Unit 1:

Motor Learning
Definition and
Assessment
KIN 322

Magill & Anderson (2021)

 Stability vs
Questions Adaptability
from last
day Graphs- improvement
vs consistency vs
persistence
Magill & Anderson (2021)

Learning
Definition and 1. Understand the difference between performance and
learning
Assessment: 2. Know five general performance characteristics of skill
Learning 3.
learning
Identify how and when to assess learning with
objectives performance curves and learning tests
4. Recognize situations when performance may not
represent learning
How to Assess Motor
Learning
1. Performance in Practice
• Performance Curves- performance changes over time
• Coordination Dynamics- developing new temporal
(time) and spatial patterns
• Creating a new pattern from an old pattern vs
learning something new
2. Learning Tests
• Retention Tests
• Transfer Tests
 Performance Curves
for Kinematic Data
• Common to show average
performance for a block of trials
• Compare performance to
criterion (top)
• Improvement: Similarity of
tracing in final block of trials
compared to criterion
• Consistency: decreased SD from
first to last block of trials
 Goal shape

Assessing learning from

coordination dynamics 1 2
Day 1

•What is the best comparison to

4
show: 3

•Consistency
•Improvement 5 6 Day 2

7 8
Day 3

Magill & Anderson (2021)

Figure 11.4
 Improvement

Six General Consistency

Performance Stability
Characteristics
Persistence
of Skill
Learning Adaptability

Reduced Attention Demand

How to Assess Motor
Learning
1. Performance in Practice
• Performance Curves- performance changes over time
• Coordination Dynamics- developing new temporal
(time) and spatial patterns
• Creating a new pattern from an old pattern vs
learning something new

2. Learning Tests
• Retention Tests
• Transfer Tests
Assessing learning with a Learning tests

Compare to performance on
1st day (baseline)
Demonstrates amount of
performance improvement
Ovals
Compare to most recent
performance attempt
Demonstrates persistence
(retention test) OR adaptability
(transfer test) of performance
improvement Square Magill & Anderson (2021)
Magill & Anderson (2021)

Assessing Learning from Retention Tests

• Purpose: Assess permanance of the performance level achieved

during practice
• Retention tests assess the persistence of improved performance
• Make an inference about how much you have learned based on
your performance on the test
Assessing Learning from Retention Tests

• Tests performance of the same skill following a period of not

performing that skill
• Amount of time between end of practice and performance is
arbitrary and is called the “Retention Interval”
• 24 hours is recommended minimum
• Long enough that the effect of performance variables will dissipate
• If the difference between the two trials (first practice day and
test day) is significant, then you can be confident that learning
has occurred
Magill & Anderson (2021)

Assessing Learning from Transfer Tests

• Transfer tests assess the _adaptability________of performance

• Test can involve:
• Performing the practiced skill in a performance context or situation different from
practice
• Provide a novel situation to assess learning:
1. Context Variations
2. Skill Variations
Assessing Learning
from Transfer Tests

Novel Context Characteristics:

• Availability of __Augmented Feedback____: Game vs practice, test vs lecture
• Physical Environment: Especially effective for a learning situation in which the
goal is to enable the person to perform in locations other than those in which
they practiced
• Rehab setting to home setting
• Golf dome- golf course
• Batting cage- pitcher
• Personal Characteristics of the Test Taker
• How well a person can perform the skill while adapting to characteristics of
himself/herself/theirself that were not present during practice
• Stress
• Anxiety
 Assessing Learning
from Transfer Tests
Novel Skill Variations
• Does the learning transfer from one variation of
the skill to another
• Ie) Change in speed of walking
• Ie) Change the KIND of cup used to drink from
• Ie) Passing a ball vs a puck
• Ie) Pirouette turned out vs parallel
 1: Performance Tests
Ways to • Performance Curves
Assess • Coordination Dynamics
Learning- 2: Learning Tests
Recap • Retention Tests
• Transfer Tests
Magill & Anderson (2021)

Motor
1. Understand the difference between
Learning performance and learning
Definition and 2. Know five general performance
Assessment: characteristics of skill learning
Learning 3. Identify how and when to assess
learning with performance curves and
objectives learning tests
4. Recognize situations when
performance may not represent
learning
Magill & Anderson (2021)

Caution: Interpreting performance curves

1. Performance is measured, not capability

2. Performance Plateaus- Group averages are not
sensitive to individual differences in performance
• Ceiling and floor effects limit the sensitivity of a
measurement to detect further improvements
• Scoring criteria may change performance outcome
 • Practice may involve a

Magill & Anderson (2021)

___performance variable______
which may enhance or impair
1. performance
Performanc • Learning tests can control for
e is performance variables
• Retention tests overcome this
measured, problem by evaluating
not persistence of learning
• Transfer tests overcome this
capability problem by evaluating
adaptability to novel
situations
Practice performance may misrepresent learning
(Winstein et al., 1996)

• Purpose:
• Compare the effects of practicing with different
types of feedback for learning the skill of partial
weight bearing
• Participants:
• 60 healthy young adults

Magill & Anderson (2021)

Practice performance may misrepresent learning

• Protocol:
• Task: place 30% BW on a scale
• Groups:
1. Concurrent feedback [CF]
2. Terminal feedback: Knowledge of results (KR) after every trial [KR-1]
3. Terminal feedback: KR after five trials [KR-5]
• Practice 80 times in one day
• Retention test (average of 20 trials) two days later with no
knowledge of results
• Measurement: % normalized absolute error
Magill & Anderson (2021)
Practice Performance May Misrepresent
Learning
Practice performance may misrepresent learning

• Conclusions:
• Concurrent feedback was beneficial for immediate
performance improvements but not for learning
• Implications:
• Practice performance may misrepresent learning

Magill & Anderson (2021)

Practice performance may misrepresent learning

1. How should you

assess learning?
2. When should you
assess learning?

Figure
Magill 3 from
& Anderson Winstein
(2021) et al., (1996)
 Performance plateaus
• A period of time in which there is no
improvement, but then experiences
improvement with continued practice
2. Group • Seen in individual data during practice

averages are • Possible causes:

1. Cessation of learning

not sensitive 2. A temporary performance artefact

to individual
differences in
performance
Magill & Anderson (2021)

2. Group averages not sensitive to differences in

performance (Plateaus)

Performance artefacts causing plateaus

1. Transition between two phases of learning
• Developing a new strategy needed to improve
2. Personal Factors: Period of low motivation, fatigue,
lack of attention, etc.
3. Limitation of performance measurement
• Floor/Ceiling Effects
3. Ceiling and floor effects limit ability to detect
improvements
• Floor effect = task is too DIFFICULT

Time on target (s)

ceiling
Trials

• Ceiling effect = task is too EASY

Time on target (s)

Magill & Anderson (2021)
Magill & Anderson (2021)

Motor
Learning
Definition and 1. Understand the difference between performance and
learning
Assessment: 2. Know five general performance characteristics of skill
learning
Learning 3. Identify how and when to assess learning with
objectives 4.
performance curves and learning tests
Recognize situations when performance may not
represent learning