How should practice be organised and skills presented for the best learning?
The types of practice (massed, distributed, fixed, varied) and methods of presenting a skill (whole, part, whole-part-whole, progressive-part), matched to the skill and the learner.
A focused WJEC A-Level PE answer on practice and presentation, covering massed, distributed, fixed and varied practice, and the whole, part, whole-part-whole and progressive-part methods, matched to the skill classification and the learner.
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What this dot point is asking
WJEC wants you to describe the types of practice (massed, distributed, fixed and varied) and the methods of presenting a skill (whole, part, whole-part-whole and progressive-part), and to choose the right combination for a given skill classification and stage of learning.
Types of practice
Fixed practice suits closed skills, where the environment does not change; varied practice suits open skills, where the performer must adapt and learn to read cues.
Methods of presenting a skill
The method depends on two features of the skill:
- Organisation is how closely the parts of a skill are linked. A highly organised skill (a golf swing) is hard to break up and suits the whole method; a low-organisation skill (a swimming stroke) can be split and suits part or progressive-part methods.
- Complexity is how much information must be processed. A simple skill suits the whole method; a complex skill suits part-based methods to reduce the load on the beginner.
Examples in context
Example 1. Whole-part-whole on a swimming stroke. A coach lets a swimmer perform the full front crawl, isolates a weak leg kick on a float, then returns to the full stroke. This fixes the weak part without losing the feel of the whole, a classic WJEC presentation example.
Example 2. Varied practice for a midfielder. A football coach has a midfielder pass and move in small-sided games with different numbers and pressures so the open skill transfers to the match. This shows varied practice preparing a performer for an unpredictable environment.
Try this
Q1. Define massed practice and state one type of performer it suits. [2 marks]
- Cue. Continuous practice with little or no rest between attempts; it suits fit, experienced and motivated performers learning simple closed skills.
Q2. Explain when a coach would use varied rather than fixed practice. [2 marks]
- Cue. For an open skill performed in a changing environment, varied practice lets the performer learn to adapt and read different situations; fixed practice suits a closed skill in a stable setting.
Q3. Explain why a complex, low-organisation skill suits the progressive-part method. [2 marks]
- Cue. Its parts can be separated and learned one at a time, then chained together, reducing the information a beginner must process at once.
Exam-style practice questions
Practice questions written in the style of WJEC exam questions on this dot point, with worked answer explainers. The year tag is the paper they imitate, not the source.
WJEC 20194 marksA coach is teaching a complex serial skill such as a triple jump. Explain why the progressive-part method of presentation might be the most suitable.Show worked answer →
The triple jump is a complex, serial skill made of linked sub-routines (the hop, step and jump) and has a high organisation in the way the parts join.
The progressive-part method teaches the first part, then adds and links the second part, then the third, building the chain step by step.
It suits this skill because each part can be learned and grooved before being joined to the next, reducing the information the learner must process at once, which is helpful for a beginner and a dangerous or fatiguing skill.
Markers reward identifying the skill as serial/complex, describing progressive-part (chaining parts together in sequence), and a reason such as reduced cognitive load or learning each linked part securely.
WJEC 20214 marksCompare massed and distributed practice and recommend which is more suitable for a beginner, giving a reason.Show worked answer →
Massed practice has little or no rest between attempts, so the skill is repeated continuously. Distributed practice spreads attempts out with rest or other activities between them.
Massed practice grooves a simple, closed skill quickly and suits experienced, motivated and fit performers, but it is tiring and can cause fatigue and boredom.
Distributed practice is more suitable for a beginner because the rest intervals reduce fatigue, allow feedback and mental rehearsal, and lower the risk of injury, which helps a learner who tires quickly and needs time to process information.
Markers reward defining both, the trade-offs (speed versus fatigue and feedback), and recommending distributed practice for a beginner with a valid reason.
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