Observational and Motor Learning

Assignment 1: LASA 2—Observational and Motor Learning

During the period of early childhood,
mastering fine motor skills is a very important process needed for
physical and cognitive development. However, for a number of different
reasons, there are some children who do not develop at the same pace as
an average child. It is important for parents and physicians to
recognize children who are not on track developmentally because the
earlier the cause of the delay can be determined, the earlier parents
can start working with the child to correct or minimize these deficits.
Often, the earlier the children begins to work on their developmental
deficits, the greater the advancements they can make.

By the age of three, a child should be able to do the following:

• Use a spoon by themselves
• Draw a vertical and horizontal line
• String large beads
• Snip paper with scissors
• Roll clay or play dough into a “snake”

Conduct an Internet search using the two
phrases listed below. Your results will help you better understand the
kind of milestones that are used to assess the development of fine motor
skills in young children.

• Fine motor skills milestones
• Child development milestones

Using the module readings, the Argosy
University online library resources, and the Internet, research
observational and motor learning and activities that can be used to help
develop motor skills. Then, address the following:

• Describe in detail how a young child’s fine motor
  skills are developed—making sure to include the theory of motor-skill
  learning that best fits this situation.
• Explain whether any motor tasks or skills can be accomplished via observational learning. Justify your response.
• Now, consider a situation in which a young child
  (3–4 years old) is developmentally delayed in fine motor skill
  development. Create a strategy which would help the child strengthen his
  or her fine motor skills.
• You can find a number of activities online which
  purport to help develop these skills. From a theoretical viewpoint, be
  sure to explain how these activities will aid a child’s fine motor skill
  development. Make sure that you reference at least one peer-reviewed article in addition to any Web sites you find and describe these activities as part of your development strategy.

Write a 3–4-page paper in Word format. It
should be double-spaced and in 12 point, Times New Roman font with
regular one-inch margins and free of typographical and grammatical
errors. Apply APA standards to citation of sources. Be sure to include a
title page with a running head and reference page. Use the following
file naming convention: LastnameFirstInitial_M5_A1.doc.

By October 31, 2013, deliver your assignment to the M5: Assignment 1 Dropbox.

Grading Criteria and Rubric

Upon successful completion of this course, the student should be able to:

• Discuss the historical antecedents of the psychological study of
  learning and behavior and examine their connection to modern issues.
• Describe basic operant and classical conditioning procedures and
  analyze the significance of both positive and aversive techniques.
• Analyze motor learning, observational learning, and other theories of learning.
• Apply various learning principles, techniques, and research methodologies to practical situations.

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