LCPE2 views·Updated May 17, 2026·5 pages

The Power of Feedback in Learning New Skills

Ever wondered how you actually get better at sports? It's... Show more

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# Feedback in Skill Learning

The role of feedback in learning skills

Feedback is basically information a performer receives about their
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Understanding Feedback in Sports

Think about the last time you improved at something - chances are, someone told you what you were doing right or wrong. Feedback is simply information you receive about your performance, and it's absolutely crucial for getting better at any skill.

There are two main sources where this information comes from. Intrinsic feedback comes from within yourself - it's that feeling when you know you've hit the sweet spot of a tennis racket or when a football feels perfectly balanced on your boot. This is also called kinaesthetic feedback because it comes through your senses.

Extrinsic feedback comes from outside sources like coaches, teammates, video replays, or even the crowd. A GAA coach shouting "keep your head up" or watching yourself on video are perfect examples of extrinsic feedback.

Remember: The goal is to eventually rely more on your own internal feelings (intrinsic) and less on others telling you what to do (extrinsic).

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Types of Feedback Information

Not all feedback tells you the same thing. Knowledge of Results (KR) is about the outcome - did you score, miss, win, or lose? It's usually pretty obvious: seeing your basketball shot go through the hoop or watching the umpire wave your tennis serve "out."

Knowledge of Performance (KP) is much more valuable for improvement. This focuses on your technique and how you performed the skill, not just the result. When a coach tells a Gaelic footballer "your follow-through was excellent on that kick," that's KP in action.

Here's the thing - just knowing you missed (KR) doesn't help you improve. You need to know why you missed, and that's where KP becomes crucial, especially for beginners who don't yet understand what correct movement should feel like.

Key Point: KP is generally more valuable than KR for skill improvement because it explains the 'why' behind your performance.

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Putting Feedback into Practice

Let's imagine you're a hurler learning to take 65m frees. On your first attempt, the ball goes wide left. You can see it missed (KR), and you might feel the strike was "off" (intrinsic feedback). But the most useful information comes when your coach says, "You lifted your head too early - keep your eye on the ball through the entire swing" (extrinsic KP).

As you progress and reach the associative stage of learning, something interesting happens. You start to develop better internal awareness. When you take another shot, you feel a clean connection and smooth follow-through. Your intrinsic feedback tells you "that felt good" even before you see the ball sail over the bar.

The coach's job then becomes reinforcing what you did right: "Great! See how your body was perfectly balanced that time?" This helps you connect the feeling with the successful outcome.

Pro Tip: Timing matters - feedback works best when given immediately after the skill, so you can connect it to what you just did.

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Feedback and Learning Stages

Your feedback needs change dramatically as you improve. In the cognitive stage (complete beginner), you need loads of extrinsic feedback, especially KP. You simply don't know what correct movement feels like yet, so coaches and external guidance are essential.

During the associative stage (getting better), you'll use a mix of both types. You're starting to self-correct based on how things feel, but you still benefit from external guidance for refining your technique.

By the autonomous stage (expert level), you rely mainly on intrinsic feedback for minor adjustments. You can feel exactly what went wrong the moment you complete a skill and adjust accordingly.

Remember: Don't overload beginners with information - focus on one or two key points at a time, and always be specific rather than just saying "good job."

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Quick Revision Summary

Here's everything you need to remember about feedback for your exams. Feedback is information about performance that's vital for improvement, and it comes from two sources: intrinsic (from yourself) and extrinsic (from outside sources like coaches).

The information itself falls into two categories: Knowledge of Results (about the outcome) and Knowledge of Performance (about technique). Beginners need lots of extrinsic KP to learn correct technique, while experts rely on intrinsic feedback to self-correct.

The golden rules for effective feedback are simple: make it specific, give it immediately after performance, and keep it positive and constructive. Remember that your feedback needs will change as you progress through the stages of learning.

Exam Tip: Be able to give practical examples of each type of feedback using sports you know well - it shows you really understand the concepts.

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LCPE2 views·Updated May 17, 2026·5 pages

The Power of Feedback in Learning New Skills

Ever wondered how you actually get better at sports? It's all about feedback - the information you receive about your performance. Whether it's the feeling of a perfect strike or a coach's advice, feedback is what transforms you from a... Show more

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Understanding Feedback in Sports

Remember: The goal is to eventually rely more on your own internal feelings (intrinsic) and less on others telling you what to do (extrinsic).

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Types of Feedback Information

Key Point: KP is generally more valuable than KR for skill improvement because it explains the 'why' behind your performance.

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Putting Feedback into Practice

The coach's job then becomes reinforcing what you did right: "Great! See how your body was perfectly balanced that time?" This helps you connect the feeling with the successful outcome.

Pro Tip: Timing matters - feedback works best when given immediately after the skill, so you can connect it to what you just did.

of 5

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Feedback and Learning Stages

By the autonomous stage (expert level), you rely mainly on intrinsic feedback for minor adjustments. You can feel exactly what went wrong the moment you complete a skill and adjust accordingly.

Remember: Don't overload beginners with information - focus on one or two key points at a time, and always be specific rather than just saying "good job."

of 5

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Access to all documents
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Quick Revision Summary

Exam Tip: Be able to give practical examples of each type of feedback using sports you know well - it shows you really understand the concepts.