Discuss the role of feedback in the learning of skills.

Authors Avatar

Discuss the role of feedback in the learning of skills

‘Feedback is sensory information that results from movement’

                                                        (Davis et al-2000)

Guidance and feedback are extremely helpful when learning new skills.  Guidance is information about what you are about to do.  It should let the performer know which is the best way to succeed.  Feedback is comments about what you have just done.  

Feedback is most effective given straight after the performance, when what you have done is fresh in your mind.  It should be accurate, clear, and easy to understand, in order to aid the learning of skills.

Feedback comes in several forms.  These are used in conjunction with the learner’s ability, and the type of activity being learnt.  

  • Intrinsic
  • Extrinsic
  • Positive
  • Negative
  • Terminal
  • Concurrent
  • Knowledge of performance (KP)
  • Knowledge of results (KR)

Feed back has four main functions; To inform the performer about how well they have done, positive or negative reinforcement, motivation, and punishment.  

                                        (Galligan et al. 2000)

Intrinsic feedback comes from the performer.  It is usually focused on the outcomes, and how well the performer has done.  It develops kinaesthetic awareness.  It can be used as reinforcement. For example, a discus thrower may have thought that the throw felt good, but will not know if it was good enough until they found out the distance thrown.  When the discuss is thrown far, they know they have performed with the right technique.  The performer will learn how the skill should feel so they perform the same every time.  

Join now!

Extrinsic feedback is information from the coach or teacher.  It should help correct errors and reinforce the correct performance.  For example, a swimming coach may correct a butterfly performer’s arms by explaining what they are doing wrong and how they can improve their technique.  

Positive feedback should inform the performer about what they’d done correctly, this is essential for them, as they need to know what to repeat.  If this feedback wasn’t given, performers may change what they do until feedback is given.  This type of feedback should be given to beginners a lot, in order them ...

This is a preview of the whole essay