1. The learning environment
Nature of the skill (open, closed, gross, fine, discrete, serial, continuous, self-paced, externally paced.
The Performance Elements (decision-making, strategic and tactical development)
Practice Method (massed, distributed, whole, part)
Feedback (internal, external, concurrent, delayed, knowledge of results, knowledge of performance)

2. THE LEARNING ENVIRONMENT
The learning environment affects the acquisition of the skill.
Refers to the variables around skill acquisition, many of which can be managed or adapted by the coach to ensure the skill is acquired quickly and to a high degree.
The learning environment refers to the nature of the skill and whether it is:
An open or closed skill
Gross or fine skill
Discrete, serial or continuous skill
If it is self-paced or externally paced.
The nature of the skill affects how the skill should be taught and and which practice method is best suited to the skill.
The performance elements will also influence skill acquisition and are part of the environment in which skills are learnt. These performance elements are essentially skills themselves, but are more skills of the mind then of the physical sense. Finally, the nature of feedback, including the speed at which it is given are part of this learning environment.

3. NATURE OF THE SKILL A skill can be: Open or closed Gross or fine,
Discrete, serial or continuous
Self or externally paced
Each classification sits along a continuum, with skills varying in their degree of any selection.
Skills are classified by selecting one from each choice.
Open:
is performed in a constantly changing environment (weather, opposition, surface), such as kicking a goal in Australian Rules Football.
Closed:
is performed in the same conditions every time, such as weight lifting.
Open skills take longer to learn than closed skills.

4. Gross:
requires large muscle groups (legs, back, chest), such as running.
Fine:
uses small or isolated muscles (wrist flexors, bicep), such as shooting. Fine skills are easier to learn than gross skills.
Discrete:
has a clear beginning and end, such as a flip in gymnastics.
Serial:
combines a number of separate smaller skills to perform the larger more complex skill, such as a lay up in basketball, which combines dribbling, catching, jumping and shooting.
Continuous:
repeats a specific movement over and over again, such as running. Serial skills are harder to learn than discrete skills, which are often harder than continuous skills because continuous skills are repeated all the time.

5. Self-paced:
has its timing and speed determined by the performer, such as a tennis serve.
Externally paced:
has its timing and speed determined by external factors like opposing players or music, such as rhythmic gymnastics or batting in baseball. Externally paced skills are harder to learn than self paced.

6. THE PERFORMANCE ELEMENTS
It is vital for performance that an athlete can perform their skills under pressure and respond to their environment.
Performance elements that enhance an athletes ability to perform are:
Decision making
Strategic development
Tactical development
DECISION MAKING
Refers to the various decisions made by any athlete during a performance.
These include:
where to hit the ball
who to pass to and when
where to kick the ball
where to stand defensively.
Can be improved by demonstrations or good decision-making
Prompting questions of the players such as “how do we create space here?”
Practicing in game like scenarios, being allowed to explore various scenarios by changing oppositional tactics or strategies, and encouraging creativity in the athlete.
The more opportunity athletes have to make decisions in games, the better they will get at it.

7. THE PERFORMANCE ELEMENTS CONT…
STRATEGIC DEVELOPMENT
Strategy is the overall method used to achieve the goal, normally winning the competition
Includes where an athlete should be at a particular time and what they should do
TATICTAL DEVELOPMENT
Tactics are about gaining an advantage over the opposing player normally connected with game sense and decision making. Includes things like:
moving into space
marking a particular player
using a cut out pass.
Strategic and tactical development comes through technical efficiency, understanding the game, and good execution.

8. THE PERFORMANCE ELEMENTS CONT…
Players who have good technical skills are more likely to make a successful pass or shot while under pressure and making decisions.
Players who understand how the game works and which strategies or tactics are better in various situations, are more successful in executing the strategy or tactic and selecting the right one for success.
The strategy or tactic must then be practised to ensure timing is correct and execution is smooth and successful.
Requires:
The strategy to be clear
Each individual player to know their role within the strategy
Then learning to execute the strategy using various tactics through practice in various situations, which will also develop good decision-making.

9. PRACTICE METHODS Practice methods can either be: Massed or distributed
Whole or part.
MASSED PRACTICE
is a continuous practice session, with smaller rest periods than practice intervals and works well for skilled and motivated athletes.
Suits skills that are exciting or frequently used in performance, such as uneven bar transitions, or passing in football.

10. PRACTICE METHODS CONT…
DISTRIBUTED PRACTICE
has short periods of practice with longer breaks from the skill rehearsal, which can be rehearsal of another skill or a break for feedback.
Often used for less skilled and less motivated athletes and is helpful in teaching boring skills, such as passing a basketball.
Can also be used for the more difficult skills that need to be broken up, or when lots of feedback is necessary.

11. PRACTICE METHODS CONT…
WHOLE PRACTICE
is when the skill is practiced in its entirety and is often used for discrete and continuous skills. 
Good for teaching swimming or running.
PART PRACTICE
is when the skill is broken down into its smaller parts and each part is practiced in isolation before being joined together.
Often used for teaching serial skills that have smaller skills that make up the larger skill, such as a basketball layup.

12. FEEDBACK
Feedback is important for the acquisition of skill by the athlete.
Provides direction, goals and helps the athlete to adjust their performance and skill execution as they progress through the stages of skill acquisition.
Feedback can be:
Internal or external
Concurrent or delayed
Knowledge of results or performance.

13. FEEDBACK CONT… INTERNAL FEEDBACK
comes from the performer and how the movement felt, and relies on proprioception.
A soccer player feeling that they did not connect with the ball correctly is internal.
EXTERNAL FEEDBACK 
comes from outside the body and includes sounds, videos or a coach.
An AFL player scores a goal from 40m out.

14. FEEDBACK CONT… CONCURRENT FEEDBACK
occurs during the execution of the skill, such as a coach stopping a golfer mid-swing to correct their grip on the handle.
DELAYED FEEDBACK
is received after the skill is completed, such as video analysis of a baseball pitchers performance.

15. FEEDBACK CONT… KNOWLEDGE OF RESULTS
Feedback that provides information about the outcome of the skill execution
Such as scoring a goal or hitting a six.
KNOWLEDGE OF PERFORMANCE
Is information provided about the process of movement normally provided externally after its completion
Such as a coach giving technical advice on the tennis serve, telling the player to drop their shoulder later.

16. Plan to teach Basketball Lay-up
The layup is an:
Open
Gross
Serial
internally paced skill
The athlete will first need this serial skill broken into its sub-skills:
Dribbling
Catching
Jumping
Shooting
During this early stage, the athlete will require lots of demonstration of the skills and given a chance to mass practice each one.
Feedback will be external and focus on performance, not results.
Feedback will also need to be both concurrent and delayed. The cognitive learner does not know what the skill is meant to feel like and need to develop good technique before worrying about outcomes.

17. Once each of these skills is learnt in isolation and performed at the associative stage, they should begin to be pieced together, joining two-step jumping and shooting, and dribbling to the catch and two steps.
Again feedback will be external and focus on knowledge of performance, while utilising both concurrent and delayed feedback.
These would then be joined together and taught as the one skill. With feedback becoming progressing to be more results based and delayed as the athlete improves.
Massed practice would be best used once the skill is combined.

18. Finally the skill will begin to be used in game situations to develop the athlete’s decision-making, strategies and tactics regarding when to do a lay-up and when to use a jump shot or pass the ball.
Feedback will become much more internal and results based as each layup will either score a basket or not.
Feedback will also progress to focusing on the performance elements rather than the performance of the layup.

19. The layup is a complex serial skill and takes much time to master
The layup is a complex serial skill and takes much time to master. If the athlete is determined and focused then more massed practice can be used. If they are intelligent and confident, then they will respond more swiftly to feedback provided by the coach. If the athlete does not have much motivation, distributed practice should be used, which will delay the development of the skill. If the athlete is less determined and is not reliable in turning up to training this will also slow the acquisition of this skill.