Direction of skill transfer

Course outcome:
Explain the meaning of the terms retroactive
and proactive transfer.
 Transfer of learning between two tasks generally
increases as the similarity between them increases

Types of Transfer:

Positive vs. negative

Near vs. far

2
Transfer of Learning

Other examples of positive and

negative transfer???

· Influence of a previously practiced skill on the

learning of a new skill
Types of transfer
· Positive transfer--the previously learned
skill facilitates the learning of a new skill
eg. Gymnastics to aerial skiing
· Negative transfer--the previously
learned skill hinders the learning of a new skill
eg. Tennis (elbow/shoulder) to squash (wrist)

· Amount of transfer is generally small and positive (10

- 30 %)
· Teaching for positive transfer is an important goal in
most instructional settings
The Concept of Transfer
 Influence of the learning and/or
performance of one skill on the
learning and/or performance of
another.

a skill yet to be learned or

performed it is called proactive
transfer

 ifit influences the performance

of a previously learned skill it is
called retroactive transfer
Skill Transfer
 Negative & Positive Transfer
 Transfer of skills can be classify as
proactive or retroactive
 Positive- proactive or retroactive
facilitation
 Negative- proactive or retroactive
inhibition.
Direction of skill transfer
Proactive Transfer
 Learning or performance of a skill effects
the learning or performance of a skill yet
to be learnt. Influence of one skill on
another.
 A skill learnt in the past affects a skill
currently being learnt or to be learnt in
the future
 e.g. having learned the forehand drive in
tennis, the action is then modified to the
forehand with top spin.
Direction of skill transfer
Retroactive Transfer
 The effect that learning a new skill has
upon a previously learnt skill.
 Learning a new skill affects a previously
learned skill.
 e.g. a hockey player learns the flicking
skill which may have a negative effect
upon the previously learned push pass.
Similar with badminton and tennis,
basketball and Netball.
Skill Transfer
 Proactive Transfer(facilitation)
 The practice on the task affects the
learning performance of a subsequent task
 Exm – kicking in futsal
 Retroactive transfer (facilitation)
 The practice of one task affects the
performance of a previously learned or
practice task
 Exm – netball player - basketball
Skill Transfer
 Proactive Transfer (inhibition)
The practice on the task doesn't affects the
learning performance of a subsequent task
Exm – Swimming

 Retroactive Transfer (inhibition)

The practice of one task doesn't affects the
performance of a previously learned or
practice task
Exm – Table tennis backhand flick - tennis