Making Students Do the Thinking: Team-Based Learning in a Laboratory Course

Team-based learning (TBL) is a teaching pedagogy for flipping the classroom that moves the focus of the classroom from the instructor conveying course concepts via lecture to the application of concepts by student teams. It has been used extensively in lecture courses; however, there is little evidence of its use in laboratory courses. The purpose of this report is to describe the implementation of TBL in a graduate exercise physiology laboratory course. Using TBL in a graduate laboratory course was very successful and well received by both the students and instructor. Students reported increased content learning, skill development, and retention. They took on the responsibility for learning and were more accountable. The learners drove the process and were guided by the instructor rather than through instructor-centered delivery

Establishing Common Course Objectives for Undergraduate Exercise Physiology

Undergraduate exercise physiology is a ubiquitous course in undergraduate kinesiology/exercise science programs with a broad scope and depth of topics. It is valuable to explore what is taught within this course. The purpose of the present study was to facilitate an understanding of what instructors teach in undergraduate exercise physiology, how it compares with various guidelines, and to continue the conversation regarding what should be taught. A survey was created using course outcomes from the American Society of Exercise Physiologists, National Association for Sport and Physical Education, Ivy’s 2007 Quest article, the National Athletic Training Association, the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education, and 36 undergraduate exercise physiology course syllabi. The 134-item survey was disseminated to individuals who use exercise physiology: university faculty members, clinical exercise physiologists, researchers, and other practitioners on various exercise physiology lists; 2,009 surveys were sent, and 322 surveys were completed (16% rate of return). There was a high degree of agreement about a lot of important content in undergraduate exercise physiology. Instructors of exercise physiology should focus their curriculum on regulation and homeostasis (including adaptation, fatigue, and recovery), aerobic systems, bioenergetics, muscle physiology, and fitness principles. In addition, attention should be paid to performance and technical skills. In conclusion, it is up to exercise physiologists to ensure quality of knowledge and practice. Doing so will improve the uniformity and quality of practitioners within the various kinesiology/ exercise science fields and increase the value of a Kinesiology/ Exercise Science degree and set it apart from other healthcare providers and fitness professionals

Teaching the Resistance Training Class: A Circuit Training Course Design for the Strength and Conditioning Coach

Strength and conditioning coaches in high schools and small colleges are asked to perform duties beyond working with athletes, including teaching resistance training courses. Many have not had teacher preparation. This article will address guidelines for physical activity and provide a course description and rationale for a circuit training program

Assessment, Evaluation, Metacognition, and Grading in POGIL

I truly believe no matter the level of student, all students can participate and learn in this form. Set your expectations that all students can learn this way and don\u27t underestimate them. By doing POGIL you can actually see your students learning and it is wonderful! —A POGIL practitioner How does POGIL fit inro grading schemes for assignments, tests, and the course? POGIL activities are not designed robe graded as assessments; rather, they are intended as learning tools. However, one of the principle process skills targeted by POGIL is assessment—specifically self-assessment. Thus, much of the grading and assessment in a POGIL classroom helps students learn how to self-assess (metacognition) and, in turn, self-regulate. The instructor must model how to self-assess and emphasize its importance. Assessment is also more meaningful when it occurs in proximity to the learning. Common tools to accomplish this are enhancing metacognition, creating individual and group accountability via grading group work and peer grading, and frequent formative assessments

Implementing Process Oriented Guided Inquiry Learning (POGIL) in Undergraduate Biomechanics: Lessons Learned by a Novice

Process Oriented Guided Inquiry (POGIL) uses cooperative learning activities to teach content and to actively engage students in inquiry, analytical thinking, and teamwork. It has been used extensively in Chemistry education, but its use is not well documented in other areas. This is a summary of the initial implementation of POGIL in a university biomechanics course and includes the benefits, challenges, and recommendations for teachers interested in using this effective instructional strategy

Establishing a Framework for Assessing Teaching Effectiveness

Most institutional practices to evaluate teaching are inadequate, inaccurate, neither improve teaching directly, nor incentivize teaching improvement. This is often because effective teaching is difficult to assess and most tools do not adequately or accurately do so and are often without established standards. Because of this, faculty may be hesitant to change or may not be aware of the need to change their teaching practice or how to effect such change. Here we establish a framework defining effective teaching and develop a tool that considers multiple facets of teaching and will accommodate different approaches, modes, and environments

The Need for Recategorized Video Game Labels: A Quantitative Approach

Prior research has suggested that video game genre labels are an ineffective method of communicating a game\u27s experience. Our investigation serves to provide a quantitative means of assessing experience communication effectiveness. We assessed game similarities by their associated game genre labels. The ratio between the small number of available developer-generated labels and the number of games led to too few labels to effectively delineate between similar and dissimilar games. The ratio between the large number of user-generated labels and the number of games led to too many labels to effectively cluster similar games with one another. However, games that had matching genres (e.g., direct sequels to each other) led to direct clustering. The result from this analysis provides evidence that this novel method of assessing games\u27 communication experience works as intended and may be used by future research to assess the effectiveness of alternative categorization systems

Determining Intensity Levels of Selected Wii Fit Activities in College Aged Individuals

To determine intensity of Nintendo Wii Fit games using indirect calorimetry. Twenty-five college students completed Wii Fit activity sessions at two difficulty levels within aerobics, strength, and yoga categories. Resting metabolic rate and exercise VO2 were measured and metabolic equivalents (METs) were calculated. Measured METs and calculated METs ranged from 2.30 ± .42 and 2.44 ± .38 for Yoga to 5.73 ± 1.36 and 6.04 ± 1.09 for aerobics, respectively. All selected Wii Fit activity intensities were significantly higher than resting, p \u3c .001; aerobic and strength activities met the moderate intensity threshold (3 METs, p \u3c .001), yoga activities did not (p \u3c .005); aerobic and yoga activities of medium difficulty were more intense than the corresponding easy-rated activities (p \u3c .005). There were no statistical differences between measured and calculated METs. Wii Fit has potential as an effective tool for helping college-age individuals increase their PA

Effect of Exercise Training and +Gz Acceleration Training on Men

Countermeasures for reduction in work capacity (maximal oxygen uptake and strength) during spaceflight and enhanced orthostatic intolerance during re-entry, landing and egress from the return vehicle are continuing problems. The purpose for this study was to test the hypothesis that passive-acceleration training; supine, interval, exercise plus acceleration training and exercise combined with acceleration training would improve orthostatic tolerance in ambulatory men; and that addition of the aerobic exercise conditioning would not alter this improved tolerance from that of passive-acceleration training. Seven men (24-38 yr) underwent "Passive" training on the Ames human-powered centrifuge (HPC) for 30 min, "Exercise" training on the cycle ergometer with constant +Gz acceleration; and "Combined" exercise training at 40% to 90% of the HPC +Gz(max) exercise level. Maximal supine exercise loads increased significant (P<0.05) by 8.3% (Passive), 12.6% (Exercise), and by 15.4% (Combined) after training, but their post-training maximal oxygen uptakes and maximal heart rates were unchanged. Maximal time to fatigue (endurance) was unchanged with Passive was increased (P<0.05) with Exercise and Combined training. Thus, the exercise in the Exercise and Combined training Phases resulted in greater maximal loads and endurance without effect on maximal oxygen uptake or heart rate. There was a 4% to 6% increase (P<0.05) in all four quadriceps muscle volumes (right and left) after post-Combined training. Resting pre-tilt heart rate was elevated by 12.9% (P<0.05) only after Passive training suggesting that the exercise training attenuated the HR response. Plasma volume (% Delta) was uniformly decreased by 8% to 14% (P<0.05) at tilt-tolerance pre- vs. post-training indicating essentially no effect of training on the level of hypovolemia. Post-training tilt-tolerance time and heart rate were increased (P<0.05) only with Passive training by 37.8% and by 29.1%, respectively. Thus, addition of exercise training appeared to attenuate the increased Passive tilt-tolerance

POGIL: An Introduction to Process Oriented Guided Inquiry Learning for Those Who Wish to Empower Learners

Process Oriented Guided Inquiry Learning (POGIL) is a pedagogy that is based on research on how people learn and has been shown to lead to better student outcomes in many contexts and in a variety of academic disciplines. Beyond facilitating students’ mastery of a discipline, it promotes vital educational outcomes such as communication skills and critical thinking. Its active international community of practitioners provides accessible educational development and support for anyone developing related courses. Having started as a process developed by a group of chemistry professors focused on helping their students better grasp the concepts of general chemistry, The POGIL Project has grown into a dynamic organization of committed instructors who help each other transform classrooms and improve student success, develop curricular materials to assist this process, conduct research expanding what is known about learning and teaching, and provide professional development and collegiality from elementary teachers to college professors. As a pedagogy it has been shown to be effective in a variety of content areas and at different educational levels. This is an introduction to the process and the community. Every POGIL classroom is different and is a reflection of the uniqueness of the particular context – the institution, department, physical space, student body, and instructor – but follows a common structure in which students work cooperatively in self-managed small groups of three or four. The group work is focused on activities that are carefully designed and scaffolded to enable students to develop important concepts or to deepen and refine their understanding of those ideas or concepts for themselves, based entirely on data provided in class, not on prior reading of the textbook or other introduction to the topic. The learning environment is structured to support the development of process skills –– such as teamwork, effective communication, information processing, problem solving, and critical thinking. The instructor’s role is to facilitate the development of student concepts and process skills, not to simply deliver content to the students. The first part of this book introduces the theoretical and philosophical foundations of POGIL pedagogy and summarizes the literature demonstrating its efficacy. The second part of the book focusses on implementing POGIL, covering the formation and effective management of student teams, offering guidance on the selection and writing of POGIL activities, as well as on facilitation, teaching large classes, and assessment. The book concludes with examples of implementation in STEM and non-STEM disciplines as well as guidance on how to get started. Appendices provide additional resources and information about The POGIL Project.https://scholarworks.boisestate.edu/fac_books/1513/thumbnail.jp