We often take the settings for performance for granted, but a recent article by Liam Tharme in the New York Times highlights the importance of the settings in which individuals perform. Tharme tells the story of the development of the track created for the Paris Olympics. Specifically, he explains how the track was created to enable runners to run fast. The track allowed runners to set Olympic and world records.
The article includes details about the research on track design and the evolution of tracks used for Olympic competition. Mondo, the manufacturer of the track has even begun working with shoe and spike manufacturers to insure that the track will interact efficiently with those components. Nothing is overlooked in creating a running surface to support optimum performance.
The comprehensive steps taken to create the optimum setting for track and field athletes at the Olympics is a great example of the power of settings for performance. It is a reminder that the elements of settings for performance of all kinds, including learning, play an important role in the ultimate performance achieved. We are seldom in a position to have the resources to produce settings as elaborate as the Olympic track, but we can be mindful of the elements of settings in which learners are expected to perform.
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