Your Brain is not a Computer! - Ecological Dynamics in Education - A Conversation with Prof. Keith Davids

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Oct 1, 2023

Prof. Keith Davids, a Professor of Motor Learning, discusses ecological dynamics and its implications for learning in different educational contexts. They explore the concept of constraints in learning and the historical development of measuring and categorizing humans. They delve into the integration of principles from ecological psychology and dynamical movement systems in education and the concept of affordances in learning environments. They also discuss the shift from skill acquisition to skill adaptation, the importance of fittedness, and the manipulation of constraints in teaching and coaching. The impact of their research extends to education, military training, and working with neurodiversified populations.

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Introduction

00:00 • 2min

Exploring the Concept of Constraints in Learning

01:34 • 12min

The Historical Development of Measuring and Categorizing Humans

13:28 • 2min

Ecological Dynamics: Integrating Principles from Ecological Psychology and Dynamical Movement Systems

15:12 • 32min

Affordances in Education: Opportunities for Action

46:59 • 10min

Persistence of Mental Models and Shift from Skill Acquisition to Skill Adaptation

56:53 • 4min

The Importance of Fittedness and Rethinking Practice

01:00:37 • 2min

Manipulating Constraints and Impact Beyond Sports

01:02:15 • 2min

Professor Keith Davids is Professor of Motor Learning at the Centre for Sport and Exercise Science. Keith uses an Ecological Dynamics framework for investigating skill acquisition, expertise and talent development in sport. He is an applied scientist who researches how processes of learning, development, performance preparation and participation in sport, physical activity and exercise may be facilitated. He reviews implications for coaching and teaching at elite, sub-elite and recreational levels of participants, as part of his work. Ecological Dynamics is an integration of Ecological Psychology, Dynamical Systems theory, Evolutionary Science and the Science of Complex Systems, considering individual athletes and teams as complex adaptive systems, self-organising under interacting constraints. Such systems change over different timescales, which has significant implications for learning, development and ageing in children, adults and elderly people. He has over 30 years experience of teaching and conducting research in Ecological Dynamics with collaborators in UK, Portugal, France, Australia, Germany, New Zealand, Finland, Norway and Sweden in related fields like Sports Science, Psychology, Behavioural Neuroscience, Sports Coaching, Physical Education and Human Movement Science. He has held/holds research positions in the UK (Manchester Metropolitan University: 1991-2003), Finland (University of Jyvaskyla, Finnish Distinguished Professor: 2012-2016), New Zealand (University of Otago: 2003-2007), Australia (Queensland University of Technology: 2006-2014) and Norway (2020-22: Norwegian Sports Science University (NTNU, Trondheim), Adjunct Research Professor). His scientific research is applied in the work of international sports organisations (national and international teams in Association Football, NFL, Rugby Union and AFL) and national Institutes of Sport in Australia (AIS), New Zealand (NZSI), and England (EIS), as well as KIHU (Finnish Olympic Research Committee) and PESTA (Physical Education and Sports Teachers Association, Singapore).

Keith is part of the Constraints Collective with Ian Renshaw, Will Roberts and Danny Newcombe: https://www.theconstraintscollective.com/

Keith is co-author of the 2019 book, The Constraints-Led Approach: Principles for Sports Coaching and Practice Design. You can find links to his other books here and journal publications here.