There are many approaches to this issue, each with its advantages and disadvantages. One that is useful because of its "common sense" approach is that devised by Barry Beyer. Below are the assumptions Beyer works from. These assumptions are built into the teaching strategies of the curriculum which follows. A skill is learned best when students:

• are consciously aware of what they are doing and how they do it;
• are not distracted by other inputs competing for attention;
• see the skill modeled;
• engage in frequent, but intermittent (not massed), practise of the skill;
• use feedback received during this practise to correct their use of the skill;
• talk about what they did as they engaged in the skill;
• receive guidance on how to use a skill at a time when they need the skill to accomplish a content related goal; and,
• receive guided opportunities to practise the skill in contexts other than that in which the skill was introduced.

What this means for teaching is that skills will not be mastered by students unless teachers are prepared to use a definite strategy aimed at mastery learning.

• Skills should be introduced in a way that shows the student these skills can accomplish tasks related to dealing with subject matter. The purpose of this is to demonstrate to the student the need for the skill based on its usefulness.

• Next the teacher should explain the skill in detail showing the student exactly what the skill is, its purpose, and the procedures involved in using the skill.

• The teacher should demonstrate the skill preferably by modelling it in a class situation.

• Once these steps have been completed, students should be given opportunities to apply and practise the skill using the course content they are studying.

(Note: Most research indicates clearly that skills have to be learned in the context of actual course content. Skills learned in isolation of content will not automatically transfer to any content that may be selected later.)

As part of their practise students:

• should be given coaching in the use of the skill;
• and should be given opportunities to think about the effective use of the skill.