* Learners practice a skill continuously without breaks * Ideal for experienced, highly motivated learners * Ideal for simple, discrete skills of short duration * Also suitable for simulating performance conditions – element of fatigue
Critical evaluation * Grooves habitual movements * Without break – more like a game situation * Good for fitness * Can lead to boredom and fatigue – especially long sessions * Cognitive learners can suffer from lack of concentration * Fatigue can lead to demotivation, poor performance and poor learning
Distributed practice
* Sessions include intervals/rest breaks * Effective for most skills * Effective for most phases of learning * Most effective on cognitive learners or those with low motivation or fitness * Rest intervals allow time to recover physically and mentally and time for feedback
Critical evaluation * Good for potentially dangerous skills * Good for complex skills * Rest breaks prevent fatigue * Good for maintaining motivation * Effective on learners and for most skills * Good for continuous skills * Not good for simulating game conditions – because rest breaks
Fixed practice
* Where a specific movement pattern is practiced repeatedly in the same environment * Most suitable for closed skills – because they require specific movement patterns to be over learned and become habitual * Environment the skills are learned in remains the same * Once the skill is perfected, it never needs to change
Critical evaluation * Good for closed skills * Environment stays the same, therefore skill is easier to practice and master * Open skills are not good to learn using fixed practice * Can be boring
Varied practice
