Guidance

Guidance

Introduction

  • Guidance refers to the strategies employed to help an individual learn or refine a skill.
  • It’s vital in both the cognitive (understanding) and associative (practising) stage of learning.
  • There are four main types: verbal, visual, manual, and mechanical.

Verbal Guidance

  • Verbal guidance includes spoken or written instructions to lead the performer in undertaking the skill.
  • It is useful for presenting basic, simple strategies and rules, but may be less useful when trying to describe complex motor skills.
  • Verbal guidance should be clear, precise, concise, and appropriate to the individual’s cognitive level.

Visual Guidance

  • Visual guidance involves demonstrating the skill so learners can model what they see.
  • Formats include live demonstrations or prerecorded media. Think slow-motion replays of sporting technique.
  • Works well when coupled with verbal guidance, because what can’t be easily explained through words can often be clarified through watching the action.

Manual Guidance

  • Manual guidance involves physically moving the performer through the skill.
  • Often possible in sports like gymnastics or dance, it provides a safe environment to try new skills.
  • Effective for gaining a feel of the movements, but overuse can lead to over-reliance.

Mechanical Guidance

  • Mechanical guidance uses aids or apparatus to guide the performer in executing the skill.
  • Examples are using a harness in trapeze activities, or floats in swimming training.
  • Great for decreasing fear, increasing confidence, and developing the ‘feel’ of a movement, but just like manual guidance, there could be over-reliance issues.

Choosing the Appropriate Guidance

  • It’s important to match the type of guidance to the learner and the skill for effective learning.
  • Beginners benefit from high levels of guidance, with emphasis on visual, manual, and mechanical, but as they gain proficiency, revert to less intrusive forms of guidance like verbal tips.
  • Complex skills often require a combination of guidance methods.

The Role of the Cognitive Level of the Learner

  • The learner’s cognitive level determines how the guidance will be received.
  • Cognitive learners (early stage) require emphasis on understanding the skill, associative learners (mid-level) need to practise the movements, and autonomous performers (proficient) need minor refinements.
  • The right guidance can expedite progression through the stages of learning from cognitive to autonomous.