Higher

Skills and Techniques

In this area we will look at concepts surrounding skills and skilled performance. The analysis of skill and the development of skill.

WHAT IS A SKILL?

“ …a movement with a purpose…”

Skills can be categorised by a number of features and due to their nature can be difficult to identify an exact classification. However, all skills can be placed on the following continuums -

Simple and Complex Skills

SIMPLE (Chest pass) COMPLEX (Tumble turn)

This describes the number of subroutines within certain skills – if there is 1 movement they are ‘simple’ and if the skill requires a series of linked movements they are described as ‘complex’.

Simple and Complex Skills

Try and think of as many simple and complex skills as you can. Place them under the headings:

Simple Complex

Open and Closed Skills

OPEN (Rugby tackle) CLOSED (Headstand)

Unpredictable Predictable

This describes the movement patterns – if they are always identical its is a ‘closed skill’. If they change due to the nature of

performance they are ‘open skills’

Write 2 headings in your jotter like this:

Closed Skills Open Skills

Now decide which skills below under which heading…Hockey dribble

Smash in Badminton

Pass in RugbyForward Roll

Handstand Rugby Scrum

Dive in SwimmingHigh Jump

Tennis ServePutt in Golf

Drive in Golf

DISCRETE (Forward roll) SERIAL

(Running)

This describes how easily you can identify a ‘start’ and ‘finishing’ point in a given skill.

What is a Technique?

“ …the way in which a skill is performed or executed…”

Technique describes the way in which a skill is performed, it is descriptive and gives more information on the performance.

The following table gives examples of skills and techniques:

Fill in the blanksSkill Technique

Pass (rugby)

Front Crawl, Back crawl, Butterfly, Breast stroke

Tackle (hockey) Jab, Block, Stick

Lay-up, Set, Jump

Low, High

Answers:

Skill Technique

Pass (rugby) Spin pass / Reverse pass / Pendulum pass

Swimming Front Crawl, Back crawl, Butterfly, Breast stroke

Tackle (hockey) Jab, Block, Stick

Shooting (basketball) Lay-up, Set, Jump

Serve (badminton) Low, High

Badminton skills and techniques

Information processing

Understanding how a skilled performance can be used to develop performance e.g.;

Ability to select the correct options to cope with various performance demands.

One way of doing this is called the ‘information processing model’

Information Processing

The information processing model has four parts that are linked together in a loop.

‘Learning Loop’

Homework – due 28/8/12

www.ohspess.wikispaces.com Higher 2010 paper. Q5 part a) Explain what you understand about the

following: Information Processing Model Skill Classification 6 marks.