ERIC ED351302: Distance Education: A New Paradigm for Physical Education and Health.

9 Pages·1992·0.24 MB·English

by  ERIC

DOCUMENT RESUME
ED 351 302
SP 034 117
AUTHOR
Mielke, Danny R.
TITLE
Distance Education: A New Paradigm for Physical
Education and Health.
PUB DATE
92
NOTE
10p.; Paper presented at the Annual 1eeting of
the
American Alliance for Health, Physical Education,
Recreation and Dance (Indianapolis, IN, April
1992).
PUB TYPE
Speeches/Conference Papers (150)
EDRS PRICE
MF01/PC01 Plus Postage.
DESCRIPTORS
*Distance Education; *Educational Technology; *Health
Education; Higher Education; Information Networks;
Models; Nontraditional Education; *Physical
Education; *Preservice Teacher Education; Teacher
Education Curriculum; *Teaching Methods
ABSTRACT
Increasingly, limited financial resources have
resulted in program reductions in undergraduate physical
education
and health education at several higher education
institutions. As
traditional methods of program delivery
are phased out, physical and
health educators need to consider alternative forms of training
and
servicing future professionals. One promising nontraditional
strategy
is the use of distance education
as a delivery source. In distance
education, the learner or learners
are physically separated from the
teacher--a situation that dictates changes in behavior
for both the
teacher and the learner. To be effective distance
educators, teachers
must become familiar with a variety of technological
systems that
deliver instruction and allow interaction between
teacher and
learner, and they must vary their instructional strategies
to meet
individual needs. Students must become independent
learners, taking a
more aggressive role in communicating their needs and seeking
feedback. Distance education can take
many forms, including
video/audio models that incorporate television,
satellite
transmissions, or computer applications. Physical
and health
educators can easily adapt core content
courses which have
traditionally relied on lecture and laboratory
experiences to
distance education formats for delivery to
teacher preparation
students. Distance education methods
can also be used to deliver
instruction in public school settings. (IAH)
***********************************************************************
Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that
can be made
from the original document.
***********************************************************************
for Physical Education
Distance Education: A New Paradigm
and Health
Paper Presented for the
Education
American Alliance for Health, Physical
Recreation and Dance
Indiana
1992 Convention - Indianapolis,
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Office of Educabonal Research and improvement
EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION
CENTER (ERIC)
Thus document has been reproduced as
received from the person or organization
ompnabngl
L' Minor changes have been made to Improve
reproduclion cu.adv
Pornts of vree oroprmons statechn ihrs docu-
ment do not necessaray represent oltic,at
poloCy
OERI pos,tion or
"PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE THIS
MATERIAL HAS BEEN GRANTED BY
Danny R. Mielke
Physical Education and Health
TO THE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES
Eastern Oregon State College
INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC)."
v)
BEST COPY AVAILLIE
Distance
due
ew
for Ph s ca
duca
on and
Health.
Introduction
In Oregon and Massachusetts, tax limitations
have mandated
program reductions
the
at
expense
of
undergraduate physical
education in several higher education institutions.
In Kansas,
proposed legislation to cut K-12 physical education
was saved only
through the intervention of their United States
Senator.
Recent
discussions between national AAHPERD leaders and
other concerned
professionals have expressed serious
concern that these trends are
not temporary.
Many professionals feel that we will
see more
higher education programs imperiled and eliminated.
With the limited financial
resources available, the cost of
providing a full range of educational opportunities
to all citizens
has become prohibitive (Lane, 1990). Traditional
forms of education
are
failing
because
they
are
rigid,
serve
the
elite,
are
preoccupied with "book knowledge" and
not problem solving, and are
unable to prepare people adequately for life
and work (Draper,
1987).
As traditional methods of program delivery
are phased out,
physical and health educators need to
look at alternate forms of
training
and
servicing
future professionals.
At
least
one
promising non traditional strategy is the
use of distance education
as a delivery source.
What is Distance Education
Rumble (1990) presents a five part definition
of distance
education.
First, in any distance education
process there must be:
a teacher; one or more students; a course or curriculum that the
teacher is capable of teaching and the student is trying to learn;
and a contract, implicit or explicit, between the student and the
teacher
institution
the
or
employing
the
teacher,
which
acknowledges their respective teaching-learning roles.
Second, distance education is a method of education in which
the learner is physically separated from the teacher.
It may be
used on its own, or in conjunction with other forms of education,
including face-to-face.
Third, in distance education learners are physically separated
from the institution that sponsors the instruction.
The teaching/learning contract requires that the
Fourth,
student be taught, assessed, given guidance and, where appropriate,
prepared for examinations that may or may not be conducted by the
institution.
This must be accomplished by two-way communication.
Learning may be undertaken either individually or in groups; in
either case it is accomplished in the physical absence of the
teacher.
Finally, where distance teaching materials are provided to
learners, they are structured in ways that facilitate learning at
a distance.
Distance education dictates changes in behavior for both the
teacher and the learner.
Dillon (1989) points out that distance
education requires faculty to change their instructional philosophy
within an environment that is still suspicious of and threatened by
the non-traditional. Distance education requires the teacher to be
familiar with many technological systems including print, video,
i
Teachers must vary their instruction
audio, and computer systems.
about how to
to better meet individual needs, and coach students
Strain (1987) explains the
learn more effectively on their own.
creating
from
moves
who
one
teacher
as
education
distance
disseminator
instruction to a manager of resources, students, and a
of views.
also
Within the distance education experience, students must
Persistence and a clear
high tech.
overcome the threats posed by
learning situation.
focus are critical to success in a distance
in their verbal behaviors
The students must become more aggressive
The most
and ask more questions and seek satisfactory responses.
difficult feature of distance learning is an absence of group
Interestingly,
experiences.
processes associated with classroom
indicated that students in a
a study by Barker and Platten (1988)
well
on
perform
as
to
seemed
setting
education
distance
and the final exam as did the
assignments, class activities,
traditional students.
Forms of Distance Education
The most familiar
Distance education can take many forms.
sites and teach a
method has been for teachers tc travel to remote
and utilize improved
To increase time effectiveness,
class.
incorporate
delivery systems, most distance education programs
either video/audio interaction or individualized instruction.
Video/audio models of distance education include broadcast
television, satellite, microwave, fiber optics, and audiographics.
recent
The most widely used format is broadcast television, however
developments in satellite systems have produced other successful
5
The interactive capability of many of the satellite
programs.
networks has produced a distance classroom that is nearly identical
to a regular classroom.
Teachers and students can interact through
both two-way video and one-way video with two-way audio systems.
The relative inexpense of a downlink satellite receiver affords the
delivery of multiple programs combining compressed video,
and
computer generated applications.
Individualized study has been a method of reaching the remote
student for some time.
However, technology has raised the quality
of potential individualized instruction to include the use of
video, print, audio, and computer equipment to enhance tle product
received by the independent learner.
Implications for Physical Education and Health
Unfortunately, most physical and health educators have failed
to recognize the need to involve themselves in change rather than
react to it.
Dougherty and Bonanno (1987) believe that if physical
educators are to survive in the future they must create a learning
environment
that
promotes
facilitates
adaptation
and
and
Strategies
delivering
flexibility.
teacher
preparation
for
programs and perhaps public school programs may well utilize non-
traditional methods.
The prospect of using distance education as a philosophical
preparing physical
base
for
health
educators
and
not
is
a
futuristic concept, but confronts us today.
Physical and health
educators believe in the importance of their professional goals and
therefore must establish insightful ways to keep preparing teachers
amid continued cuts in higher education programs.
Traditional physical education and health programs have been
The
skill' development and demonstration.
heavily based
in
"professional activity" course is an integral component of
a
If this part of the program should
physical educators preparation.
it appear?
be offered in a distance education framework, how might
video
Perhaps the teacher and the learner could use interactive
interfaced with computers to facilitate motor learning at
a
distance.
The traditional core content classes that use lecture and
distance
easily be
to
adapted
a
can
experiences
laboratory
Additionally, this new format could provide
education situation.
"networks" which combine the expertise of several campuses across
and health
have physical
education
country which
still
the
Students could still "major" in a content area although
programs.
it isn't offered on that campus.
Within the environment of a public school setting, perhaps
A central
physical education will resemble an ESPN aerobic show.
The
instructor will broadcast the lesson to a number of sites.
interactive capability of many distance education systems would
give the distance instructor the ability to offer feedback to the
students just as if they were in the gym.
The potential use of distance education within physical and
Distance education provides the
health education is tremendous.
potential for greater service to more individuals, but it also
will
poses a possible caveat to the number of individuals who
actually be needed to deliver physical education and health
programs.
References
Barker, Bruce and Platten, Marvin R.
Student Perceptions
(1988)
on the Effectiveness of College Credit Courses Taught Via
Satellite. The American Journal of Distance education. 2. (2),
Connie
Dillon,
Faculty
Rewards
and
(1989)
Instructional
Telecommunications: A View from the Telecourse Faculty.
The
American Journal of Distance Education. 1 (2), 67.
Dougherty,
Neil
and
Diane
Bonanno,
Contemporary
(1987)
J.
Approaches to the Teaching of Physical Education, 2nd Ed.
Scottsdale, Ariz.
Gorsuch Scarisbrick, Publishers
Draper, James A. (1987)
Looking At Tomorrow.
The American Journal
of Distance Education, 1 (3), 57
David
Lane,
Designing for Distance, Interwest Applied
(1990)
Research
Greville
Rumble,
On Defining Distance Education.
(1989)
The
American Journal of Distance Education.
2. (2), 8.
Strain, John (1987)
The Role of the Faculty Member in Distance
Education. The American Journal of Distance Education. .1 (2),
61
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