96 A look at research investigating the effects of assisted/guided movement on skill acquisition. Can experiencing the movement pattern of an elite athlete facilitate motor learning in a novice? Is it better to use assistance to reduce or augment errors? Download link Articles: Can Robots Help the Learning of Skilled Actions? Robot assistance of motor…

95 A look at how Bernstein’s famous phrase “repetition without repetition” revolutionized how we think about motor learning. And an introduction to a few extensions of Bernstein’s ideas including coordinative structures and the uncontrolled manifold hypothesis. Download link Articles: Dexterity and Its Development The Bernstein perspective: II. The concept of muscle linkage or coordinative structure…

94 A look at Bernstein’s theory of freezing/freeing degrees of freedom during skill acquisition and some research which has tested these ideas. Download link Articles: Dexterity and Its Development Free(z)ing Degrees of Freedom in Skill Acquisition Conscious Control Is Associated With Freezing of Mechanical Degrees of Freedom During Motor Learning Throwing Skills: Analysis of Movement…

93 The first episode in a series looking at the contributions of Nikolai Bernstein to our understanding of motor control and motor learning. What were Bernstein’s “problems? Is finding solutions to these problems really what effective coaching is all about? Download link Articles/Books: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nikolai_Bernstein Dexterity and Its Development The Bernstein perspective: I. The problems of…

92 A look at the Differential Learning approach to skill acquisition. Is maximizing movement variability by preventing repetition and correction the optimal way to design practice? How does this differ from the Constraints-Led Approach? Download link Articles: The Nonlinear Nature of Learning – A Differential Learning Approach Time scales of adaptive behavior and motor learning…

91 A look at some recent research examining contextual interference, blocked vs random and variable vs constant practice. How should coaches put these concepts into practice? Download link Articles: Quantifying Contextual Interference and Its Effect on Skill Transfer in Skilled Youth Tennis Players Effects of practice schedule and task specificity on the adaptive process of…

90 A discussion with Leah Robinson, Associate Professor of Movement Science from the University of Michigan. Topics include the importance of fundamental movement skills, how these skills should be measured, perceived motor competence and interventions for promoting movement in young children. Download link More information about my guest: http://www.kines.umich.edu/directory/faculty/leah-robinson http://www.cmahlab.com/ http://twitter.com/LERobinsonPhD More information: Subscribe in…

89 Looking at research that has evaluated the Constraints-Led Approach (CLA) to coaching. How effective is this approach? What effects do changing constraints actually have on performance? How does the CLA comparing to other more traditional coaching methods? Download link Articles: Scaling the Equipment and Play Area in Children’s Sport to improve Motor Skill Acquisition:…

88 What processes are involved when movement coordination is self-organized around constraints? How does the performer take into account their own action capabilities? What is the best way to design practice according to these ideas? A look at behavioral and ecological dynamics. Download link Articles: The Dynamics of Perception and Action An Ecological Dynamics Approach…

87 The first in a 3 part series on The Constraints-Led Approach to Coaching. What exactly are constraints? What are some common misconceptions about them? Why is understanding the theory behind them critical for using them effectively? Download link Articles: Constraints on the development of coordination Change of Direction and Agility Tests: Challenging Our Current…