Variable training does not lead to better motor learning compared to repetitive training in children with and without DCD when exposed to active video games.
Repetitive exergame practice works just as well as variable practice for teaching balance to kids with DCD.
01Research in Context
What this study did
The team split kids with and without DCD into two groups. One group played the same exergame level over and over. The other group saw the level change each time. After training, everyone took a balance test.
Kids trained three times a week for four weeks. Each session lasted 20 minutes. The game asked them to shift weight and reach targets on a balance board.
What they found
Both groups improved the same amount on game scores and on the balance transfer test. Changing the task did not give any extra benefit. Kids with DCD started lower but closed the gap at the same speed.
How this fits with other research
Jarus et al. (2015) also saw no bonus from an external-focus cue in DCD. Together the papers warn that fancy instruction tweaks often fail in this population.
Hung et al. (2017) looked at structured versus loose practice in cerebral palsy and found the extra structure helped. That seems opposite, but the kids in Ya-Ching had more severe motor limits and trained six hours a day. The mild DCD sample here may simply not need the added challenge.
Hui-Ang et al. (2019) got positive results with a school-based balance program. Their lessons kept the task the same each week, matching the repetitive arm in this study. The real-world setting and longer dose likely explain why they saw bigger gains.
Why it matters
You can save prep time. When you use exergames or balance boards, stick with one level until the child masters it. Switching levels or adding rules does not speed learning for most kids with DCD. Focus instead on dose, feedback, and fun rather than on task variation.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
BACKGROUND: Little is known about the influence of practice schedules on motor learning and skills transfer in children with and without developmental coordination disorder (DCD). Understanding how practice schedules affect motor learning is necessary for motor skills development and rehabilitation. AIMS: The study investigated whether active video games (exergames) training delivered under variable practice led to better learning and transfer than repetitive practice. METHODS AND PROCEDURES: 111 children aged 6-10 years (M=8.0, SD=1.0) with no active exergaming experience were randomized to receive exergames training delivered under variable (Variable Game Group (VGG), n=56) or repetitive practice schedule (Repetitive Game Group (RGG), n=55). Half the participants were identified as DCD using the DSM-5 criteria, while the rest were typically developing (TD), age-matched children. Both groups participated in two 20min sessions per week for 5 weeks. OUTCOMES AND RESULTS: Both participant groups (TD and DCD) improved equally well on game performance. There was no significant difference in positive transfer to balance tasks between practice schedules (Repetitive and Variable) and participant groups (TD and DCD). CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: Children with and without DCD learn balance skills quite well when exposed to exergames. Gains in learning and transfer are similar regardless of the form of practice schedule employed. WHAT THIS PAPER ADDS: This is the first paper to compare the effect of practice schedules on learning in children with DCD and those with typical development. No differences in motor learning were found between repetitive and variable practice schedules. When children with and without DCD spend the same amount of time on exergames, they do not show any differences in acquisition of motor skills. Transfer of motor skills is similar in children with and without DCD regardless of differences in practice schedules.
Research in developmental disabilities, 2017 · doi:10.1016/j.ridd.2017.01.013