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, for progression to occur, which is information supplied by coaches etc and when this skill is corrected has to be aware of how to maintain a high standard performance which is provided by either intrinsic or extrinsic factors.
The type of feedback relies on the performer and the type of skill being performed. There are 6 different forms of feedback which are:-
Positive feedback is supplied by coaches to inform the athlete as to what was correct about the movement. Positive feedback is essential in keeping athletes motivated and their arousal levels high. It is essential that athletes are informed when they perform a skill correctly so they are aware when future executions of the skill are performed correctly.
Negative feedback is used to inform the athlete as to what was incorrect about the movement. When negative feedback is delivered the person supplying it must give constructive criticism by identifying the weaknesses about the performance but offering methods to how the performer could improve it. It is also useful to combine positive feedback with negative so the performer is aware that although there are areas to improve there are still strong points to the performance.
Intrinsic feedback is supplied by inside the performer; the information comes as a direct result of a movement through the kinaesthetic senses; muscles, joints and balance. This feedback is usually supplied when the performer is fairly familiar with the skill as the body has adapted to how the skill should ‘feel’ when it is performed.
Extrinsic feedback is provided by outside factors i.e. the outcome of a skill or from observation etc. This feedback directly improves intrinsic factors, by using observation, strengths and weaknesses can be identified, which leads to correction of the weaknesses which means that the body gets to experience how the correct movement should ‘feel’ when performed correctly. This type of feedback is also known as augmented which can be broken down into two categories-
Knowledge of performance is analysis of technique and performance which is either given verbally by the coach or visually via video. This enables the performer to reference movements to how they ‘feel.’
Knowledge of results is a reflection of the athletes performance i.e. if a football team are aware that they are winning they know they are performing well. This feedback means that the performer is aware of the movements and techniques they have to use to be successful at their activity.
Terminal is the feedback given before or after a performance, in most sports the best example would be the team talk lead by the coach explaining what needs to be done before the game and after what was good and what could have been improved in the performance.
Concurrent is feedback which is given during a performance i.e. the spectators on the sideline often provide performers with strengths and weaknesses on their performance.
The type of feedback provided relies on the type of learner and the activity. For example a Sprinter would receive extrinsic or intrinsic information on their block start because there is no correct or incorrect way of starting and relies on how it feels for the athlete.
As it has already been established feedback plays a big part in the learning of skills however is useless unless guidance into how the skills can be improved is provided. There are three types of guidance which work with feedback to result in a successfully applied skill.
Visual Guidance is used at all stages of learning but is most productive at the early cognitive stage, to introduce the task. The coach or teacher often provides a demonstration to make the learner aware of what they need to do and how it should look when performed correctly. Visual guidance is also beneficial to the learner by presenting visual aids to them in the form of posters or videos of role models. If a learner is introduced to the activity in this way they are aware of how to perform the skill correctly so some intrinsic feedback is received.
Manual Guidance involves physical contact, so the teacher moves or supports the learner in the correct position. This guidance allows the learner to discover the timing and spatial aspects of the movement which helps with future intrinsic feedback.
Verbal Guidance is primarily used in all forms of learning. The teacher should be able to instruct learners into what task they want them to perform, with advanced learners these instructions can be more technical and detailed but for a beginner they should be kept simple.
This report has demonstrated how important feedback is to the learning of new skills. In conclusion feedback allows the performer to correct their mistakes, enables the performer to maintain a high standard performance, and most importantly allows the performer to progress.
Bibliography
Books
Bob Davis, Jan Roscoe, Dennis Roscoe, Ros Bull, Physical Education and the Study of Sport
Websites
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