Protected practice: what it is and what it means

Protected practice is the space between one training session and the next in which the employee tries out what they learned in real work situations, knowing they can make mistakes without serious consequences. "Protected" means that the mistake is expected and has no serious consequences: the employee knows they are experimenting, not that they must already be competent. Three elements make it possible: a real task with limited risk, an observer who can give feedback, a structured moment of reflection on the experience. Without these elements, the practice is not protected, just unstructured.

Distinctive: they are experimenting, not that they must already be competent
Distinctive: the mistake is expected and has no serious consequences
Essential: space between one training session and the next
Essential: real work situations
Constant: a real task with limited risk
Constant: a structured moment of reflection on the experience

Glossary

Protected practice

The space between one training session and the next in which the employee applies what they learned under real conditions but with limited risk.