Types and methods of practice

Question 1

What is part practice?

Answer 1

The skill is broken down into subroutines and a particular part of the skill is practised. (Different parts of a skill are practised in isolation)

Question 2

What is an example of part practice?

Answer 2

Triple somersault.

Question 3

What are the advantages of part practice?

Answer 3

-Useful for skills that are complicated with high levels of complexity, low levels of organisation, and skills which
are dangerous.
-It is good for maintaining motivation and focusing on specific elements of the skill.
-It is best used with inexperienced or novice performers.

Question 4

What are the disadvantages of part practice?

Answer 4

-It can be time-consuming
It may also reduce the
kinaesthetic awareness (feel) for the full skill.

Question 5

What is whole practice?

Answer 5

Practising a skill in its entirety. (The skill is first demonstrated and then practised as a whole, from start to finish.)

Question 6

What is an example of whole practice?

Answer 6

Cartwheel.

Question 7

What are the advantages of whole practice?

Answer 7

-It helps the learner to get a feel for the skill, (kinaesthetic
awareness) timings and end product.
-Suitable for experienced and motivated performers.

Question 8

What are the disadvantages of whole practice?

Answer 8

-It is NOT suitable for people with low attention spans,
complex or dangerous skills.

Question 9

What is whole-part-whole practice?

Answer 9

The skill is first demonstrated and then practised as a
whole, from start to finish to help the learner to get a feel for
the skill, timings and end product.

Question 10

What is an example of whole-part-whole practice?

Answer 10

Swimming - where the learner would practice the whole stroke, then isolate a weak component,
such as the kick and use a float in the hands to ensure they are only using only their legs, before putting the whole stroke back together.

Question 11

What are the advantages of whole-part-whole practice?

Answer 11

-This can be very effective in skills which have easily distinguished
parts, where the whole skill together is complex.
-This gives the performer a sense of the whole skill before it is broken down to allow them to improve on the weak aspects of the performance.

Question 12

What are the disadvantages of whole-part-whole practice?

Answer 12

-As with the part method this may affect the transfer of the skill from parts to the whole.

Question 13

What is progressive practice?

Answer 13

The parts of a skill are practised individually, in order, before being linked together and expanded. (chaining method)

Question 14

What is an example progressive practice?

Answer 14

Triple jump - the hop will be practiced and learnt, before the skip is then practiced and learnt. The two are then linked together. Finally the jump will be learnt individually and then tagged on to the end of the skip.

Question 15

What are the advantages of progressive practice?

Answer 15

-Best suited to novice performers and those with a
short attention span.
-Good for complex, serial and dangerous skills.

Question 16

What are the disadvantages of progressive practice?

Answer 16

-This is a slow process but allows weaknesses to be targeted and for the performer to understand the relationship of the sub-routines.

Question 17

What is massed practice?

Answer 17

Learners practice a skill
continuously without any rest
breaks or intervals. Practice sessions are usually very
long.

Question 18

What is an example of massed practice?

Answer 18

Basketball player with a
trolley full of balls repeatedly
practising free throws for an
hour.

Question 19

What are the advantages of massed practice?

Answer 19

-good for ‘grooving’ of skills and to encourage a habitual response
-good for discrete skills of short duration

Question 20

What are the disadvantages of massed practice?

Answer 20

-can lead to fatigue and boredom
-Can lead to (overuse) injuries

Question 21

What is varied practice?

Answer 21

Learners practice specific skills in many often changing environments. Practice conditions must be as realistic as possible for this to be successful. Techniques are adapted to suit the environment.

Question 22

What is an example of varied practice?

Answer 22

Getting free from a defender to put a shot on goal or pass it into the shooting area.

Question 23

What are the advantages of varied practice?

Answer 23

-The performer learns to adapt the technique to the changing
environment.
-Adaptations are stored and increase
schema.

Question 24

What are the disadvantages of varied practice?

Answer 24

-Can be confusing, especially for
learners or for cognitive phase
performers
-Too many stimuli can cause
information overload

Question 25

What is fixed practice?

Answer 25

Learners practice specific skill patterns repeatedly in the same stable environment. This allows movements to become grooved/over learned and become habitual.

Question 26

What is an example of fixed practice?

Answer 26

Discus preparation, throw and recovery practice in a cage at an Athletics arena.

Question 27

What are the advantages of fixed practice?

Answer 27

-The skill becomes grooved-in or over-learned. -Information processing demands are low.

Question 28

What are the disadvantages of fixed practice?

Answer 28

-Can lead to (overuse) injuries -can be: de-motivating

Question 29

What is distributed practice?

Answer 29

Practice sessions have intervals or long breaks. The rest intervals allow a performer to recover mentally and physically.

Question 30

What is an example of distributed practice?

Answer 30

Eg 15mins short passing – Break 5mins 15mins pass and move – Break 5 mins 15mins Long passing – Break

Question 31

What are the advantages of distributed practice?

Answer 31

-good for the beginner and most skill learning -Helps maintain motivation.

Question 32

What are the disadvantages of distributed practice?

Answer 32

-Can de-motivate if breaks are too regular or too long -can cause disruption in learning because disjointed activity impedes learning