Associate professor, Department of Movement, Human and Health Sciences / University of Rome “Foro Italico”

Just for fun, or just for spending calories? Physical activity games, cognitive function and educational achievement

18 November, 10h40-11h35

Theory

In several decades of research on the relation between physical activity and cognition, emerging inconsistencies, especially at developmental age, suggest the need to look at existing evidence on the exercise-cognition relation from different perspectives, considering aspects of this relation that are still relatively neglected. Advancements in exercise neurosciences, embodied learning research, and physical activity pedagogy are converging toward relevant intersections that may contribute to the actual debate on the mechanisms underlying physical activity effects on the developing brain and cognition and inform redesign in physical activity and physical education. I focus on these intriguing intersections among different research areas, which are proposed to shed light on how designed activities and environments may be used to meet with one deed two needs: skill acquisition and cognitive enhancement. To transition theory into practice, I propose to reframe principles developed to foster motor learning into emerging models of embodied cognition and cognitive development promotion. I conclude looking at holistic physical activity interventions that address the joint promotion of motor and cognitive development from a health-related and social equity perspective.

(Virtual) practice

I propose an educational approach to holistic child development through physical activity (PA). Starting from the education of the body and bodily motion, this approach pursues the goal of providing a developing citizen with motor, cognitive and life skills, riding the wave of children’s natural love for movement. I will show videos of sample games and suggest a number of alterations. The game multiplier are the principles of variability of practice. I will explain the logic behind those games, thanks to essential information on how to teach and make them work. The Ariadne’s thread in the maze of games is the task-analysis – tailored to understanding the different demands of each game and game alteration in the domains of physical fitness, motor coordination, cognitive functions and life skills. I will exemplify how each PA game alteration, targeted to vary the demands in one domain, can influence the other domains jointly.

Bio:

Caterina Pesce is graduate in Physical Education, degree in Movement and Sport Sciences, master of Psychology (Universities “Foro Italico” and ”La Sapienza” of Rome), and PhD in Philosophy (Free University of Berlin). Currently Associate Professor in Methods and Techniques in Movement and Sport, member of the Department of Movement, Human and Health Sciences of the University “Foro Italico” of Rome and founding member of the Italian Society of Movement and Sports Sciences. Her main teaching focus is on physical activity for children and older adults, her main research focus on exercise and cognition across the lifespan, rise and fall of motor coordination and enhanced physical education. She has 80 international and over 30 national published peer-reviewed articles, over 3000 citations, and is co-author of 9 international authored or edited books on exercise and cognition, physical education and quality physical activity for educational achievement also with focus on special needs. She is the editor/co-author of 2 national authored/edited books, one of which awarded by the Italian Olympic Committee. She is the mind behind the “Joy of Moving” method for holistic child development promotion through physical activity games, promoted at national level by the Italian Ministry of Education and indicated as a good practice in the national Recommendations for Physical Activity of the Italian Ministry of Health. She is on the editorial board of JSEP, IJERPH and Brazil J Mot Behav and AE for MENPA.

Keynotes at international conferences in the last years

Research gate link: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Caterina_Pesce

Professor, Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz 

Differential learning or why repetition hiders effective learning

18 November, 11h55–12h35

In the meantime, the differential learning approach can look back on the results of over 20 years of research. And still more questions are open than solved. Regardless of this, the theory of differential learning has initiated a more critical discussion about how to deal with variation in learning movements and has provided an explanatory model that combines previous motor learning models into a common theory. Starting from the central role of fluctuations in living or dissipative systems, differential learning uses the amplification of observable fluctuations to destabilize the learning system, thereby initiating a process of self-organization. In this process, the trainer or teacher merely injects diffuse energy into the system in the form of increased fluctuations and allows the trainee or learner to achieve a new state of order based on his or her own abilities and skills. It is important to remember that self-organization implies that no concrete information about the solution is provided and therefore no external information about wrong or right can be given. For this reason, in most studies on Differential Learning, interventions do not involve repetition or external feedback. Due to the constant variations, the system receives enough feedback from itself that additional external feedback no longer promises any additional benefit. The majority of the studies on DL available to date show slight advantages over repetitive learning during the acquisition phase, but strong advantages over repetitive learning in the subsequent learning or retention phase. Since ideally the variation of the exercises is adapted to the fluctuations of the athlete’s performance, but these are highly individual and change with emotions, fatigue, or music, it can be assumed that the optimal resonance and thus the maximum variation is always to be adapted individually and situationally. Recent studies on electrical brain activation according to DL support both the advantages over traditional approaches and the individual dependence of the optimal variation. Nevertheless, a lot of research is still needed to get a more complete picture of variation in motor learning. 

Bio:

Studied Physics, Sport Science, Neurophysiology and Pedagogy. PhD in Biomechanics at the university of Frankfurt/Germany 1990. Since 2007 chair for Training and Movement Science at the university of Mainz/Germany. Numerous guest professorships all over the world. Is consulting national and international top athletes sind 1985.