In an ideal lifeguard training program, students would be able to successfully respond to a variety of emergencies from the day they complete the program until the day they retire. However, much research has documented that skill performance decays with time and nonuse. The exact formula to maintain and restore adequate levels of performance is unknown. Likewise, more research is needed on how much training, retraining, and feedback is necessary to retain skills, and at what point excess training loses impact and/or becomes detrimental. One promising approach to enhance lifesaving skill retention deals with training students with simplified teaching materials. “Simplified” teaching may include giving students a reduced number of steps required to complete certain skills; encouraging students to problem-solve rather than giving them detailed “correct” information at the outset; and/or encouraging students to act quickly rather than attend to every technical detail in classroom practice. Several researchers have shown positive results comparing these techniques with more procedural (step-by-step) teaching methods. One study in particular found that students who learn complex skills via a conceptual teaching method show both longer skill retention and faster response time compared to students taught by a procedural technique. Some researchers have related to this phenomenon to the compensatory control model, which describes how people automatically streamline their physical and mental processes when required to perform complex skills in stressful situations. As a course developer or instructor, simplified instruction may be a difficult concept to implement. Teaching concepts might be especially burdensome for students and instructors in the classroom. Those who are accustomed to lengthy instructions may feel that critical pieces are being omitted. Truly, many lifesaving rescue skills are inherently complex, thus technical accuracy can save lives. The challenges of teaching a skill intended to be used at a moment’s notice at an undefined future point are undeniable. However, the need for technical accuracy should be balanced with the need for students to sufficiently understand and retain skills to be able to perform them effectively when the need arises. This presentation will include a review of literature on skill learning and retention from a variety of academic and professional fields and a discussion of how it may be applied to teaching aquatic lifesaving. Kelly Fischbein is a volunteer with the YMCA. She recently took a position with the United Way of America as a Manager of Performance Research. Previously, she worked at the American Red Cross as Senior Associate in Evaluation, where she became involved with Aquatics and CPR research. While with the Red Cross, Ms. Fischbein conducted several literature reviews and some field research involving practical demonstrations, surveys, focus groups, and observations. Before coming to the Red Cross, Ms. Fischbein worked as a Research Associate in a public policy research firm in Lansing, Michigan. Ms. Fischbein has a Master’s degree from Claremont Graduate University of Claremont, California, and a Bachelor’s from Trinity University of San Antonio, Texas.
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