Fitts and Posner’s model three stages of learning along with examples
The paper will reflect upon the two models that are the Fitts and Posner’s model three stages of learning and Welford’s model of information processing theory. Both the model highly helps the learner and the goalkeeper to learn various processes of the game. Moreover, it will describe the different stages of learning that is vital for the learner. It will discuss the facts of how the brain helps in controlling our movements that will help in catching the ball coming toward the goalkeeper. The stages will be discussed with the help of examples that will help in learning how to save a penalty kick.
It was suggested by Fitts and Posner that the development of novice to expert could be modeling by utilizing the concept of information processing. The model presents the three stages of skill learning that eventually helps the coaches to acknowledge the position of the athletes at what stage of learning they are at and accordingly structure the practice (Tenison, Fincham & Anderson, 2016). The model of Fitts and Posner’s recognizes the three stages or phases of learning. They are as follows:
- Cognitive (early) phase
- Associative (intermediate) stage
- Autonomous (final) stage
Now we will discuss in detail all the three stages of learning along with appropriate examples.
The learner always tries hard to acquire the grips in relation with the activity that takes place in nature which is learned. Demonstrations are significant, as it will not only provide with the visual aid but also with the verbal explanation. Both these factors help the learner to know what to do and highlight the important sections. In the pre-practice stage problem-solving plays an important role (Coker, 2017). After giving the demonstration the learner than tries to recall all the memories in a sequential order of movements that help the learner to verbalize the important points that are being learned. For example in the quarterfinal match against England the goalkeeper of the Portugal national team Ricardo, where out of four he saved three penalties. It is important to note that providing excessive information or feedback could result in overburden and this could be harmful to the learners. It is because they have to observe the movements deeply with the help of a visual aid. Hence they must not be overloaded with too much information. If the learner is in this particular stage, then it becomes significant to provide the learner with the specific feedback every time. This will help the learner to practice according to the instructions given (Christensen, Sutton & McIlwain, 2016). The performance of the learner throughout this stage will be full of errors, and their movements to be performed will lack fluency and inconsistent.
At this particular stage, the learner understands the basic skills and moves towards the process of refining the skills. They found few errors and could identify some of them on their own. During this stage, the performance of the learners are found to be consistent, and they get to know that what is appropriate and what is not. In this stage, the learner refines what is required to acquire the goal of the skill based on the situation. They also begin to acknowledge to diversify the responses for the open skills (Bobrownicki, MacPherson, Coleman, Collins & Sproule, 2015). For example, with the help of the gazette trackers, the goalkeepers give a response to the video footage of the penalty kicks without making a jump or dive that will help in saving a penalty kick. Another example Jens Lehman a German goalkeeper whose big cheat sheet directed him to know the position where there the players are most likely to kick and how much time he should wait before beginning the dive to save the penalty kick.
Cognitive (early) stage
This is the final or the last stage of learning, where the skills are learned well. Automatically the learner performs the skills without focusing on the operations. There are fewer errors, and the learners could identify them to make them appropriate. They could highly focus upon the other factors of the sports. The transition of the learners from learning the goal of the skill in correcting it, coaches could practice conditions and diversify instructions (Archer, Drysdale & Bradley, 2016). In the closed skills to match the conditions of the competition, it is important to practice the structure. Whereas. In open skills, the coach should vary the conditions systematically as per the skill is learned and performed for the preparation for the competition. For example, the best goalkeeper will be able to recognize the holdings of a shot for the opponent team for a long period. This helps the goalkeeper to analyze the incoming ball and respond appropriately.
Information processing concentrates on how the body and the brain deal with the excess amount of information that is received at the time of performance of the skills. It is particularly related to the motor and the movement skills. Welford’s model presents the fact that the response will generate various changes in the display (Hargie, 2018). This particular model utilizes the concept of attention, perception, and memory. All these concepts play a significant role in systematically developing the learning process.
The Welford’s information processing model demonstrates the process of learning that is because of effectors and the effector control, long-term memory, decision making, short-term memory, perception, and sensory input.
At the stage of sensory input, the brain describes the source of information around the goalkeeper that possess different stimuli’s. This could be done by viewing the information using the visual senses, or it could be provided to the goalkeeper in the form of auditory senses or proprioceptors.
At the stage of perception, the information is just being received by the goalkeeper from the senses, and the brain is putting efforts to convert that information in a relevant form that is perfect for the goalkeeper to eliminate the inappropriate information (Steelman, McCarley & Wickens, 2017). After this process, the relevant information is transferred to the short-term memory that helps the goalkeeper to save the penalty kick.
At the stage of short-term memory, every information filtered out by the perception is stored briefly in the short term memory. Here the goalkeeper could distinguish the information with its earlier experiences of the skill that is stored in the long-term memory. This comparison will guide the goalkeeper by providing various methods to save the penalty kick. Thus, storing the information in the short-term memory plays a significant role in saving the penalty kick.
At the stage of decision making based on the information, the motor cortex will generate a motor plan that has been gathered by the goalkeeper from the long-term and short-term memory. After the completion of this process, the motor plan is being saved in the long-term memory (Kievit, Davis, Griffiths, Correia & Henson, 2016). Storing the information in the long-term memory supports the goalkeeper to learn new processes and make appropriate decisions to save the penalty kick. To determine a relevant action is to be taken to catch the ball it recalls the previous experiences that are held in the long-term memory.
Associative (intermediate) stage
At the stage of the effector control stage, the motor plan that is created by the motor cortex is transferred to the required muscles of the goalkeeper. The signals will be transferred to the muscles in the goalkeeper’s hands and legs (Schroots, 2018). For example a catching a ball that is coming towards the goalkeeper. Hence, the signals that are sent to the muscles will help the goalkeeper to catch the ball that is coming towards him to save the penalty kick.
The last stage is the stage of effector, and during this particular stage, a signal to contract is sent to the muscles of the goalkeeper to produce a specific action that is relevant. This signal to a contract will guide the goalkeeper to focus towards the ball coming towards him and catch it to save a penalty kick. To do this, it is important for the goalkeeper to stay calm and focus towards achieving the target (Cohen & Quinlan, 2016).All the stages discussed above will highly help the goalkeeper in processing the incoming message and produce an effective response to save a penalty kick.
Conclusion
The paper concludes by describing the Fitts and Posner’s model three stages of learning and the Welford’s model of information processing theory that guides the goalkeeper to save the penalty kick. It different stages of both the models along with the examples are discussed that guides the learner and the goalkeeper to catch the ball that will help in saving the penalty kick. It is observed that Fitts and Posner’s model three stages of learning are an initial stage of the learning process that is important for the learner. Whereas, the Welford’s model of information processing theory provides with the signals that are sent to the brain to get the incoming message to take the proper action.
References
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