Factors that influence learning

What are the requirements for learning a motor skill? What do each of these requirements mean for the teacher of motor skills?

In order for a student to learn a motor skill they must have prerequisites which means they have already mastered some easier form of the skill. They must also be developmentally ready to learn the given skill. The students must also have a clear idea of the task. Teachers need to make sure they give the students the right motor programs so they have the complete information on what they are trying to do. The students must then have motivational and attentional disposition to the skill. This means that teachers should eliminate repetitive drills and design their lessons to capture the students attention. If all these areas are met the next thing a student needs is practice. This is necessary for students to use information on how to do the skill and to develop consistency in their performance.  A teacher can then give feedback to give the student knowledge of their results and performance which can be used to help the student improve and keep them motivated to the skill.

What is the difference between the way closed skills, open skills, discrete skills, and serial skills should be taught?

The difference in the way these different types of skills should be taught has to do with the complexity of the skills. Closed skills can be taught first and in drill like situations because the environment in which the student will have to do them won't change. The same goes for discrete skills because they have a definite beginning, middle, and end, and are only performed once. The student can really work on the quality and technique of the skill this way. As for open skills, students should learn these in game like situations because the environment is a contributing factor with the skills. Serial skills should also be taught like this also because they are discrete skills done one after another.