3-26  Studies of skill learning suggest a learner achieves better results if distractions are avoided during deliberate practice. When feedback  is needed to correct learner performance, it should be brief and explicit. Examples of individual skills for pilots are landings, stalls,  steep turns, and procedure flows. Examples for maintenance technicians are correct installation of piston rings on a reciprocating  engine, setting timing on an aircraft engine, and installing a tach generator.  Figure 3-18.  A learner exhibits deliberate practice by plotting courses for his next training flight.  Learning Plateaus  Types of Practice  Deliberate Practice  In order for a learner to gain skill knowledge on how to perform the skill automatically, he or she needs to engage in deliberate  practice. This practice is aimed at a particular goal. During deliberate practice, the learner practices specific areas for improvement  and receives specific feedback after practice. The feedback points out discrepancies between the actual performance and the  performance goal sought. During deliberate practice, a learner focuses on eliminating these discrepancies.  [Figure 3-18]  There are three types of practice, each of which yields particular results in acquiring skills: deliberate, blocked, and random.  Once a learner learns the skill, it is important to continue some practice to improve retention, but the power law of practice raises the  question of whether or not there is a point at which continued practice no longer leads to improvement. Since athletic coaches, among  others, are very interested in maximizing performance, much research has been done on the subject. Within the last few years,  research has shown that how practice is structured makes an important impact on how well people retain what they have learned.  The instructor should prepare the learner for this situation to avert discouragement by explaining that the plateau is normal and  temporary. Instructors can help learners who fall into a plateau by moving the learner to a different place in the curriculum and giving  the current task a break. Instructors should also be aware that they can bring on a learning plateau by over-practice. Learning plateau  problems can sometimes be alleviated also by the instructor better explaining the lesson, the reason for the lesson, and how it applies  to the learner.  A learning plateau may signify any number of conditions. For example, the learner may have reached capability limits, may be  consolidating levels of skill, interest may have waned, or the learner may need a more efficient method for increasing progress. Keep  in mind that the apparent lack of increasing proficiency does not necessarily mean that learning has ceased. When learning motor  skills, a plateau, is normal and should be expected after an initial period of rapid improvement. 