Introduction to non-linear pedagogy

Extended engagement in practice leads to functional adaptation in the mechanisms that control performance. The emergence of new structure characterises the adaptive process and occurs when specific constraints act to perturb the systems state of homeostasis. In this respect ‘new structure’ emerges even though the system has no previous knowledge of the new structures impending form. Crucially when an athlete experiences a plateau in performance the existing structure of the system will remain unchanged until entropy overwhelms the systems current state of stability. Entropy then, as described by Stephen et al (2009), is an index of disorder or instability acting upon the system driving it to spontaneously reorganise.

The self organising propensity of neurobiological systems can be harnessed for the development of sporting talent. The space in-between stability and instability is known as the ‘phase space’ where the athlete is transitioning from one level of performance to another. This is described by Rernshaw et al (2011) as the meta-stable region of performance where the athlete is poised on the edge of stability in a highly adaptive state. In this respect the developing performer can be thought of as a non-linear dynamical system because what acts to perturb reorganisation of system dynamics in one individual may not be the same in another.   

Conceptualising human development in this way is significant because traditional theories of learning have been unable to show how individual differences can be acounted for and designed into the learning process (Davids et al 2012). For this reason monotonic linear models of talent development aligned to deliberate practice methodology have been unsuccessful (Renshaw et al 2011). 

If this knowledge is to be integrated successfully into learning design, in a way that directly impacts on the talent development process, practitioners will need to have a sound theoretical understanding of the transfer-appropriate processes that govern such thinking.