The Game Sense Coaching Approach Pedagogy of Game Modification and Affordance Theory
The Game Sense coaching approach (Australian Sports Commission, 1996) is grounded on the expectation that 'the game' or a game form be the starting point and focus of practice. Purposefully modifying a game to focus an aspect of the game to be developed is a pedagogical feature of Game Sense coaching. I have written elsewhere how this aspect of the Game Sense coaching approach is compatible with a constraints-led coaching perspective (see Informing game sense pedagogy with constraints-led theory for coaching Australian football ). Affordance theory also offers a means for analysis of the task dynamics in a Game Sense coaching approach, and again demonstrates the similarity between the pedagogical concept of game modification for purpose and the pedagogical concept of constraints-led manipulation.
Gibson's (1979) ecological theory of direct perception suggests meaning is to be found in the environment. There is a mutuality between the individual and what they are able to perceive in the environment. Perception of the environment therefore leads to action.
The implication for physical education teaching and sport coaching is the need for teachers/coaches to be able to identify the relevant information sources for players to use to coordinate their movement in specific performance contexts. The ontology of affordances provides teachers and sport coaches with an understanding of how to identify this relevant information. Affordances are properties in the environment that indicate possibilities for action (Turvey, 1992).
An actualising circumstance (Turvey, 1992) in a game occurs when the affordance is paired with the ability of the player.
The inference for teaching/coaching is that information from coaching/teaching will transfer from practice to 'the game' if the information contexts of practice and play overlap by sharing the same affordances. In a recent paper, we explain how this works in practice using a NRL-Touch football example. The paper is free-open access, and available here.
The proposition of constraints-led activity design is a logical semantic for the game-based practice assumptions of modified games of the Game Sense approach.
Gibson's (1979) ecological theory of direct perception suggests meaning is to be found in the environment. There is a mutuality between the individual and what they are able to perceive in the environment. Perception of the environment therefore leads to action.
The implication for physical education teaching and sport coaching is the need for teachers/coaches to be able to identify the relevant information sources for players to use to coordinate their movement in specific performance contexts. The ontology of affordances provides teachers and sport coaches with an understanding of how to identify this relevant information. Affordances are properties in the environment that indicate possibilities for action (Turvey, 1992).
An actualising circumstance (Turvey, 1992) in a game occurs when the affordance is paired with the ability of the player.
The inference for teaching/coaching is that information from coaching/teaching will transfer from practice to 'the game' if the information contexts of practice and play overlap by sharing the same affordances. In a recent paper, we explain how this works in practice using a NRL-Touch football example. The paper is free-open access, and available here.
The proposition of constraints-led activity design is a logical semantic for the game-based practice assumptions of modified games of the Game Sense approach.
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