Designing Deliberate Practice Tasks
Stevie Chepko
[email protected]
Defining Deliberate Practice
 Ericsson, Krampe, & Clemens (1993) defined deliberate practice
as –
 Learning experiences that primary purposes are attaining and
improving current level of performance.
 Focus is on the specificity of the practice condition that addresses identified
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weaknesses and allows students to address those weaknesses
Requires effort ,concentration , and cognitive engagement on the part of the
learner
Requires continuous feedback and adaptation of practice condition
Relies on the expertise and guidance of a teacher/coach
Must provide learners with enough practice for improvement to occur
What Deliberate Practice is Not  Simply playing the “game” or gaining experience does not
lead to performance improvement and delays learning
 Simply drilling on technique will not lead to performance
gains
 Drills do not cognitively engage students
 Often address only one component of a skill
 Often do not allow for differentiated instruction
 Often do not allow learners to practice the essential elements
of the skill within the context of how the skill will be used
Deliberate Practice Is  Teachers designed based on the uniqueness of their
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environmental context
Based on pre-existing skill levels of learners
Focused on the key skills and knowledge required for the
physical activity
Cognitively and physically engaging for students
Of short duration with multiple practice tasks that allow for
progressive & sequential learning
Creating Deliberate Practice Tasks
 Practice task must be challenging (cognitively & physically)
 Engage all students in the task
 Ability group
 Differentiated instruction
 Teaching by invitation
 Allow for transfer of learning
 Maximize the number of practice opportunities
Creating Deliberate Practice Task
(cont.)
 Build on pre-existing knowledge/skill
 Include the contextual environment in which the skill will be
used
 Short duration with multiple extensions and refinements
based on student responses
 Provides numerous opportunities for feedback from the task,
the teacher/coach, and/or peer
 Requires self-evaluation on the part of the learner
Assessment
 Inherent to the process of deliberate practice is
 On-going and continuous assessment of performance
 Teaching learners to self-assess and correct
 Tracking progress over time and using the information to
modify the next practice tasks
 Focus is on specific skills or knowledge that needs to improve
for each student
Context
 Avoid the “silo” of skill technique without context
 Deliberate practice tasks should mirror the context in which the
skill/knowledge is used
 Combine the teaching of skills with tactics and strategies
 Teach students to problem solve
 Provide feedback on game decision-making
 Teach for transfer
 Teach anticipation
Maximize the Amount of Physical
Activity Time
 To maximize the amount of PA and deliberate practice time
 Plan the sequences in advanced based on pre-existing
skill/knowledge
 Ability group students
 Keep all instruction to one or two key elements
 Practice those elements for no more than 2 minutes
 Refine the task (reinforce those elements)
 Practice again for no more than 2 minutes
 Add another element (if students are ready) and practice for 2 minutes
 Repeat the sequence for each skill or task
Differentiation of Instruction
 Allow students choices on –
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Entry and exit points
Equipment
Size of space
Number of students in the practice tasks
With or without defense
Number of skills to be included in the task
To move forward or continue to practice at the same level with
a refinement
 Intra-task variation through task cards or levels of skill
practice at a station
Practice Tasks to be Developed
 6th grade class
 Volleyball forearm pass
 Create a sequence of three practice tasks that begin the process of skill
acquisition for the forearm pass
 Each practice tasks should have at least one refinement and one
extension
 Remember to keep the game context in mind as students begin the
practice sequence
 Allow for differentiated instruction within each tasks
Practice Tasks to be Developed
 Fifth grade class
 Teach the offensive skills of give and go, lead pass, and pivot
 Create three practice tasks in a sequence
 Each practice tasks should have at least one refinement and one
extension
 Remember to keep the game context in mind as students begin the
practice sequence
 Teach for transfer of these skills to multiple invasion games
 Allow for differentiation of instruction
Practice Tasks to be Developed
 7th grade
 Create a station or task card for a deliberate practice task for
striking using a short or long handled implement
 Provide at least three levels of the task to account for varying levels of
skill in the class
 For each level of the task, provide at least one refinement and extensions
Practice Task, Application, and
Creativity
 You have just finished a square dance unit with your 4th
graders. You want to see how much of the “rules” of square
dance they can use in the creation of a dance following the
“rules” of square dance without using any of the traditional
movements
 Design a task card giving students the parameters for the
creation of a dance
 Allow students the choice of music and partners for the task
Sharing
 After each group has developed their sequence, the entire
group will participate in the practice tasks
 Critique the practice tasks based on the guidelines for deliberate
practice
 Make specific suggestions for change
 Identify what worked and what might need modified for each
group.