Whole and Part Practice

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Chapter 18

• Whole and Part Practice

Concept Base decisions about practicing skills
as wholes or in parts on the complexity and
organization characteristics of the skills
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Definitions

• Whole practice
• A practice strategy that involves practicing a
  skill in its entirety (i.e., as a whole)
• Part practice
• A practice strategy that involves practicing
  parts of a skill before practicing the whole skill

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Skill Complexity and Organization

• The decision to practice a skill as a whole or in
  parts can be based on the complexity and
  organization characteristics of the skill
  (Hypothesis by Naylor Briggs, 1963)
• Complexity number of parts or components in a
  skill, and the attention demands on the task
• Note Complexity is distinct from difficulty
• Organization spatial and temporal relationships
  among the parts of the skill
• High level of organization parts are spatially
  and temporally interdependent
• Low level of organization parts are relatively
  independent

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Decisions to UseWhole or Part Practice

• Analyze the skill to determine which part of each
  continuum for complexity and organization best
  represents the skill
• If the skill is low in complexity and high in
  organization, practice of the whole skill is best
• If the skill is high in complexity and low in
  organization, practice by using the part method
• See A Closer Look - Example for learning to
  juggle 3 balls

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Example of making decision regarding use of whole
or part practice juggling

• Skill Analysis
• Complexity characteristics
• Hold the 3 balls in 2 hands
• Toss ball 1 from hand 1
• Catch ball 1 in hand 2 while tossing ball 2 with
  hand 2
• Catch ball 2 in hand 1 while tossing ball 3 with
  hand 2.
• Catch ball 3 in hand 1 while tossing ball 1 with
  hand 2
• Repeat steps 2 and 5.
• Between-component timingcritical for performance

• Conclusion. Three-ball juggling involves several
  component parts that are highly interdependent.
  Thererfore, juggling 3 balls is relatively high
  in complexity and in organization. Practicing
  the whole skill is appropriate method.
• Supporting Evidence Knapp and Dixon. Students
  who practiced juggling by whole method required
  65 trials, part method required 77 trials.

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Practicing Parts of a Skill

• Three part-task strategies (From Wrightman
  Lintern, 1985)
• 1. Fractionalization
• For skills requiring asymmetric coordination of
  the arms or legs
• Practice individual limbs
• Begin practicing with limb requiring more
  difficult or more complex part
• 2. Segmentation
• Also known as the progressive-part strategy
• Begin practice with first part of skill then
  progressively adds each part until skill is
  practiced as a whole

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Practicing Parts of a Skill

• Three part-task strategies (From Wrightman
  Lintern, 1985)
• 1. Fractionalization
• For skills requiring asymmetric coordination of
  the arms or legs
• Practice individual limbs
• Begin practicing with limb requiring more
  difficult or more complex part
• 2. Segmentation
• Also known as the progressive-part strategy
• Begin practice with first part of skill then
  progressively adds each part until skill is
  practiced as a whole

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Practicing Parts of a Skill, contd

• 3. Simplification
• Reduce skill difficulty by practicing an easier
  (i.e., simpler) variation of the skill before
  practicing the skill itself
• Examples of simplification methods
• Reduce object difficulty
• Reduce attention demands
• Reduce movement speed
• Add auditory cues
• Progressive sequences of increasing skill
  difficulty or complexity
• Simulators and virtual reality environments

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Practicing Parts of a Skill, contd

• 3. Simplification
• Reduce skill difficulty by practicing an easier
  (i.e., simpler) variation of the skill before
  practicing the skill itself
• Examples of simplification methods
• Reduce object difficulty
• Reduce attention demands
• Reduce movement speed
• Add auditory cues
• Progressive sequences of increasing skill
  difficulty or complexity
• Simulators and virtual reality environments

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Practicing Parts of a Skill, contd

• 3. Simplification
• Reduce skill difficulty by practicing an easier
  (i.e., simpler) variation of the skill before
  practicing the skill itself
• Examples of simplification methods
• Reduce object difficulty
• Reduce attention demands
• Reduce movement speed
• Add auditory cues
• Progressive sequences of increasing skill
  difficulty or complexity
• Simulators and virtual reality environments

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Practicing Parts of a Skill, contd

• 3. Simplification
• Reduce skill difficulty by practicing an easier
  (i.e., simpler) variation of the skill before
  practicing the skill itself
• Examples of simplification methods
• Reduce object difficulty
• Reduce attention demands
• Reduce movement speed
• Add auditory cues
• Progressive sequences of increasing skill
  difficulty or complexity
• Simulators and virtual reality environments

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Attention Approach to Involving Part Practice in
Whole Practice

• When it is not advisable or practical to separate
  parts of a skill for practice
• A part practice strategy that provides both
  part and whole practice
• Practicing the whole skill but focus attention on
  specific parts that need work

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