Tyler Goad

Purpose : This study examined the effectiveness of three feedback methods—self-assessment, visual cue sheet, and delayed teacher feedback—for learning disc golf skills in an asynchronous online physical education environment. Method : Forty-three university students were randomly assigned to one of the three groups. Participants completed four asynchronous practice sessions over 3 weeks including pretest and posttest evaluations of spin putt (SP) and backhand throw (BT) skills. Results : All groups significantly improved in SP (η _p ² = .61, p < .001) and BT (η _p ² = .44, p < .001) performance from pretest to posttest, with no significant differences between groups. This suggests that video feedback can effectively develop motor improvement regardless of group condition. Additionally, self-efficacy significantly increased for SP ( d = 1.60) and BT ( d = 1.01). Mediation analysis indicated SP self-assessment accuracy and poststudy interest mediated performance gains. Discussion : Findings suggest these methods could support online physical education while reducing instructor workload. Further research is recommended to validate these methods in diverse contexts.

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, online education had grown steadily over the past decade as more K-12 schools and districts expanded their educational options. This included the use of virtual school days, hybrid learning, and fully online courses. Enrollments in K-12 Online Physical Education (OLPE) had also increased steadily over the past decade, representing almost ten percent of total online course completions (Distance Learning Collaborative (DLC), ( 2019 Digital Learning Collaborative. (2019). Snapshot 2019: A review of K-12 online, blended, and digital learning. https://www.digitallearningcollab.com/ [Google Scholar] ). The purpose of this article is to present a coherent agenda for future research related to K-12 OLPE using current research as a foundation. The Society of Health and Physical Education (SHAPE) America’s Essential Components of Physical Education served as the framework for this article. Overall, limited research has been conducted regarding the policies and decisions that drive the development and implementation of OLPE. Current research does, however, provide some clarity related to OLPE curriculum, instructional practices, and student assessment. K-12 OLPE is not an abstract idea that might come about in the future. It is part of the here and now, especially considering the shift toward distance learning due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Scholars must cultivate a coherent research agenda and move beyond the current exploratory studies to answer some of the most poignant questions surrounding OLPE.

Distance learning is something many physical educators never thought they would have to do, given the practical and philosophical contradictions inherent in teaching and learning movement-based content through a computer. Yet, the COVID-19 pandemic has forced most physical education teachers to transition to distance learning modalities. Questions abound regarding the maintenance of quality physical education within the generally unfamiliar online teaching and learning environment. Therefore, the purpose of this three-part series of articles is to address common questions from teachers and students about providing engaging, meaningful online physical education during the pandemic and beyond. The first article focuses on questions related to meeting the needs of low-income students, strategies for at-home equipment, teaching online elementary physical education, engaging parents, and online relationship building. This article answers questions about determining student workload, developing content beyond personal fitness, designing engaging synchronous and asynchronous lessons, assessing meaningfully online, and accommodating learning for all students. Finally, the third article provides discussion about the broader impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on teaching and learning in physical education and offers strategies for transitioning back to face-to-face learning. The ideas and strategies provided throughout this series are meant to be general guidelines for physical education teachers to consider and adjust to fit their own unique community contexts.

Over 40 years ago physical education pedagogy researchers Anderson and Barrette asked the question, “What’s going on in Gym?” This inquiry sparked widespread research and innovation that moved our field forward. Today, physical educators are faced with a new reality of teaching movement-based content remotely and the question has now shifted to, “What’s going on in Online Physical Education?” During the Spring of 2020 and into the Fall, many physical educators had to rapidly transform their face-to-face lessons to a virtual environment. In the previous two parts of this three-part series, frequently asked questions related to distance learning in physical education have been addressed. These previous parts addressed instructional strategies and pedagogical considerations related to the unique aspects of teaching physical education remotely during the pandemic. The purpose of this article is to provide teachers with guidance and resources to consider how to adapt pandemic pedagogies to enhance student learning in their face-to-face classes when that inevitability occurs.

The COVID-19 pandemic has been a source of stress and anxiety to physical educators. This is likely due to school schedule changes, job security, balancing work and family commitments, and trying to navigate how to teach physical education in a distance learning format. Governments, schools, teachers, and families have been navigating the complexity of the mass shift to distance learning. The purpose of this feature is to address some frequently asked questions about teaching physical education remotely. Specifically, this article addresses meeting the needs of low-income students, at-home equipment strategies, teaching elementary physical education remotely, parent/guardian engagement, and building and maintaining relationships online. The social connectedness between teacher-student and student-student, which is inherently lacking in distance learning, is an important consideration for teachers. It is essential that teachers address the social needs for themselves and their students during remote teaching and learning. To adequately address each question, connections to research are made in addition to identifying best practices and instructional resources. Although the pandemic has created uncertain times, educators are resilient and will find a way to overcome barriers to meet the needs of their learners to achieve quality learning outcomes.

Currently, limited data are available on student retention rates and attrition factors in online physical education (OLPE) courses. Several early OLPE studies as well as the 2007 NASPE Initial Guidelines for Online Physical Education have suggested that certain prescreening efforts be in place prior to student enrollment in OLPE; however, at present no such empirically sound and theoretically based screening instruments exist. The purpose of the study is to identify online student cognitive characteristics and environmental factors associated with success and/or failure within college online health-related fitness (HRF) courses. Students (N = 821) enrolled in a 16-week online HRF course at a university during the Fall 2017 participated in the study. Data were collected at the beginning of the course with two previously validated research instruments, the Educational Success Prediction Instrument Version-2 (ESPRI-V2) and the Distance Learning Survey (DLS). Results reveled a relationship between course completion and six variables: GPA, class standing, hours worked outside of school, achievement, organization and study environment). The full model containing all predictors was statistically significant (χ 2 (6, N = 821) = 94.296, p <.001), indicating that the model was able to distinguish between students who completed and did not complete the online course. This analysis provides an initial understanding of the unique student characteristics affecting OLPE course completion.

The growth of the Internet and related technologies has resulted in changes in education and society that have placed new demands on teachers. Online physical education (OLPE) presents a unique set of challenges in translating traditional face-to-face courses to a digital space. The delivery of OLPE has been met with skepticism, given the inherent difficulty in conceptualizing the effective instruction and assessment of physical activity in an online setting. Despite these concerns, OLPE continues to become more prevalent. Most states now allow physical education credits to be earned online and have passed legislation mandating completion of an online course, regardless of subject, as a high school graduation requirement. It is critical that physical educators who are providing these learning experiences develop proficiency in online pedagogy and the use of supporting technologies. The purpose of this article is to describe the functionality of innovative technologies for use in OLPE, including recommendations for their integration into professional practice. The features, functions and potential applications of physical activity/fitness trackers, mobile fitness applications, and mobile exergames are discussed.