THE INFLUENCE OF VISUAL DEMONSTRATION AND VERBAL INSTRUCTION ON LEARNING A COMPLEX MOTOR SKILL

This experiment tested the influence of the different sources of instructions on efficiency in learning one motor task. 33 1(st) year female students of the Faculty of Kinesiology, divided into three groups, were learning a complex skill of rhythmic gymnastics through 48 trials organised in 8 series, on the basis of different learning instructions (the verbal, visual or combined). The 3x8 repeated measures ANOVA results showed that the amount of information a beginner has at disposal is important in learning a complex motor skill. Learning is more effective if an instruction is either visual or combined. A simultaneous presentation of visual and verbal instructions had no distractive effect; participants who were learning according to combined instructions learned faster, especially in the beginning. This type of instruction can be recommended as a part of learning strategy when sport instructors have no enough time available.