Mirror-Tracing-Activity - Assignment Example

I successfully completed the mirror-tracing activity, which involved tracing the diagram of a star while at the same time looking at my hand as a reflection in the mirror (Howard Hughes Medical Institute, 2008). I did 10 tracings every day for three consecutive days and for each tracing, I recorded the number of errors and the time taken to complete. I observed that the errors gradually minimized as I continued practicing. As I gained more experience in playing the game, it took me lesser time to complete one activity. Additionally, the task became easier as my brain got used up to the activity.

I learned that learning new movements, motions, and skills like climbing trees, playing piano, and riding bicycles is a gradual process, which often starts out as very difficult tasks, but becomes easier, smoother, and more accurate as one continues practicing. Motor learning is also applied to improve existing skills that involve movements such as drawing, and improving sports performance. Physical rehabilitation needed when trauma such as injuries and surgery has occurred also requires motor learning.

The Schema motor-skill learning theory best describes the mirror-tracing activity. It states that as people learn a motor skill, they develop a principle that portrays the relations between movement results and aspects such as their intended goal, the conditions of the performance setting, and the details of the motor program created to control the movement. As I practiced to mirror-trace the star, I generated a motor program that specified things such as the direction in which to move the pencil and the right force to grip the pencil. I eventually developed a schema that connected all the aspects of performance. I can apply this knowledge in learning how to play darts until I can be able to throw them to precisely land in the bull’s eye.