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Physical Education Learning Activity Types [1] , [2]

This taxonomy of learning activity types in physical education is intended to illustrate and suggest tasks that can comprise a curriculum-based lesson, project, or unit that addresses cognitive, psychomotor, and affective learning objectives. The activity types are rooted in the National Association for Sports and Physical EducationÕs (NASPE, 2004) standards that assist students in building the knowledge, skills, and confidence to achieve, enjoy, and maintain a physically active and healthy lifestyle. The description of each individual activity type includes a list of possible technologies that may be used to support it. Tools such as exergames, pedometers, and heart rate monitors can provide creative ways to engage in physical activity and its monitoring (NASPE, 2009). The taxonomy incorporates physical fitness and motor skills development activities. Consequently, the two major categories in the taxonomy are physical fitness and motor skill development.  Physical fitness is sub-divided into those learning activities that help students build cognitive understanding (knowledge development and application) and psychomotor development (practice and application).  The motor skill development section is also subdivided into cognitive and psychomotor categories.  In all, we have identified 56 distinct learning activity types within these subdivisions of physical education. Teachers should consider planning each lesson, project, or unit to include more than one activity from each of the cognitive and psychomotor tables that follow.

 

In each of the following activity types, affective learning outcomes are linked to explicit cognitive and psychomotor goals. Whether affective learning is a component or the central focus of instruction, specific instructional strategies may be employed to ensure its inclusion. A combination of activity types such as learning game-playing strategies while playing the game and cooperating as a team member, for example, represent important aspects of both affective and cognitive learning in physical education. In a physical fitness unit, students could self-assess their physical fitness levels, then create fitness programs using that information.

The physical education activity types are presented in the tables that follow, along with possible technologies that may be used to support each type of learning activity.

Physical Fitness

Physical fitness is a physical state of well being that helps people to perform daily activities with vigor, reduces the risk of health problems related to lack of exercise, and provides a fitness base for participation in a variety of physical activities. The activity types below reflect two areas of physical fitness: health-related physical fitness (HRPF) and skill-related physical fitness (SRPF) (Miller, 2005). Combining and sequencing the activities below can help students to understand, acquire, practice, and use physical fitness. Educational technologies can assist studentsÕ linking specific physical fitness knowledge and concepts to real-world situations, and to measure, interpret, and prescribe appropriate fitness activities.

Cognitive. The purpose of physical fitness-related cognitive activities is to build knowledge about the effects of exercise on health, to engage in practices that develop and maintain physical fitness, and to value physical activity for health, enjoyment, challenge, self-expression, and/or social interaction.

 

Knowledge development.

Activity Type

Brief Description

Possible Technologies

Read text

Students extract information from textbooks, laboratory activities, etc.; both print-based and digital formats

Web site, electronic book, online databases

Take notes

Students record information from lecture, live or recorded games, videos, presentations, group work

Word processor, mobile device, tablet, wiki

View images

Students examine still images/objects; print-based or digital format

Document camera, digital camera, Web site

View a presentation/demonstration

Students gain information from teachers, guest speakers, and peers; moving images/objects (video, animations); synchronous/asynchronous; in-person or multimedia

Presentation software, video, Web-based virtual demonstration

Explore/examine concepts and/or principles

Students gather information/conduct research using print-based and digital sources

Web search engines, content-specific interactive tool

Ask questions

Students develop questions related to course material/concepts

Word processor, wiki

Answer questions

Students respond to teacher, peer, written, or digitally posed questions

Word processor, quiz software, discussion board, wiki, student response system

Discuss

Students engage in dialogue with one or more peers; synchronous/asynchronous

Discussion forum, email, text message, videoconferencing

Take a quiz/test

Students respond to questions on a test or quiz

Word processor, quiz software, Web site, student response system

Create a representation

Students develop a representation of a physical fitness concept or process (in text, images, presentation, concept map, etc.).

Drawing software, concept mapping software, presentation software, video camera

 


Knowledge application.

 

Activity Type

Brief Description

Possible Technologies

Learn a procedure

Students learn how to use equipment safely and appropriately

Video demonstration, Web site, text file

Practice a procedure

Students practice using equipment and software, measuring and collecting data

Realtime data collection tool, content-specific software

Select a health-related physical fitness test

Students learn the correct form(s) for and choose relevant test(s) to measure a physical fitness component (e.g., muscular strength, agility, coordination)

e-book, Web site, virtual demonstration

Generate/collect data (pre- and post-)

 

Used in:

 

Physical Activity Tracker (elementary)

Students generate data (e.g. heart rate, number of sit-ups, etc.) by performing and administering HRPF tests

Realtime data collection tools, content-specific assessment software

Analyze data

 

Used in:

 

Physical Activity Tracker (elementary)

 

Students compare and contrast data collected against criteria and/or previous analyses

Spreadsheet, mobile device

Set goals

Based upon previous data analysis, students identify appropriate physical fitness goals

Word processor, content-specific assessment software

Maintain a physical activity log

Students record a log of activities, perceptions, reflections on feelings; both in school and outside school

Concept mapping software, word processor, spreadsheet

Create a fitness plan

Students design and modify individualized fitness plans to address specific goals (e.g., to improve flexibility, endurance)

Concept mapping software, word processor, spreadsheet

Observe and evaluate self and/or peers

Students observe their own or a peerÕs performance and analyze the performance against predetermined criteria (form and/or product)

Digital camera, digital video camera, content-specific assessment software, realtime data collection tool

Provide feedback & recommendations

Students use information from fitness assessments to improve selected physical fitness components

Word processor, videoconferencing, audiorecorder, discussion forum

Demonstrate/teach a physical fitness concept or principle

Students share their understanding of a physical fitness concept or principle

Digital camera, digital video camera, presentation software, realtime data collection tool

 


Psychomotor. Psychomotor learning activity types help learners to practice and apply health and skill-related physical exercises to develop and maintain a healthy lifestyle. The sequence of these activities—in that they appear following the knowledge-related activities described above—demonstrates how students can engage in activities to understand, acquire, practice, and perform appropriate exercises in to improve physical fitness.

 

 

Practice.

 

Activity Type

Brief Description

Possible Technologies

Do an exercise/calisthenics

 

 

 

Students select and perform an appropriate exercise to improve a specific component of physical fitness

Exergames

Practice an exercise

 

 

Students continue to do a previously-learned exercise to develop and improve a specific component of physical fitness

Exergames

Practice various types of physical conditioning

Students practice a variety of physical activities to develop a component of physical fitness

Exergames

Evaluate and revise physical performance

Students review, consider, and make changes to an exercise performance based upon feedback from teachers and/or peers

 

Exergames, digital video camera

 

Application.

 

Activity Type

Brief Description

Possible Technologies

Demonstrate/teach a physical fitness concept or principle

 

 

 

Students communicate their understanding of a fitness concept or principle

Digital camera, digital video camera, presentation software, realtime data collection tool

Create an exercise or exercise routine

 

 

Students create a series of movements to address a particular fitness concept and perform them

Digital camera, digital video camera, presentation software, Web site, Web authoring software

Maintain a personal fitness program

Students incorporate fitness-related components in a conditioning program

Exergames

 

Motor Skill Development

 

Motor skill development activity types reflect three stages of motor skill acquisition: cognitive (understanding), stage associative (practice), and stage autonomous (automatic) learning (Fitts & Posner, 1967). Combining and sequencing the activities below can help students to understand, acquire, practice, and perform motor skills automatically.

 

Cognitive. The overall purpose of cognitive activities in physical education is to help students understand movement concepts, principles, and strategies, which aids the development of motor skills and performance of sports and other types of physical activities.

 

Knowledge development.


Activity Type

Brief Description

Possible Technologies

Read text

Students extract information from paper-based and digital resources

Web site, electronic book, online database

Take notes

Students record information from lecture, live or recorded game, video, presentation, group work

Word processor, mobile device, tablet, wiki

View images

Students examine still images/objects; print-based or digital format

Document camera, digital camera, Web site

View a demonstration

Students gain information from teachers, guest speakers, and peers; moving images/objects (videos, animations); synchronous/asynchronous; in-person or multimedia

Presentation software, video, Web-based virtual demonstrations

Explore/examine concepts, rules, and/or strategies

Students gather information/conduct research using print-based and digital sources

Web search engines, content-specific interactive tools

Ask questions

Students develop questions related to course material/concepts

Word processor, wiki

Answer questions

Students respond to teacher, peer, written, or digitally posed questions

Word processor, quiz software, student response system, discussion board, wiki

Discuss

Students engage in dialogue with one or more peers; synchronous/asynchronous

Discussion board, email, text message, videoconferencing

Take a quiz/test

Students respond to questions on a test or quiz

Word processor, quiz software, Web site, student response system

Create a representation

Students develop a representation of a movement concept or skill (in text, images, presentation, concept map, etc.).

Drawing software, concept mapping software, presentation software, digital video camera

Create a game

Combine rules, strategies, and motor skills to form a new way to play a game

Drawing software, concept mapping software, word processor, digital video camera

Plan for collaboration in a game situation

Students develop a strategy or game plan to address specific goals

Concept mapping software, word processor, spreadsheet

 

 

Knowledge application.

 

Activity Type

Brief Description

Possible Technologies

Do movement analysis

Students assess movement patterns and/techniques to improve performance

Movement analysis software

Generate/collect data

Students generate data by performing motor skill

Realtime data collection tool, content-specific assessment software

Analyze data

Students compare and contrast data collected against criteria and/or previous analyses (e.g. proper techniques)

Spreadsheet, mobile device, movement analysis software

Observe and evaluate self and/or peers

Students observe and analyze their own or a peerÕs performance.

Digital camera, digital video camera, content-specific assessment software, realtime data collection tool

Provide feedback & recommendations

Students communicate the results of performance analysis and provide recommendations to improve motor skills.

Word processor, videoconferencing, audiorecorder, discussion forum

Set goals

Students determine appropriate motor goals based upon observations and/or movement analysis.

Word processor, content-specific assessment software

Plan a training program

Students design a training program for skill development and/or improvement based upon self/peer evaluation

Digital camera, digital video camera, presentation software, Web site, Web authoring software

 

Psychomotor. Psychomotor learning activity types focus on practicing and applying motor skills that lead to the automatic performance of those skills. The sequence of these activities—in that they appear following the knowledge-related activities described above—demonstrates how students can engage in activities to understand, acquire, practice, and perform appropriate exercises to improve motor skill performance.

 

Practice.

 

Activity Type

Brief Description

Possible Technologies

Imitate/execute the mechanics of a motor skill

Students imitates specific skill mechanics over and over to address a particular motor skill (e.g. stance, follow-through, etc.)

Digital video camera, Web site, Exergames

Refine the performance of each part of the motor skill

The students practice parts of a motor skill separately. (e.g. a spike in volleyball can be broken down into run up, stepping, jumping and striking).

Digital video camera, movement analysis software, Exergames

Combine parts of a motor skill in a sequence

Students practice the whole motor skill (e.g. a spike in volleyball)

Exergames

Adjust the sequence the motor skill

Students make corrections to the performance of a motor skill in response to feedback

Digital video camera, movement analysis software

 

Automatic performance.

 

Activity Type

Brief Description

Possible Technologies

Perform a motor skill automatically

Students practice of one or more motor skills without thinking

Exergames

Participate in a game

Students select and apply specific sportsÕ tasks (e.g. motor skills), rules, and/or strategies in an individual or team-based game-play situation

Exergames

Collaborate and strategize in a game

Students work as a team to apply relevant knowledge and skills during a controlled game-play situation

Exergames

Modify & adapt performance

Students revise, consider, and make changes to a performance based upon feedback from teachers and/or peers

Exergames, digital video camera

Demonstrate/teach the mechanics of a skill

Students share their understanding of a game concept or principle

Digital camera, digital video camera, presentation software, realtime data collection tool


References

 

Fitts, P. M., & Posner, M. I. (1967). Human performance. Belmont, CA: Brooks/Cole.

Miller, D. K. (2010). Measurement by the physical educator: Why and how (6th ed.). Boston, MA: McGraw Hill.

National Association for Sport and Physical Education. (2009). Appropriate use of instructional technology in physical education. Reston, VA: Author.

National Association for Sport and Physical Education. (2004). Moving into the future: National standards for physical education (2nd ed.). Reston, VA: Author.

 

 

 

 

 

 



[1]    Suggested citation (APA format, 6th ed.):

Juniu, S., Hofer, M., & Harris, J. (2012, February). Physical education learning activity types. Retrieved from College of William and Mary, School of Education, Learning Activity Types Wiki: http://activitytypes.wm.edu/PhysicalEducationLearningATs-Feb2012.pdf

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ÒPhysical Education Learning Activity TypesÓ by Susana Juniu, Mark Hofer, and Judi Harris is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License. Based on a work at activitytypes.wm.edu.