PDFE #10

In class on Monday, we did an activity in which allowed us to see varied practice compared to constant practice. We got into pairs and were each given a packet of instructions to follow. The objective of this activity was to practice throwing a bean bag into a hoola hoop a certain number of times and to see what is the highest score we could obtain. In this packet, the instructions said that one of us was to perform constant practice, the practice or activity that did not change, while the other performed varied practice, the activity was altered throughout the practice. This meant that one of us was to stand at the 5 ft. marking and throw the bean bag in the hoop. While the other partner throws the bean-bag from the 4 ft., 5 ft., and 6 ft., marking. We each did a number of rounds in throwing the bean-bag into the hoop before doing the final five throws for the retention test. During the practice, I did the varied practice while Marley did the constant practice. The results from the practice should have been higher for me than for her because I could get closer to the hoop and therefore had more chances of getting easier points by putting the bean-bag in the hoop. However, the final results after the retention test should have been that she maintained better muscle memory than I because she practiced from the same spot that the retention test took place from. Whereas I moved around from 4, to 5, to 6 and then had my test at only the 5 ft. marking. But our results did not quite match these. In our results we were about equal during the practice rounds. And after the same retention tests, I actually did better than she. But there were many different factors that could have influenced these results. During her practice and final test, we were talking more and she probably had less focus. But when I went, we were not talking as much and I believe I might have had a less resting period because we were rushing to finish. So therefore it was not really a final test after practice, it was merely five more throws after the many others I had already finished. So we did not achieve the estimated results that were anticipated to occur but we were influenced by many factors that might have had something to do with these skewed results.