Using Cognitive and Other Learning Theories to Understand Swimming - Literature review Example

Swimming Using Cognitive and Other Learning Theories to Understand Swimming Learning how to swim is a process whose benefits are unlimited but is very complicated and requires a great amount of attention & dedication on behalf of the student and the swimming instructor. Here, we will elaborate how with the utilize of learning theories to elaborate what are the theories and procedures involved in learning swimming, and how it comprehends the learners and the swimming instructors. The use of cognitive learning theory will be compared approaches alternative to it like, Humanism, Social Learning Theory and Behaviorism as which of the following learning theories is the best for the desired learning task. Before the elaboration of these learning theories it is important to comprehend, exactly what is involved in learning swimming & also comprehending what is the learning theory is all about. Learning how to swim involves, the following basic steps, which are essential for everyone who wants to learn, how to swim, Warm up your Body. Get into the water make sure it’s not too deep. Grab onto the side of the pool and let your legs float out behind you. Turn around so you are facing the open water and slightly jump off the ground and bring your right arm in front of you, cup your hand and push your arm through the water until its at your side. Repeat the process with your other arm immediately after you’re done with your hand. At the same time, kick with your feet. These are the basic step involved in swimming. The most common way to learn swimming is by an instructor who guides the learner through step by step process. Although swimming can be learnt through watching videos online or by reading books like An Idiot’s Guide to swimming but, learning in this way is highly discouraged as it does lead to proficiency in becoming a good swimmer. Learning swimming entails the need to have necessary skills and knowledge in which the learner acquires expertise as he progresses further. To learn swimming requires at least 3 of classes a week for a minimum of 3 months for a learner to fully comprehend the concept of swimming. But it depends on the leaner as how quickly he grasps those concepts, he can become a proficient swimmer in just those 3 months or cannot even become a an average swimmer in 3 years.. Because of the reasons such as convolution of the swimming process, the time and the exertion entailed, cognitive theory, with it’s “focus on internal mental processes and how learners manipulate information learning’ (Krause, Bochner & Duchesne, 2006, Page 159) is an appropriate theory to assist in understanding what is involved. Cognition Theory is applicable to all of the above mentioned aspects of swimming, keeping in view that the theory of cognition learning, varies with triumph and relevance. Swimming mainly consists of combination of proper breathing combination and appropriate combination of arms and legs movement. Once they learner becomes familiar with these steps, he or she will be able to easily apply them practically. This knowledge under Cognition Theory is “Declarative”, i.e., the learner needs to accept or know, that the name of the styles, the affect of flow of the wind etc (Krause, Bochner, Duchesne, 2006, Page 165). The instructor who would explain the mechanism of body movement during swimming, like duration between on oscillation of hand (Time difference between start of the movement of the first hand and end of the movement second of the second hand). The learner comprehension of the phenomenon of swimming would add to the learner’s declarative knowledge. When a learner is inside the swimming pool for the first time, the position of the body, legs and arms, back and hips should be in such a way that he can initiate the dive easily. From the swimming instructor’s perspective the entire body’s standing in relation to every single movement of the body. Once the student remembers, in what position stand or what position to acquire (This is persistently emphasized as it is mentioned each time the student prepares to swim) then the following steps like combination of arms and legs, and combination of breathing are told. The pattern of telling all this provides itself to using cognitive memory principle of “elaboration” which involves linking new information to something already stored in the long-term memory (Krause, Bochner, Duchesne, 2006, Page 164) i.e. combining dive (New Information) with movement of arm and legs to achieve maximum speed.(existing Information)/ The second and probably most implicated characteristic of learning how to swim is being able to know the correct combination of body movement and breathing. The learner must know the combination, as it includes declarative knowledge. The student must learn everything that is essential to know this combination, fro every style of swimming like butterfly, or breaststroke etc, where to place the arm on the water and what should be average leg kick per 5 or 10 seconds. The knowledge is declarative as it is apprehensive with knowing why some combination work and why some don’t. The practice of knowledge, (declarative, procedural or conditional) are interrelated and not be separate (Krause, Bochner, Duchesne, 2006, Page165). Accordingly, learning swimming also contains procedural knowledge, i.e., knowing the combination and applies it to different to different styles of swimming. To learn shat styles represent what kind of pace, cognitive and memory strategies are put into practice. There are musical pattern which help learners to remember pattern of fish swimming, butterfly etc. At it help in learners remember patterns for different styles. This progression of musical pattern helps information to be retained for long-term memory. (Krause, Bochner, Duchesne, 2006, Page161). In addition to providing a comprehension of kinds of knowledge to acquire for different styles of swimming, cognition theory can also be used to explain how mind captures, stores and processes relating to different styles of swimming. In Formation pattern were developed to explain how human capture, store and process information (Krause, Bochner, Duchesne, 2006, Page160). The key elements of information processing models that are relevant here are those that discuss how information is remembered. A learner is not re-instructed about these styles and combinations and must absorb this information into the memory and drawn upon while swimming. Physical aspects of swimming such as diving position, knowing the stamina, position of hands and legs etc. all this kind of knowledge is described as procedural. It can be argued that the learner posses the knowledge and demonstrate of how to properly dive, swimming styles etc. Again, here comes an overlap between kinds of knowledge because the student must know all the correct skills e.g. like touching the tip of the fingers to the toes, to develop a procedural knowledge, extensive practice is required to grasp all necessary techniques. Techniques used here include trial-and –error and demonstration which have their roots in other learning theories. Swimming is an art, it has evolved overtime, and man probably learned swimming from watching fish. Everyone can swim but to swim like a pro and the knowledge to swim like one is the most difficult aspect of swimming can be classified according to the different types of cognitive knowledge. Swimming contains declarative knowledge, i.e., like what makes mark Phelps a successful swimmer and his pattern of arms and leg movements is required to swim like him. Using the correct rhythm and knowledge in swimming, leads to swimming in a stylistically manner. However, cognition theory doesn’t consider emotion an important part of swimming like a pro. Because it concerns with the particular style the learner suits and performs best in, and that is considered the toughest part of swimming. Although cognition theory fails to explain physical aspects and styles completely, another concept, another familiar metacognition, elaborates the processes a learner goes through in learning in absence of the instructor. Generally begins with 2, 2 hours lesson per week and then expected to practice three day of the remaining week. While practicing, a student’s capacity for metacognition can assist them to work-out their practice and recognizes areas of weaknesses. The perk of cognitive theory in learning swimming is its ability to comprehend the phenomenon human brain has the ability to process information and store it for a later coming to mid. Other strength includes its capacity to classify the type of information to be taught as this assist teacher in corresponding teaching techniques with learning requirements. The major Achilles' heel to cognitive learning theory connecting too physical aspects is that there is no explanation of the student undertaking the importance of demonstration of teacher of trial-and-error. Cognition theory also does not allow for an elaboration of the importance of the teachers ongoing role in teaching an apprentice swimming. Humanistic learning theory is the best theory when it comes to gain knowledge of how to swim and how it is taught. Learning includes developing the affective and emotional aspect of learner’s is to reaches the ultimate ambition of learning is to feel as well as to think (Patterson, 1973, Page 159). Swimming perceptibly entails thinking as a significant number of rules regarding styles and combination etc. needed to be grasped by the memory of the swimmer and bear in mind every time he or she has to swim. A common characteristic of swimmers is to develop emotions when they swim. To feel a pride a swimming also elevates the swimmers internal senses as how to use the best combination to swim better or win a race. Humanism also includes Maslow’s hierarchy of human needs. It is argued that one of the implications for educators that come from Maslow’s work is that “Children should be provided with opportunities to develop their understanding and appreciation of affective aspects of human achievement…since for many individual these provide a means of achieving self-fulfillment. (Krause, Bochner, Duchesne, 2006, Page 204). Consequently coach could assist learners with their learning by presenting the swimming as a way for them to reach their potential. Swimming proficiently could help learners in strong motivational personality. Motivation is important for novice swimmers if someone wants to be a professional swimmer, it could take years to champion the sport, much like any other sport. Humanism therefore explains the role of the instructor beyond imagination when novice has learnt how to swim. Looking at theoretically, it can be established that these skills are all that is required to swim, but professional swimmers would disagree to a considerable extent. Humanism and Behaviorism overcome the emotional and physical limitation to cognition theory but also the instructor’s skills as a teacher for instructing learners about swimming. Behaviorism, the founding learning theory, can also be used to explain specific aspects swimming i.e. methods used by used by instructor while showing different styles of swimming not by demonstration but by showing animals from fishes, reptiles or amphibians from who basic inspiration of these styles were utilized. Behaviorism states that there will be a visible change in behavior if learning has occurred. One of the concepts within the theory of behaviorism is contiguity, which is the association of two events that are always closely paired or that repeatedly occur about the same time. (Krause, Bochner, Duchesne, 2006, Page126). It can be argued to that contiguity is used fro developing combination of arm and legs as to whether arm movement should harmonize with same leg movement or opposing leg movement.. Behaviorism can also be applied to the physical aspect of the swimming. In swimming some times students hands are tied together in a way that both hands do have a distance between them like 3 feet so that the learner cannot fully expand his arms and the strength of the thread is minimal as if the swimmer tries to expand his arms the thread would or rope would break. This method, which requires the learner to trial-and-error ways of solving the problem of how to perform a particular style while keeping the arms at a particular distance relates to behaviorism as explored by Thorndike (Krause, Bochner, Duchesne, 2006, Page132). It is common for the thread to break of in the beginning but later as the swimmer gets a grasp of the concept the breaking of the thread will be minimal. Direct Instruction is also a method for demonstrating the skill of swimming by performing particular art by the instructor themselves. It lies within the vicinity of Behaviorism. One of the major flaws of using cognitive theory of learning or behaviorism is isolation to comprehend learning led to development of social learning Theory. Social Learning is described as “a marriage of cognitive theory and behavioral emphasis. (Rosenthal & Zimmerman, 1978, Page 27). This theory establishes the fact that think and acting are important part of the learning process. Learning theory is essential as it combines both Behaviorism theory and Cognitive theory under one roof. When a learner has been asked to swim 10 yards, he do it easily and of he’s asked to it 50 then his stamina and hand oscillations doesn’t allow him. In this case the instructor uses soft approach toward to learner steadily asks him to go from 10 yards to 15 yards than to 30 and steadily to 50. This example illustrates the concept of reciprocal determinism”, the concept that behavior is the outcome of cognition, external influences and the behavior itself (Krause, Bochner, Duchesne, 2006, Page148). All the four theories mentioned above has its perks and also has its drawbacks in learning the concept of swimming, by developing a comprehension between learner and instructor both student and instructor can be benefitted. References http://www.wikihow.com/Swim Krause, K., Boucher, S., Duchesne, S. (2006) Educational Psychology for learning and teaching (2nd ed.) South Melbourne: Nelson Australia Pty Limited Rosenthal, T.D., & Zimmerman, B.J. (1978) Social Learning Cognition. New York Academic Press, Inc Read More