Cognitive processing and motor skill learning in motor-handicapped teenagers: Effects of learning method

Abstract

This study aimed to assess the efficiency of a motor skill learning method intended to promote learning course personalization through an increase in cognitive processing deployment in motor-handicapped persons. Thirty-three secondary school students volunteered to participate in an archery motor skill learning session, 11 motor-handicapped (MH₁) and 11 able-bodied (AB) teenagers following a standard learning method, and 11 motor-handicapped teenagers following a cognitive enriched learning method (MH₂) based on the use of an individually written and illustrated document. The results showed that MH₁ displayed lower performances than AB, both in terms of the mental representations of the movements expected and performed and of efficiency of the movement. On the other hand, MH₂ performances were higher than MH₁ for all these parameters, and similar to those of AB at the end of the learning session. Personalization of the learning course allowed optimization of the learning potential in motor-handicapped teenagers to resolve the difficulties inherent to their handicap.

• Mental representation
• motor skill
• learning method
• learning course personalization
• motor-handicapped teenagers