Discuss the Role of Feedback in learning of skills

There are various types of feedback,

• Positive Feedback – this occurs when the performance was successful, it can be used to reinforce learning.
• Negative Feedback – occurs when performance was incorrect or unsuccessful.
• Intrinsic Feedback – internal or inherent. Kinesthesis; it comes from within the performer from the prioreceptors
• Extrinsic Feedback – external or augmented. It is received from outside the performer to enhance the intrinsic feedback.
• Continuous Feedback – this tpe of feedback is ongoing, it is received during the activity, most frequently received as proprioceptive or kinesthetic information.
• Terminal Feedback – this is received by the performer after they have completed the skill. It can either be given immediately or delayed till some time after.
• Knowledge of Results – this is essential in the learning process, as without knowing what the results of our actions have been, we will be unable to modify them in order to produce precise movements needed for the correct performance .
• Knowledge of Performance – is feedback about the actual movement pattern. Not only the result of the action but why it was incorrect and how to correct it.

Feedback can be used to move the performer through the three main phases of the learning process. When using feedback, the teacher needs to consider the current skill level of the performer and what phase he/she is at, and also the nature of the skill and its transferability. Also the teacher needs to consider,

• The amount of feedback
• The specific type of feedback
• How it presented
• How frequent it is given.

Positive Feedback is most appropriately used with learners at a cognitive stage, as receiving positive information about their performance motivates them, giving them confidence and motivation to achieve a correct performance of a skill again in the future, so will work hard to do so, for example. A cognitive stage learner of hockey is doing a push pass and has succedded in doing the push pass  correctly; giving positive feedback saying that is was correct and good would motivate the learner to try and do the correct movement and skill again. Feedback at the cognitive stage of learning is to move the performer through the three phases of learning, being the cognitive stage, associative stage and autonomous stage. Positive feedback given to autonomous performers can be used ut appropriately, as too much positive feedback can demotivate autonomous st