Abstract

Motor learning is a series of processes by which experience and practice produce relatively permanent changes in skilled performance, and its evaluation is crucial in rehabilitation. This review concisely organizes foundational concepts of motor learning and presents an evaluation process and methods intended for clinical implementation. Grounded in the concepts of fast and slow learning, the framework integrates the capture of immediate change at the initial assessment with the appraisal of longitudinal change—including retention and transfer—at reevaluation. Within this structure, we adopt a three-stage approach that (1) assesses motor learning capacity, (2) identifies barriers to learning, and (3) characterizes how individuals learn, thereby providing a multifaceted account of individual differences. In addition, we address motor learning from the perspective of “movement quality,” indicating the importance of its evaluation and outlining clinically feasible ways to assess it. Taken together, these elements aim to optimize interventions and to enhance the validity and reproducibility of goal setting, thereby contributing to the standardization of motor learning evaluation in physical therapy. The framework emphasizes clear alignment with routine clinical timing and practical feasibility so that learning-centered assessment can be consistently integrated into everyday rehabilitation practice.