Discuss the role of feedback in the learning of skills Feedback is the return of information which has been brought about by the result of a process or activity

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Emily Swinburn – PE essay

Discuss the role of feedback in the learning of skills

Feedback is the return of information which has been brought about by the result of a process or activity, the aim of it is to maintain or to control this process which in this context refers to a physical activity.

In a physical activity, for a movement to progress the athlete needs to be aware of the effectiveness of their performance the athlete receive this information through the form of feedback. There are three loops to this feedback process:-

Exteroceptive is feedback which comes from the performer’s observation of their performance i.e. in a free kick the ball may not travel to where the performer had hoped, by gaining feedback the athlete is able to identify the problem and correct it.  

Alternatively the athlete can receive feedback in this way when watching a video of their performance, this allows the athlete to analyse their own performance i.e. to identify whether it is aesthetically pleasing, how the skill could be improved etc. This feedback can also come from other people, specifically coaches who can suggest methods to improve or maintain a skill from what they see.  

Proprioceptive is the feedback which is provided by the receptors found in muscles and tendons called proprioceptors and the balance sensors which provide information on how a movement ‘feels.’ When an athlete becomes familiar with a skill they develop a sense of how the movement should feel and from this are able to identify whether they are performing it correctly or not. This feedback is often used by athletes to make fine adjustments to a movement e.g. a basketball player may realise that they are more likely to score if they put a spin on the ball as they shoot and can make these changes accordingly due to this feedback.

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Kinaesthetic feedback relies on intrinsic factors. The muscles, tendons and joints supply information to the spinal cord in relation to movement, this information means that bodily functions can respond without conscious thought. This occurs for example when running on an uneven surface and our ankles and knees automatically adjust without our mind wandering from strategic elements of the activity.

As the different loops of feedback are considered it becomes evident at how much learning relies on feedback from inside and outside factors. The learner has to be aware of how to perform a skill correctly to begin with, ...

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This is a thorough and organised report, which covers many of the key aspects of feedback and guidance. it lacks some application advantages and disadvantages that might come from being a practitioner and USING them, but essentially illustrates much of the theoretical content well.