TYPES OF LEARNING

MOTOR LEARNING
Motor learning is defined as “Performing an act in which the individual needs to have
command over a particular function of human organs”
The type of learning which involves the use of muscles is called motor learning. In this
type of learning the individual requires new muscular coordination. In other words, motor
skill requires coordination between the environment and the internal body. Motor learning
is the relatively permanent change in the ability to perform a skill as a result of practice or
experience. E.g. walking, riding a bicycle, getting dressed, knitting, driving, swimming,
playing the piano, handling various instruments etc. So, Motor Learning involves learning a
skilled task and then practicing with a goal in mind until the skill is executed automatically
(Schmidt& Wrisberg 2007).
Acquisition of various skills through motor learning helps in acquiring speed and
accuracy in the field of operation of these activities and creates a sort of confidence in the
learner to perform with ease and satisfaction. The art of these skills can be acquired
through a systematic and planned acquisition and fixation of a series of organized actions or
responses by making use of appropriate learning methods and devices. A teacher can
contribute to learning motor skills by way of setting good examples or correcting initial
errors.
There are three stages in which Motor Learning occurs:
1. Cognitive Stage - During this initial stage of motor learning, the goal is to develop
an overall understanding of the skill. The teacher must do their best to provide an
optimal environment for learning, which may mean removing large distractors.
During this stage, the learner mostly relies on visual input and trial and error to
guide learning.
2. Associative Stage - During this stage, the learner begins to demonstrate a more
refine movement to practice. Now that the learner has had some practice and
identified various stimuli that may occur, they can focus on “how to do” moving
on from the “what to do” in the first stage. Here, visual cues become less
important, and proprioceptive cues become more important. Proprioceptive cues
refer to the learner focussing more on how their body is moving in space and
what input is being felt from their joints and muscles. The more practice, the
more proprioceptive input the learner receives to aid learning. Therefore, the
more practice the better.
3. Autonomous Stage - During this final stage of learning, the motor skill becomes
mostly automatic. Progression to this level of learning allows the learner to
perform the skill in any environment with very little cognitive involvement
compared to the first stage.
PERCEPTUAL LEARNING
Perception is mental apprehension of that which is physically seen, heard or felt.
What one sees or hear is not the result of physical stimulation only. It is psychological
awareness that makes the medical doctor see something in the x-ray. How one perceives a
situation is affected by how he perceives himself. E.g. while one child may perceive that the
task given by the teacher is too difficult and so he attempts it hesitatingly, the other may
feel that there is nothing too difficult and attempts vigorously. So, Perceptual learning is the
experience-dependent enhancement of our ability to make sense of what we see, hear,
feel, taste or smell.
An individual observes or perceives things and objects in his surroundings and comes
to acquire knowledge about them. This happens through the five senses of the individual.
So Perceptual learning types are the means by which learner extract information from their
surroundings through the use of their five senses. When information enters the “pathway”
the information is retained in short term memory. Repeated exposure and use promote
retention in long term memory.

CONCEPTUAL LEARNING
Concepts are mental images of a thing or class of things formed by generalization
from particulars. A concept in the form of a mental image denotes a generalized idea about
things, persons or events.
Perceptual learning leads to Conceptual learning. This means that knowledge of
concrete objects leads to abstract thinking. On the basis of concrete and particular facts, a
generalization or a concept is formed. For E.g. Our concept of “tree” is a mental image that
throws up the similarities or common properties of all the different trees we know. We will
call a thing “tree” when it has some specific characteristics, the image of which we have
already acquired in our mind on account of our previous experience, perception, or exercise
of the imagination. The formation of such concepts on account of previous experience,
training, or cognitive processes is called Concept learning.
Concept learning proves very useful in recognizing, naming, and identifying things. All
our behaviour, verbal, symbolic, motor as well as cognitive, are influenced by our concepts.
What we do, say, understand, reason and judge is to a great extent, controlled by the
quality of our concept learning. Thus concepts can be formed by providing a variety of
experiences and the task of the teacher is to provide a number of experiences so that
conceptual learning may take place. Unlike more traditional learning models which
concentrate on the ability to recall specific facts, conceptual learning focuses on
understanding broader principles or ideas that can later be applied to a variety of specific
examples.

SKILL LEARNING
Skill learning is defined as “The activity or process of gaining knowledge or skill by
studying, practicing, being taught, or experiencing something: knowledge or skill gained
from learning.”
A skill is an ability to perform an activity in a competent manner. Motor Learning is
also called Skill Learning. The learning of a task to give accuracy, speed, and performance
after a high degree of practice. Skills may be motor, perceptual, cognitive, or a combination
of any two. In skill learning, we use motor, cognitive or a combination of these skills.
Stages of skill learning:
There are three recognized stages of learning to achieve mastery of a skill:
1. Cognitive Stage -
2. Associative
3. Autonomous