Understanding Motor Skills Development and Program Planning

Posted on Dec 7, 2024 in Other subjects

Understanding Motor Skills: Running Development

  • The Race: Running is essentially fast walking, distinguished by a flight phase. It depends on three factors:
    • Strength
    • Coordination
    • Balance

Factors Influencing Running

  • Fixed Factors
  • Variable Factors (intelligent opposition)

The Level of Risk

  • Physical Risk: High / Low (pedagogical progression)
  • Sports Risk: High / Low

The Sequencing of Decisions

This depends on the purpose of the task and the rules governing it.

  • Order of Fixed Motor Sequence
  • Order of Variable Motor Sequence

The Number of Elements to Remember

  • Few Items
  • Many Items

Learning a Motor Task: Two Phases

Gesell states that running begins at 18 months.

  • 18-20 Months: The race is accidental.
  • 5 Years: The race gains momentum.
  • 8 Years: The first significant improvement in coordination occurs.
  • 12-15 Years: The second significant improvement occurs due to increased strength.

Developmental Milestones Leading to Running

  • Trunk slightly forward.
  • Head straight, looking straight ahead.
  • Arm swing in the sagittal plane, synchronous with the legs.
  • One leg drives while the other recovers.
  • Knees are raised to hip level.
  • The stride is more relaxed.
  • Control of the stroke, changes of direction, and pace are achieved.

Clarification of Concepts: Planning and Programming

According to the Dictionary of the Spanish Language, there can be ambiguity in these terms.

  • Planning: The action and effect of planning; a scientifically organized plan, often of great scope, to achieve a given target.
  • Planning: To plan or propose an action; to submit to planning.
  • Plan: An intention, a project structure.
  • Project: The design or intention of executing something; the first scheme or plan of any work, sometimes tested before its final form.
  • Project: To design, launch, or propose a plan and the means to implement something.
  • Programming: The action and effect of programming.
  • Programming: To design and manage the actions required to complete a project.
  • Program: An ordered set of actions necessary to carry out a project.

The Planning Process

A rational, organized, and hierarchical management on a large scale.

Draft, Plan, Program

  • Plan (long term, 2+ years):
    • Sets overall objectives.
    • Establishes priorities, criteria, and strategies.
    • Determines resource requirements and budget estimates.
    • Integrates a set of projects simultaneously and successively.
  • Project (medium-term, 1-2 years):
    • Sets specific objectives.
    • Determines priorities for action.
    • Defines and orders resources.
    • Integrates a set of programs simultaneously and successively.
  • Program (short term, up to 1 year):
    • Sets operational training objectives (courses and examinations).
    • Determines implementation processes, actions, tasks, and their scheduling.
    • Specifies the use of resources.
    • Prepares detailed budgets of expenditure and income.

Phases of Programming

Evaluation → Design → Development

Evaluation

  • Constant throughout the process.
  • Controls the practice, results, and impact of the set.
  • Controls the practice, results, and effects of each level (plan, project, and program).

Design

In this first phase, it is necessary to develop the research: clearly define the objectives to be achieved, and based on them, the job contents, their organization and timing, the methodology used, as well as anticipate and prepare the necessary resources to perform the proposed activities. Equally, we must not forget to design the evaluation of the process.

Development

This is the implementation of the design. During its implementation, unexpected events or forecast errors may occur, so there must be elements of correction. Therefore, there must be some flexibility in scheduling.

Assessment

This must have a continuous nature, that is, it attempts to identify, measure, or evaluate whether the process followed and the results are being or have been what we had set. It will be useful for possible changes, either in the design of the program, in its implementation, or in designing new or future programs.

Concept and Structure of an Educational Unit

A teaching unit represents a complete teaching-learning/animation process. Its structure includes the following elements:

  • Title of the Teaching Unit
  • Objectives (learning and operational)
  • Content (concepts, procedures, and attitudes)
  • Timing (sequencing and organization of content)
  • Methodology (didactic intervention: techniques, styles, strategies, etc.)
  • Teaching resources (facilities, materials, etc.)
  • Activities

Classification of Objectives

There are a number of classifications and types of targets. According to their level of detail, we have:

General Goals (Plans)

They usually come from institutions or private companies and are formulated for long-term achievement. Their features are:

  • No specifics, but generalities.
    • Require comprehensive approaches for meeting a stepwise progression.
    • Can reach several areas.

Specific or Implicit Objectives (Project)

These are also usually marked previously and are expected to be achieved in the medium term. Their features are:

  • Represent a second level of specificity.
    • Determine more specific thematic content.
    • Although they admit several interpretations.
    • Are not directly observable (not equivalent to an observable behavior).
    • Serve as a framework for further programming (from which programs and teaching units arise).

Program Goals and Educational Objectives (Programs)

These are the task of the teacher, instructor, or facilitator who makes the program. They are expected to be met in the short term. Their features are:

  • Represent a third level of specificity.