Kristy Dang
The Effects of Practice Schedule on Motor Learning
Practice is an important process for anyone attempting to learn a new skill. Repeatedly performing the skill has been proven to lead to better learning . However, how should people organize their practice schedule if they want to learn multiple skills simultaneously? Is it more optimal to master each skill separately or all at once in a random order? There are multiple former experiments that show a random-ordered practice schedule actually leads to better retention than a blocked one. However, these studies typically use explicit motor tasks that require working memory and fails to measure implicit learning – the unconscious update of body movements.
My project aims to understand the effect of different practice schedules on implicit learning by using a visuomotor reaching task. I am interested in determining if and how the bodys explicit and implicit systems differ in response to random- or blocked-ordered practice. My findings will hopefully shed light on what is the most efficient way the motor system learns, which can improve rehabilitation methods for patients with movement disorders.
Message to Sponsor

- Major: Integrative Biology & Sociology
- Sponsor: Banatao Fund
- Mentor: Richard Ivry