Distributed practice and why it is preferable
What does it look like practically: Distributed practice sessions can be utilized for high energy activities such as 100m and 200m swimming events. Distributed practice schedule for these events can be four 1 hour sessions in a week. This is because the events are relatively short and finish quickly. The athlete will rest between intervals after each lap to recover energy. To help maintain intensity and energy, the athlete should have a more rest than work ratio
Theoretical basis:
A Distributed practice is the same amount of practice time spread across more and shorter sessions. Usually in distributed practice there is more or equal rest time than worktime. (Spittle, 2013). Disturbed practice for example, is 2 x 1 hour sessions per week, for 8 weeks. So when kicking a ball the student should work for 10 seconds and then have a 10 second rest (Spittle, 2013). Scheduling practice sessions that are shorter and more frequent is more effective for learning than scheduling less sessions but for a longer period. For example it’s better to plan a few one hour sessions that one long four hour session (Spittle, 2013). Studies on practice sessions have show the advantage of distributed practice over massed practice. A study was completed on a sport skill by Dail and Christina (2004). Novice golfers practiced a putt of 3.7m for 240 practice trials. Learners in a massed practice schedule, practiced all their putts in one day with short breaks between each block of 10 putts. The learners in a distributed schedule, practiced 60 putts over 4 sessions, over 4 consecutive days. The distributed learners performed better than the massed learners at the end of the sessions (Dail & Christina 2004). The reason that distributed learners performed better are because of reasons such as fatigue, cognitive effort and memory consolidation. Massed practiced learners may fatigue because they aren't getting enough recovery time, The learner could also become bored and not exert as much cognitive effort (Spittle, 2013). How much effort would you put in, if you had to complete the same skill, for a long period of time with short breaks? Keeping the sessions short and sharp would reduce this possibility.
The three most likely factors that can account for why distributed practice sessions are superior to massed practice sessions, in regards to performance are fatigue levels, cognitive effort and memory consolidation (Spittle, 2013). The relationship between total amount of repetitions of a skill and fatigue is a well established one. For example Sanchez-Medina and Gonzalez-Badillo (2011) where not expressly investigating the relationship between work done and fatigue level, they were investigating mechanical and metabolic response to resistance training, but in the study increased fatigue was implied when work done was increased. This relates to one of the potential explanations of the benefits of distributed practice vs massed practice. Lower fatigue levels occur in distributed practice, as it involves less total repetitions of a skill being done in each session, with longer rest periods in between. The second factor that advocates for distributed practice sessions, is that massed practice involves less cognitive effort and therefore less learning takes place. There has been research showing that partially with novice athletes, increased cognitive effort is associated with skill acquisition rate. Essentially due to the extended periods of time massed practice often goes for, it is extremely easy for the learners to become disengaged, once again especially younger or novice students/athletes. The third factor that lends weight to distributed practice sessions begin superior is that it allows greater time for memory consolidation. Most of the information students/athletes remember from and individual class/training session is from the start or end of the session. As massed practice has a longer middle secretion of practice it is time not being used well, as time off is required to consolidate memory. Studies such as Shadmehr & Brashers-Krug (1997) showed that memory consolidation only occurs after multiple complex neuro-biochemical processes, which require time. More recent research by Walker, Brakefield, Hobson & Stickgold (2003) has even shown that sleep has an effect on memory consolidation. This is why the shorter more frequent session that distributed practice is preferable to massed practice in regards to learning, especially for less experienced athletes.
For additional reading check out;
Our full depth piece)
- https://joshgosch.wixsite.com/practiceschedules/single-post/2017/03/14/The-Base-Theoretical-basis-for-practice-schedules
Or our references from the articles) -Chapter 15 of Motor Learning and Skill Acquisition by Spittle, M.
-'Distribution of Practice and metacognition in the learning and long term relation of a discrete motor task’, Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport, 75, pp. 148-55. by Dail, T & Christina, D. -'Velocity Loss as an Indicator of Neuromuscular Fatigue during Resistance Training', Medicine and science in sports and exercise · February 2011 by Sanchez-Medina, L., & Gonzalez-Badillo, J.
-'Functional Stages in the Formation of Human Long-Term Motor Memory', Journal of Neuroscience 1 January 1997, 17 (1) 409-419 by Shadmehr, R., & Brashers-Krug, T.
-'Dissociable stages of human memory consolidation and reconsolidation' Nature 425, 616-620 (9 October 2003) by Walker, M. P., Brakefield, T., Hobson, J. A., & Stickgold, R.
