Chapter 11

1. Chapter 11 Measuring Psychomotor Performance and Sports Skills

2. Taxonomy of Motor Performance • An ordering of information about human movement ability • A hierarchy: • Each successive movement or ability builds on the ones beneath it • A basis for setting performance expectations • A way to devise strategies for teaching, coaching, and advising

3. Taxonomy of thePsychomotor Domain(adapted from Harrow, 1972)

4. Items in a Taxonomy for Physical Performance • Range from most basic, lowest level of physical function—reflexes—to nonverbal communication through purposeful body movements—communicative movement. • Range from subconscious, instinctual movements to skilled movement requiring instruction, practice, and ability.

5. Your Viewpoint • Think of your favorite physical activity. Where—on what level of the taxonomy of the psychomotor domain—is your skill level? • What could you do to move to the next higher level?

6. Measuring Performance Basedon the Psychomotor Taxonomy • Measuring reflexes: • For example, to determine the degree of a spinal cord injury or concussion. • Measuring basic intentional movements: • To identify problems and develop strategies for overcoming psychomotor difficulties. • Balance test • Hand steadiness (continued)

7. Measuring Performance(continued) • Measuring sensory ability and response to environmental challenges: • Two-point touch test • Measuring basic physical skills: • To measure the components of physical fitness as well as additional abilities (i.e., agility and balance) (continued)

8. Measuring Performance(continued) • Measuring skills movements: • To measure a person’s skill in isolation and in context of competition • Measuring communicative movement: • To evaluate athletes/movement at the highest skill level • Evaluators, as well as subjects being tested, need to have expert knowledge of the sport • Involves rubrics

9. Testing Hand Steadiness

10. Tests of Basic Physical Skills • MargariaKalamen test: • Power (watts) = body mass * vertical distance * 9.8) / time • Wingate Anaerobic Power test: • Peak power (PP) = force  distance/time

11. Ergometer Used in the Wingate Anaerobic Power Test

12. Rubrics • A ranked set of descriptors that specifies the components of a skill. • High end: The desired level of performance. • Low end: The lowest level of performance imaginable. • In between: Every variety of performance one might ever view. • Types: • Holistic • Primary trait

13. Sample Rubrics for Basketball • Holistic rubric: • A single large rubric with one global score for all skills demonstrated while playing. • Primary trait rubric: • May be broken down into offense/defense type plays. • May be broken down into different types of shots. • Has greater reliability and objectivity than a holistic rubric.

14. Development and Application of a Rubric • Define what is to be measured • Establish levels and write the rubric • Weight the rubric • Score the rubric • Create a judging form or sheet • Should be based on the rubric, so as to determine scores • Select judges

15. Sample Primary Trait Rubricfor a Cheerleader’s Voice and Projection Skill

16. Adaptation of a Cheerleader Scoring Sheet

17. Cheerleader Scoring Sheet(continued)

18. Issues in Measuring Human Performance • External validity: • Can results be generalized to the real world? • Ecological validity: • Was data gathered in an environment that is similar to that in which results will be applied? • Interfering variables (continued)

19. More Issues in Measuring Performance • Using test batteries • Overtesting • Misleading testing • Resolving deficiencies in the test takers and in the test itself • Discrimination among skill levels • Nonteaching applications

20. Variables That May Interfere with Measurement • Body fatness • Experience • Learning effect: Those who have taken a test several times may learn how to achieve a higher score. • Cheating and carelessness

21. Administering Psychomotor Skills Tests • Anticipate dangers; safety is of utmost importance • Prepare ahead of time: • Equipment • Scoring sheets • Trained assistants • Take notes to help with test preparation the next time.

22. What worked? What didn’t? Is it practical? Does it have validity? What could be done to enhance validity, reliability, and objectivity? How could it be modified? What can be done to speed up test administration? What can be done to simplify test administration? Is the length appropriate? What could be cut? Are there any issues with objectivity? Questions to Ask During/After Test Administration

23. Designing Psychomotor Skills Tests • Define the motor skill; what does it entail? • Research to find out what others have done. • Design the test to fit circumstances/ability levels being measured. • Conduct trial run. • Evaluate trial run. • Modify the test and repeat the process.

24. Your Viewpoint • When you were in school, did you take any skills tests in PE class? What do you remember about how those tests were administered? • Did you feel they were fair and objective? • Were the scoring and evaluation accurate? • If you were asked to improve this year’s version of the test, what would you change?