Introduction
The skill that has been chosen for this 4-week motor learning intervention is juggling. It can be defined as an activity that involves throwing and catching several objects. The objects can vary in shape, weight, and size; however, in most cases, they are similar, have a spherical shape, and a size that fits in an adult person’s hand. Juggling is generally considered to be a fine motor skill because it involves a small group of muscles in the human body and precise hand movements (Zago et al., 2017). Nevertheless, the activity still recruits large muscle groups in the rest of the body, as the latter is used for stabilization and balance. Other aspects and abilities developed by this skill are rhythm, timing, and coordination (Wang, 2021). The learners’ goals and reasons for acquiring this skill can therefore vary based on the ability they want to develop or improve. The purpose of this study is to specifically explore whether a 4-week motor learning intervention would allow increasing kinematic juggling action. In turn, the hypothesis states that rhythm, timing, and coordination would enhance after the proposed intervention and retention interval.
Methods
Data Collection
This section will present the methods of data collection that were used in the given project and the overview of the proposed motor learning development. Data collection methods were applied at different stages of the intervention. Prior to engaging in the motor skill activities, a literature review was conducted to determine the general goals of juggling as a skill, its features, as well as advantages and disadvantages identified by scholars. Observation was then used as a data collection method at several stages of the intervention, when the practice videos were analyzed to identify the errors that occurred and their frequency (Zhang et al., 2020). The specific areas for improvement were also determined with the use of observation as the basic data collection method.
Learner’s Descriptive Data
The author of the proposed intervention also acted as the main learner of the motor skill developed. The descriptive data therefore includes height (___), mass (___), and age (___). In addition, it should be noted that the learner had not had any previous experience or practice that involved juggling, and the activities involved in this 4-week massed practice motor learning intervention was new to them. However, most activities were done according to the schedule developed in advance, and there were no delays or changes on the account of the learner.
Overview of the Intervention
Practice Design and Strategies Used
The process and the goals of developing a specific skill define what kind of practice will be used to do it. The practice design used for this intervention involved 4 stages, with each stage supposed to be completed in one week. The practice design used was massed practice, which can be defined as a process of working on a skill without breaks (Ragazou & Karasavvidis, 2021). There are certain advantages and disadvantages involved in using this particular design. On the one hand, it allows reinforcing the skill through repetition, which has been considered an extremely helpful way to form neural connections and therefore learn new material and skills effectively (Malik et al., 2022). Moreover, massed practice allows targeting a specific aspect of the skill and improving it in a simplified manner that requires less time (Potdevin et al., 2018). In addition, this strategy helps learners to gain a more profound understanding of the skill and the impact it can have on their mind and body (Kamaruddin et al., 2019). All of the mentioned advantages were observed after the proposed intervention, as the learner has experienced an increased sense of control and mastery of the skill after introducing massed practice activities.
However, there are certain characteristics of the massed practice approach that can be considered as its disadvantages. First, repetitive actions can either seem tiring and monotonous to some or eventually become so if continued for a long period of time (Ragazou & Karasavvidis, 2021). As a result, learners can lose interest in the tasks and eventually stop making any effort to develop a habit. Furthermore, performing repetitive actions without breaks can become physically exhausting, leading to fatigue, discomfort, and negative associations related to the given activity (Ragazou & Karasavvidis, 2021). Finally, this practice design requires the learners to be able to stay concentrated and motivated for a certain period of time, which can be relatively long in some cases (Levac et al., 2019). Fortunately, none of these drawbacks were experienced by the learner during the current intervention, and they were able to remain focused and engaged in the activity.
In addition to the practice design, this intervention has also utilized a strategy of blocked practice. This can be defined as practicing a specific skill for a large number of times before deciding to move to another one (Kaipa & Mariam Kaipa, 2017). This strategy has been closely connected to the issue of practice scheduling, as this gradual and consecutive approach had to be implemented within the frameworks and time limitations set by a predetermined schedule (Kaipa & Mariam Kaipa, 2017). Fortunately, the time constraints were not rigid and allowed using this practice strategy to its full advantage. As a result, the learner was able to do the activities involved in the intervention in 4 main stages. The research conducted in preparation for the intervention has shown that juggling is a serial motor skill, which means that it consists of a series of actions or more specific skills (Bolger et al., 2020). In addition, juggling is considered to be a closed motor skill (Levac et al., 2019). In turn, this means that the person practicing it has full control of their actions at any given moment of performing this skill.
Intervention Stages
The intervention began at the cognitive stage, that focused on developing a basic understanding of the skill. This stage included activities such as watching YouTube videos on how to juggle and observing the separate stages of the performer’s practice (Martijn Verhoeven & Newell, 2018). Breaking this process in parts was an important step of the intervention, since it had been established that juggling is a serial motor skill and discrete skills involved in it had to be developed separately (Luz et al., 2022). In addition, the cognitive stage involved trying to juggle 2 balls and a video taken to evaluate the practice.
The second and third stages were referred to as the associative stages and focused on practicing the discrete skills that comprise juggling as an individual activity. In addition, the learner attempted to combine some of these skills to create short series of actions that comprised parts of the whole process. One of the discrete skills practiced at these stages was throwing the ball from one hand to another to be able to create a consistent arc (Luz et al., 2022). This practice was also videotaped and analyzed to identify areas for improvement.
The fourth and final phase of the intervention was the autonomous stage, meant to introduce automatic level and contextual constraints. The latter implied trying to perform the skill in conditions that could be distracting and limiting in some way (Luz et al., 2022). For instance, this stage involved practicing with three balls while trying to maintain a basic conversation. When the learner was able to repeat this activity more than five times, they started practicing with three different objects that had matching shapes. In turn, when this activity was developed to the desirable extent, the practice was completed. Finally, the learner practiced juggling with three objects that had different shape, weight, and size. While this proved to be the most challenging part of the practice, the learner managed to develop a sufficient skill to complete the practice.
Resources and Materials
The resources and materials used for this intervention were selected based on the need of the learner. For the participating leaner, illustrative explanation has proven to be the most efficient way to learn (Nyberg et al., 2021). The Internet was used as the main resource to find and study the literature on developing skills and materials on juggling in particular. YouTube videos were then used as the main resource to learn about and practice discrete skills that comprise the activity. The main materials present at all four stages of the intervention were the objects used for juggling. In the first three stages, these objects were silicone balls. At the final stage, when the objects had to be replaced, the learner practiced with beanbags, mandarins, and tennis balls. These materials were often changed to increase the difficulty and variation in size, weight, and shape. Therefore, all the objects and materials were easily accessible to the learner.
Structure of the Practice Environment
The structure of the practice environment changed several times during the intervention. This was done primarily to increase the difficulty of the practice by changing the circumstances and environmental conditions (Qiao, 2021). Thus, the first two stages were completed at home, as the learner used their laptop and other devices to connect to the Internet and watch YouTube videos about the practice. The room where the activity took place was spacious and light, so the learner could see the objects clearly when throwing and catching them. There was little furniture in the room, including one couch, a computer desk, a bookcase, and a chair. This room was selected to avoid losing the objects used for practice under the furniture, which, in turn, allowed preventing the learner from getting distracted if they dropped the object and had to find it. In addition to the room, the final two stages of the intervention used other locations, such as a backyard of the house and a busy street. This was required to increase the difficulty of the practice and evaluate the learner’s ability to perform the skill when subjected to distractions, such as noise and movements.
Modifications to Practice
There were several modifications made to the practice during this intervention. First, the concept of the blocked practice strategy was changed slightly because of the learner’s individual characteristics and abilities. While this strategy implies that one stage of the intervention has to be completed before moving to the next, the learner has not always followed this principle (Spampinato & Celnik, 2020). For example, as they mastered the activities of the first stage, they started practicing an activity that was a part of the second stage. Conversely, as they mastered the activities of the third stage, they sometimes felt a need to practice some of the activities from the previous stages. This was done to ensure that the activity can still be completed successfully with the desired number of repetitions. Although the learner has not followed the schedule strictly, this has not interfered with the practice.
Schedule of Practice and Assessments
Conclusion
The intervention discussed in this report has demonstrated that a skill can be developed in 4 weeks of massed practice. While there have been errors made at each stage of the intervention, the final result can be considered successful, as the learner managed to perform the activity for a sufficient number of repetitions. Therefore, it can be concluded that a 4-week motor learning intervention would allow increasing kinematic juggling action. After the proposed intervention and retention interval, the learner has also observed improvements in other skills that involved rhythm, timing, and coordination. Consequently, it can be suggested that these abilities have been enhanced as a result of the intervention, and that the hypothesis of the present report has been confirmed. Overall, the progress in the skill development is attributed to the fact that juggling is beneficial for brain function, increasing brain processing speed, which, in turn, has a positive effect on the learners’ ability to focus. The beneficial changes observed at the end of the intervention were present after several weeks without practice, and the skill itself persisted as well.
References
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