Evaluating a skills centre: learning psychomotor skills--a review of the theory

The formal teaching of skills based on the theoretical principles of skill acquisition has, so far, been practised by teachers responsible for preparing students for their first adult clinical placement on the diploma programme. Whether teachers on other programmes are using similar models of skill acquisition has been surveyed, and the results are presently being analysed. This approach to teaching skills within the context of the Skills Centre is also being evaluated. However, as indicated in the introduction to this paper, it is important to develop and implement the theoretical foundations for skills teaching before any evaluative research on it can take place (Chen 1986). Now these foundations are in place, the evaluative strategy can proceed.