from a toddler walking to an elite athlete performing complex gymnastics or Olympic Weightlifting, understanding these changes can help is maximise the learning process. In Motor learning: concepts and applications (6th ed.), Magill discusses these changes across the stages of learning. There follows a summary of these changes.
Rate of Improvement.
Changes with Learning: Initially, in any new skill, improvement comes rapidly. This rate of improvement reduces over time – continuing, though at a lesser rate.
Implications: With major changes early in the learning process, we have an opportunity to develop healthy habits and movement patterns. Incorrect patterning in this stage will have negative effects later in the learning process. Rapid early improvement can also be used to motivate individuals beginning the pursuit of a new skill, where improvement will encourage further practice.
Coordination of Limb Segments.
Changes with Learning: Initially, learners have difficulty coordinating the different segments and joints in a movement. This results in certain joints or segments being ‘frozen’, leading to incorrect technique. With learning, these movements become ‘unfrozen’ and efficiency increases.
Implications: Break down movements into more basic parts, and intentionally segment the movement to achieve proficiency in each before progressing.
Modifying Existing Movement Patterns.
Changes with Learning: Individuals do not learn in a vacuum and bring existing movement patterns to a new skill. These can initially be inappropriate for the new skill, but with time will develop into a technique appropriate to the task.
Implications: In practice, the differences between movements should be emphasised and unique elements should be practiced in isolation.
Changes in Muscle Recruitment Patterns.
Changes with Learning: Early in the learning process, individuals experience an over allocation of muscle recruitment and co-contraction of muscles which impacts both the efficiency and technique of a skill. As the individual progresses through the stages of learning, the recruitment patterns become more specific to the skill be performed, and efficiency and skill increase.
Implications: A focus on ‘practice’ rather than ‘training’ and prioritising movement mechanics over speed/load/intensity will work to fast track the learner to correct muscle recruitment patterns.
Movement Efficiency.
Changes with Learning: Early in the learning process, movements and skills are inefficient, with more effort put in to the skill than is necessary. As the skill develops, the energy cost reduces, leading to more efficient movement.
Implications: Repetition is important to develop skills. It is difficult to fast track the path to movement efficiency, though the path can be streamlined by ensuring practice is deliberate.
Visual and Conscious Attention Changes.
Changes with Learning: Specific visual and conscious cues are received by the individual during skill acquisition. Early in the learning process, these cues may be irrelevant to the skill being performed, but they are unable to focus on the relevant cues. As the skill develops the learner is better able to process relevant cues and ignore irrelevant ones, ensuring all available attentional resources are allocated to useful information.
Implications: Attention should be consciously directed to beneficial cues and information. Irrelevant cues and information overload should be minimised.
Detecting and Correcting Skill Errors.
Changes with Learning: As a process of learning, an individual will be able to self-identify errors, and make the corrections needed to resolve them.
Implications: Correct coaching and tuition in the acquisition of a new skill is important to ensure that the learner is able to correctly identify skill faults as they progress through the process of learning.
