Computer models of the acquisition of cognitive skills build on a long and progressive tradition of research. Since 1979, a wide range of psychologically plausible mechanisms for learning during skill practice have been implemented in computational models. This repertoire of mechanisms goes a long way towards answering the questions implied by Fitts’ (1964) division of practice into three phases: How does skill practice get started? How is a partially learned skill improved during practice? How does a skill change as practice is extended beyond mastery? Nine distinct modes of learning are identified. Each can be implemented in several different ways. The majority of models explain the speed-up of task completion that occurs during practice. There are fewer attempts to model the origin, consequences, and ultimate elimination of errors.

This section provides you, as a pre-service teacher, with research-based pedagogical approaches to teaching and learning activities in your classroom. You will gain the appreciation of a variety of classroom activities, practices and methods that are teacher-centred and student-centred (discussed in Chapter 8) and enable the learning and teaching of history in classroom contexts. Whether this section is discussing teacher-centred or student-centred practices, at the core of the approaches included in this chapter and in Chapter 8 is the idea of learning-centred pedagogy. In these chapters, you will learn about these approaches so that you can consider what is best for you and your students in any given context. This chapter will specifically map out practical approaches to effective teacher-centred practices that can be incorporated in the History classroom. You will be provided with examples of how you can use teacher-centred pedagogies to engage and teach your students.