Explore skill classification and emphasize the differences between individual, co-active and interactive.

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Explore skill classification and emphasize the differences between individual, co-active and interactive.

Skill is defined as ‘learned ability to bring about predetermined results with maximum efficiency and minimum outlay of energy and time’ (Knapp 2000).

There are a number of different types of skill. Skill can be divided into thinking, seeing and doing skills. They are given more technical terms; cognitive skills, perceptual skills and motor skills, there is also perceptual motor skills.

Cognitive skills are thinking skills and often known as intellectual skills, they involve thought processes. For example adding up the amount of goals a player has scored, dividing it by the number of games they have played to get a goal to game ratio.

Seeing skills are also known as perceptual skills, we may see the same as someone else but interpret it differently. A typical example would be the picture of 2faces and a goblet, some people will pick out the faces whilst others will pick out the goblet, others may pick out both.

Motor skills are doing skills; they involve the muscular system and relate to the movement and control of muscles. Walking and running are both motor skills.

In sport, skills tend not to be just one type but several. Most skills are referred to as perceptual motor skills as they involve all categories; thought, interpretation and movement.

The importance of being able to group skills is evident when attempting to teach, or be taught the skills. Knowing a general requirement of a skill enables us to choose the best form of learning and best practice environment.

There are various methods of classifying skills. Many of the theories are based on skills being classified on a sliding scale depending on their requirements. Barbara Knapp recognised two basic classifications. She said that skills could fit onto a continuum between open and closed.

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Open skills are seen as predominately perceptual and tend to have no clear beginning or end. They are affected by the environment, meaning that the environment has more control than the performer over the movement. This is known as an externally paced skill.

Closed skills are predominately routine and can be performed without much thought as it comes naturally, after it has been learnt. Closed skills have a clear beginnings and ends and are not affected as much by environment.

Knapp’s open-closed continuum:

Closed        -------A------------------------------------------------------------------------B--------Open

        0        1        2        3        4        5        6        7        8        9        10

  1. Athlete performing shot-put
  2. Goalkeeper attempting to save a shot.

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