The Effect of Blocked and Random Practices in Motor Skills Retention
1. Effect of Random Practice on Long term Skill Retention
There are very many kinds of activities which require motor skills for their efficient and successful delivery. These kinds of skills are typing, playing the piano and gymnastic skills since the skills required in them can stick for along time in the memory of the participant (Annett, 1979).In this regard there are very many worries which come along with the skill retention since it is very difficult to know the kind of skill which can stick permanently in the memory of the learner and which can be eroded easily (Ban and Riccucci, 1999). The misunderstanding of the information of the motor skill which can be stored is very essential in the study of the manner in which motor skills are mechanized (Annett, 1979). These skills can be applied by almost all mammals but more so human beings and other primates have the ability to get complex motor skills. All of the studies are about the subject matter is done on the unit of humanity although other animals can also give valid results on the ability to hold motor skill for long in the memory.
The most common form of learning used to improve the performance in physical activities is the random and block practices. They are very important in the development of good skeletal muscles and responsible for the alteration of the composition of the body to enhance the overall body fitness. The kind of exercise which is chronic in nature produces a lot of muscular strength which corresponds to different variety of neurological capabilities to enhance the functionality of the body. The biological advantage of random practice is that it countermeasure any malfunctions of muscles during the performance of a physical task. The kind of learning is also responsible for the creation of healthy skeletal and metabolic body development hence prevents neuromuscular diseases. The persistent injuries are also avoided by the practices since it supports the proper development of strong born and muscles.
Factors that influence gains in strengths are categorized according to the kind of exercise done by the participant. The training contributors that influence increase in strength are nature of the exercise done, the amount of sets completed and duration of resting period. The intensity and sequence of the task is also very important in the achievement of strong strength when properly done during the exercise. Many morphological factors are also there to boost the strength of individual doing the exercise and they includes the enlargement of the muscle cross sectional cover which comes from the rise in size and number of myofibrillar in the body. It also helps in the alteration of the type of the fiber and nature of myofilament strength and activation of satellite cells.
The neurological features are relevant changes that support coordination and practicing that helps in the development of the muscles during the performance of a given activity aimed at increasing strength. The adaptation which results from neural are more powerful in the early stage of strength development since it influences earlier changes (Henderson, 2004). The adaptation of neural comprise of the rise in the unit of motor, enhancement in the rate of firing, variation in the neuromuscular joints and deactivation of the antagonist strength muscles. The important information of these major changes is kept in the motor facilities and therefore the factors which influence the high motor learning should generate more strength in the body.
2. Importance of the Study
It is very fundamental to study this area to determine the effect of random practices in the body so that the most effective exercise is adopted for the development of strength and generation of skills. The study is also carried out to ascertain the effect of physical exercise in the body of students participating in the physical activities such as sports and athletics.
3. Blocked and Random Practices
Blocked practice is a type of motor learning where all the activities are done continuously without interruption by another activity. In this practice there is no completion of two or more task in each trial of the game. The practice requires the player to complete one set of the practice before moving to another one complete the practice of leg extension before moving on to the practice of hamstring game. This is a requirement which must be completed to successfully involve in the blocked practice without passing even a single sequence.
Random practice is a motor training which accepts the interruption of the task by another activity in one single trial. It allows for the performance of two or more tasks to be completed randomly without following the order of each trial. In these exercise there is possibility of interchanging tasks within the trial where a set can be alternated successfully without interference with another activity. The example above can be used to demonstrate random set where one leg extension can be interchanged with one hamstring practice and all the set will be completed successfully. The orders of the activities are then repeated for another sequence of set to get the result which was aimed at. The performance of random practice is more advanced than that one of the blocked practice in the acquisition of skills such as in handwriting and volleyball skills.
4. Contextual Interference
There variation which exists between blocked and random practice is only the number of interruptions which occurs during the performance of the task in which the practical skills is evaluated. The kind of skill which is being tested is called contextual interference (IC) which states that proper facilitation of alternative task demands is improved by inner alteration of tasks of the interference (Doyon ,1997). The spread of learning a single motor activity to other different motor activities during the practice is called intertask facilitation and the disruption which is experienced during the practice to maintain very many materials in the active memory and at the same time is called intratask interference. In the beginning of the practice CI generated loses its functionality of performance but can increase the effectiveness of learning during the practice. Another difference is that blocked practice seems to have very low quantity of CI than that of random practice and therefore blocked practice is only very effective in the initial stage of learning but becomes less effective in learning exercise which takes a very long period of time. The decrement tendency of the random practice in performance supports the learning exercise and the ascertainment of task within the trial.
5. Hypothesis
Amore vigorous training has a great impact on the way the skills are attained by the learner in both random and blocked exercise in comparison with those in the bench press. This is tested by the continuous IRM test (Doya and Harner, 2000). The test is conducted after the RET program to obtain accurate result
The group in the random practice is highly expected to physically indicate higher ascertainment of more learning skills than those in the blocked group found on the bench during the study. The result is examined by the smooth flowing checklist within a specific number of hours but it could be after or during the RET practice. There is high expectation that the people in the random group to have limited number of errors as compared to those in the blocked class.
It is expected that those in the random class will have added opportunity to acquire more energy as compare with those in the blocked group. The result is tested by the IRM during the RET test or after the test.
Both the groups from each category will achieve increased performance results when they are in the dart game than those in the moderated group. It is also projected that those in the random practice will perform better than those in the blocked during the RET period.
6 .Outlines of Studies Made
The studies which are made include dart throwing and resistance training to examine the result of the blocked and random practices.
a) Dart Throwing
The participants from both the blocked and random group are allowed to participate in the dart throwing where they were given equal number of chances in each session (Bailey, 2004). There were 4 sessions where one dart was to be thrown after 15 minutes. This time was allocated because Bp wanted more time than the Random practice to complete their darts and do necessary preparation for the bench press. Resting periods were standardized between each experiment of blocked and random since blocked group did not have the chance to change four times like the random practice.
b) IRM test
Those who take part in the experiment were given the opportunity to warm up before starting the exercise. The warm up time was only five minutes. The allocated time was consumed when the participants were allowed to do some stretching exercises and bicycle pedaling. The experiment begins immediately after 5 minutes where all the participants were to lift an object with maximum weight at the same time but once. The resting duration was 3 minutes before moving to the second lifting. The size and weight of the lift is increased subsequently upon completion of each lifting attempt until all the participants failed to lift the object.
7. Future Research
The coming future experiment demands the researcher to repeat the steps followed during the RET program but to ensure that the participants are those who have thorough training than those used before. They must have versed knowledge in RET program but must not be in the program within the last six months on the period. Therefore the knowledge of the participant is a key factor in the experiment of the blocked and the random practice since it is the indicator that learning has taken place in the study (Arthur and McNelly 1998). It is noted that well trained individuals will automatically be skilled than those hastily taught when are in the bench press. The strength is also a factor to consider since well trained people like athletes have more strength than those with poor training and therefore performs poorly in the physical competition. It is therefore, necessary to use well trained participants in the study to distinctly indicate the difference between the two practices of learning. The older research tools like (MCC) is also limited to give the difference in the learning techniques because the participants have been engaged in the earlier exercises included in the checklist. The result may have been obtained by the students using EMG .The students who have been recreationally taught but have no knowledge of the methods used in the study would be very important to make the study successful. They would have the opportunity to hold a different kind of skills in the bench which could not be found in the participants who were not trained properly but still have the chance to show the effect of training in the checklist used for experiment. These participants, therefore still have the ability to indicate rise in strength because of the impact of neural behavior as conditioned by the training of the student.
8. Classification of Skills (Gentile's model)
Gentile’s Model
The model highlights how difference in opinion affects the inner feelings of the other if not properly handled. Accepting the opinion of another person and copping with the view of others is also a very a hard task and therefore there are more conflicts in the World. These problems are being influenced by factors of race, lifestyle, culture and religion. The marginal thought about these issues in the organization, the individual anxiety rises beyond normal on the possibility of reducing them (Hall and Cavazos, 1994). In the work place, it is very necessary to address the issue of diversity which can harmonize all manners of differences in the work place. It therefore makes the conflicting issues in the organization to be treated as an asset but not a mere scene. The model emphasizes on the behavior that result from reasoning and cognitive actions which can be done when handling diversity problems in the organization. The model also provides the details on how diversity can be ascertained harmoniously by the individual and the organization. The details indicate how to measure, implement and approach diversity in the work place.
The methods used to make sense is integrated with very many conceptualize different procedures so that diversity can be practiced easily within the work place. The ability to make sense is a process which is socially and behaviorally natured at varied stages of consciousness and therefore it is activated at the time of handling uncertainty originating from urgent matter. Such situations occur when the organization is forcing diversity program in to the normal operations of the business. The ability to sense the problems which creates differences in the work place influence the formation of diversity programs organized to provide more information on the different peoples background, educate them on the possible techniques of solving conflicts in the work place (Shea and Morgan, 1979). The model indicates that the higher the level of differences amongst us, the higher the ability to understand the circumstances which cause them thereby coming up with stereotypes aimed to oppress the other opponent. The diversity is promoted when employees in the work place have the ability to accept opinion of others to excel, ready to follow instructions of others and cope with the prevailing style in the organization.
a) Parts of Gentile’s Model
The model is divided into three different parts which helps it to function normally. The model has six collection of observation that is used to focus on the manner in which the individual person understands their conflicts (Cox, 1998). It also has four subsequent lenses for detecting the responses of the firm to the problems of diversity. There is also a metallic instrument for the identification the presence of cognitive strategies or the manner in which the people think and do things when affected by the diversity issues.
b) The Observations
They are responsible for the provision of the equipments that enhance understanding the discussion in the firm regarding diversity (Schmidt and Lee, 1999). The equipment also provides the avenues for absorbing the conduct of every body in the firm which can be described but not judged. It has the opportunity to add more meaning to learning where it influence people to have strong interest to get more knowledge on the means of solving their differences.
c) Examples of Real Life Skills
The real life skill which is associated to the classification of system model is diversity .The diversity is defined as a set of all the difference of people and their relationship towards a give direction. It is a skill which is very important in the work place because it helps managers create a favorable environment for employees (Shepherd, 1987). The skill helps each and every employee to realize his ability in the process of handling common objective of the work place. The skill is developed when the organization innovate methods which suppress racism, ethnicity, age and tribalism which increases work place differences. Therefore the employees with the skill of diversity will be able to work harmoniously in all set of environment while enjoying full potential of their work.
9. Conclusion
The effect of block and random practices are very important in the learning of physical activities such as gym, athletics and other form of activity which needs a lot of strength. These practices make the participants to have a lot of strength and skills which are permanent in their memory. The practice of random is found to be very effective than the blocked practice since it has the capability of generating along term energy than the blocked one. It is therefore follows that those taking part in those activities must adopt the random practice since it can help them develop strong bones and muscles which are very important in those activities. The practices also have the ability to prevent the student from getting common injuries which are associated to the games.
