Describe the Fitt's and Posner's phases of learning and explain how you would structure practices to enhance a performance.

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Amy Bowring

Describe the Fitt’s and Posner’s phases of learning and explain how you would structure practices to enhance a performance.

In 1967 Paul Fitts (Fitts) and Michael Posner (Posner) developed the Classic Stages of learning model. They detailed the kinds of changes and phases that learners go through when acquiring skill.

The three stages of learning of the Fitts and Posner model are best understood as reflecting a continuum of practice time. The cognitive stage represents the first portion of the continuum. This is followed by the associative stage and then the autonomous stage. The transition from one stage to the next is not abrupt; on the contrary, it is gradual and the transition is difficult to detect as the learner may at any point in time be at a particular stage or in transition between stages.

However, the beginner and the skilled performer have distinct characteristics that need to be understood. The concept of deliberate practice helps to explain how this transformation comes about.

Cognitive stage

This is the first stage of the learning process where the beginner tries to get to grip with the nature of the activity and to figure out what to do.  Verbal explanations and demonstrations are important.  Improvements are rapid but movements are jerky and uncoordinated. High levels of concentration and attention are needed during this stage.

Example – a beginner learning to pass in hockey will be shown how to pass by the teacher.  The beginner watches the demonstration and understands what needs to be done.

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The concept of the cognitive stage is also to understand how the activity is to be used in a game situation. Their first concern is to understand the task and this often means attaching verbal labels to movement responses. The beginner is primarily concerned with what to do and how to do it. It is difficult for the beginner to perform the skill successfully in a game situation but they can spend time watching other players use the skill in the appropriate circumstance. For example if the activity was a hockey push pass, the person could watch teams play on ...

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