From “Sit-Down” Technology to Learning Beyond The Classroom

Willam Paterson University’s core curriculum course, Active Lifestyles, was lacking in attention to active learning. While students were learning about active lifestyles in textbooks and then heading to the gym, they were not making the connection between the textbook concepts and their own lifestyle choices.

Problem:

For a course called Active Lifestyles for Health, the teaching methods at the time were anything but active. Professor Gordon Schmidt, Ph.D., and his WP colleagues mostly used a variety of textbooks. While wonderful sources for students to learn the evolution and rules of sports and activities, textbooks in the fitness realm amount to what he calls “sit-down” technology.

Solution:

We worked with Schmidt and other faculty members to provide a customized version of FitQuest: A Personal Journey to meet the needs of the KNES 1000 course. This course focused on interactive course material and mobile functionality.

The course enables students to easily track their own progress using their constant companion—their smartphone—making health and fitness more top-of-mind and lead to more thoughtful discussions in class.

The integrated discussion and reflection elements of FitQuest enable the opportunity for students to discuss the results of their assessments, share their observations, and learn from each other’s experiences.

Results

Students study a topic, reflect on their own experiences, and discuss observations openly.

Students can plan how an assessment or sport can be applied to a commitment to an active lifestyle.

Technology enables students to photograph or record their sport performance and critique themselves while learning proper technique.

Professors can better assess student progress.

Pulls together data that shows how student trends are changing over time.

From “Sit-Down” Technology to Learning Beyond The Classroom

Problem:

Solution:

Results

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