CWI Instructional Techniques & Skills Development 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: When introducing footwork technique to a beginner climber, which teaching method is most effective?
- Demonstrate the full route first, then let them attempt it
- Use guided discovery by asking the climber to place feet precisely on small holds (Correct answer)
- Explain the theory of friction and trust they will apply it
- Focus on upper body strength before addressing footwork
Correct answer: Use guided discovery by asking the climber to place feet precisely on small holds
Guided discovery prompts learners to actively problem-solve footwork placement, building proprioceptive awareness more effectively than passive observation.
Question 2: A student consistently over-grips holds, leading to rapid forearm fatigue. The best corrective cue is:
- Tell them to use smaller holds to build grip strength
- Cue them to 'shake out' every few moves to rest muscles
- Instruct them to relax their grip and use only as much force as needed to maintain contact (Correct answer)
- Move them to steeper terrain so they learn faster
Correct answer: Instruct them to relax their grip and use only as much force as needed to maintain contact
Teaching minimum necessary grip force reduces muscular fatigue and builds efficient technique for long-term climbing performance.
Question 3: Which of the following best describes the 'whole-part-whole' instructional model applied to teaching a top-rope belay?
- Teach each step in strict sequence without any overview
- Demonstrate the entire belay sequence, break it into components, then have the student perform the full sequence (Correct answer)
- Have students watch a video, then test them immediately
- Only teach the parts that are most dangerous first
Correct answer: Demonstrate the entire belay sequence, break it into components, then have the student perform the full sequence
Whole-part-whole gives learners a mental framework before isolating skills, then integrates them back into the complete task.
Question 4: When teaching a youth group with mixed skill levels, the most effective grouping strategy is:
- Group all beginners together and ignore advanced students during the session
- Create mixed-ability pairs so advanced students can model skills for beginners (Correct answer)
- Separate all skill levels to prevent distraction
- Have the entire group attempt the same route regardless of ability
Correct answer: Create mixed-ability pairs so advanced students can model skills for beginners
Mixed-ability pairing leverages peer modeling while keeping all students engaged and fostering cooperative learning.
Question 5: A climber is struggling with balance on a slab route. Which task constraint manipulation best isolates the balance skill?
- Add a harness weight to increase difficulty
- Remove hands from the wall briefly to heighten awareness of foot balance (Correct answer)
- Switch to an overhang to practice a different movement
- Increase the height of the route
Correct answer: Remove hands from the wall briefly to heighten awareness of foot balance
Temporarily removing hand use forces the climber to rely solely on foot balance, creating an effective constraint that highlights the target skill.
Question 6: After observing a student's first belay attempt, an instructor should provide feedback that is:
- Comprehensive, covering every error observed in detail
- Prioritized to address the most safety-critical error first (Correct answer)
- Delayed until the end of the entire lesson
- Focused only on positive behaviors to build confidence
Correct answer: Prioritized to address the most safety-critical error first
Safety-critical errors must be corrected immediately and first; non-critical technique feedback follows once safety is ensured.
Question 7: Which questioning technique is most effective for encouraging a climber to self-reflect on a failed route attempt?
- 'You should have used the left hand there, didn't you see that?'
- 'What were you thinking about when you fell?' (Correct answer)
- 'Why didn't you just try harder?'
- 'Do you want me to show you the right way?'
Correct answer: 'What were you thinking about when you fell?'
Open-ended reflective questions prompt the learner to analyze their own performance, building self-coaching skills.
CWI Instructional Techniques & Skills Development 2
When introducing footwork technique to a beginner climber, which teaching method is most effective?