Introduction
Technology has become a better part of every aspect of day-to-day activities. Its recent developments have made it a critical component in enhancing physical education. Incorporating technology has been termed relevant as the students are well versed with digital technologies and regarded as “digital natives” (Beemer et al., 2019). Students use digital technologies in activities such as sourcing entertainment and communicating with their peers. While these technologies are highly addictive, they help them stay active and help enhance their communication, thinking, and problem-solving skills in physical education (Beemer et al., 2019). This literature review explores effective strategies for integrating technologies in physical education to enhance engagement and student learning outcomes and, subsequently, the challenges with integrating technologies.
Effective Strategies for Integrating Technologies in Physical Education
Gamification
One of the effective strategies to integrate technology in physical education includes gamification. According to Beemer et al. (2019), gamification aids in establishing goals and motivation, which are essential in realizing improved physical activity in physical education. Beemer et al. (2019) defined gamification as incorporating game design elements and principles in non-game contexts to facilitate behavioral change for improved outcomes. Beemer et al. (2019) further note that gamification is more of a goal-oriented strategy in physical education. For instance, physical educators use phone applications such as Pokémon Go to increase student participation in physical activity. A study on Pokémon Go showed that it results in positive outcomes and increases the daily performance of individuals in physical activity.
Concerning this, Beemer et al. (2019) studied the effect of incorporating game design elements as an evidence-based intervention in increasing the participation of students in physical activity. These elements include goal setting, feedback, and external rewards. The study hypothesized that the use of game design elements helps increases physical exercise and conducted experiments on elementary school students. The findings from the study proved the essence of gamification is increasing student physical activity, as the results showed that it increased student exercising by 27% (Beemer et al., 2019). The authors conclude that applying gamification protocols is imperative in accelerating student engagement and should be widely adopted in schools.
Video Recording
Studies have also examined the impact of video recording in enhancing physical education by improving student engagement and participation. Greve et al. (2022) asserted that learning video recordings aid in learning motion sequences more effectively. Further, Greve et al. (2022) mentioned that ‘video self-modeling” helps students reflect on their moving sequences and work to improve in the subsequent session. It allows the students to record, view and critically analyze the resulting videos in groups. This also benefits the teachers as their presence is not required in many instances while the students gain significantly. Observing and manipulating their performance through recorded videos helps them grow technical skills.
Videos allow different manipulation techniques, such as the ability to view in slow motion to capture the tiny details and assess the quality of their performance in physical education. To justify this, Greve et al. (2022) conducted their study in Ireland, with participants between the ages of 10 and 12. The study collected data before and after incorporating video recording intervention in basketball. The results showed the essence of this practice in any physical activity as it acts as a motivation and creates more fun for the students. It also attracts students’ attention, prompting them to join the action and engage in physical education more often. Greve et al. (2022) conclude that using digital media, such as video recording, is critical as it involves students in their physical activities, improving their competency and skills. Therefore, schools should strive to integrate technological intervention in physical education to realize the potential benefits of student engagement.
In this respect, Potdevin et al. (2018) explored how video feedback can be integrated into physical education in efforts to support novice learners. Feedback enhances the performance of motor skills in physical education. Potdevin et al. (2018) noted that many studies report that feedback is essential in physical activity as it helps impart individuals with fine motor skills. The study assessed the effects of combining video feedback, verbal instructional constraints, and attention information on motivation and self-assessment ability. The study established that integrating video feedback in physical exercise lessons positively boosts student motivation, facilitates self-assessment, and improves performance (Potdevin et al., 2018). The study thus recommends that apart from video feedback, there should be efforts to establish new strategies to improve physical education practice. Technology should be widely embraced in allowing for self-regulation for the student to gain more in addition to the instructor’s directives.
iPad and Mobile Applications
iPad and mobile applications also represent one of the technology-integrative approaches to enhancing physical education. According to Lee and Gao (2020), physical education is relevant in improving the motor skills that resultantly contribute to the development of the student’s social, cognitive, and affective skills, and it is thus essential to incorporate improved practice to boost this experience. For this reason, Lee and Gao (2020) sought to study the impacts of integrating mobile applications in physical education and how they impact children’s psychosocial beliefs. Psychosocial belief is one of the essential determinants in impacting behavioral change in learners that resultantly affects their physical activity. Therefore, according to Lee and Gao (2020), examining how mobile applications in physical education affect children’s beliefs in physical activity is crucial. The study participants included 157 third- and fifth-grade students in Midwestern elementary schools.
The study’s findings established that mobile apps had little impact on children’s physical activity as opposed to traditional physical education. However, Lee and Gao (2020) noted that prolonged use of this technology and other digital media could positively impact this process, enabling the students to participate more in physical activity. Teachers should not aim to use technology to ease the teaching process but to improve student learning outcomes. Lee and Gao (2020) assert that integrating mobile application technology can help elevate the learner’s motivation. Thus, educators should allow learners to access these apps to help better influence their beliefs on physical activity.
Challenges in Integrating Technology in Physical Education
Although having several benefits, there are some challenges in integrating technology into physical education. Baek et al. (2018) studied the challenges of incorporating these technologies in physical education classes. The results indicated that some primary challenges include inadequate resources, budget, and time to learn. In other schools, the resources available do not adequately support technology integration in physical education. Moreover, some students lack sufficient skills in using these technologies. Due to this, it becomes a challenge to use them while engaging in physical activity. According to Baek et al. (2018), other studies purport that digital media is linked to addictive behaviors and can divert students’ attention in physical education. This impact prompts controlled action in using these technologies in physical education.
Conclusion
Adopting effective strategies for integrating technology into physical education is essential in increasing student motivation and overall outcomes. There are a variety of strategies to achieve this milestone, including gamification, video recording, and mobile and iPad applications. Gamification involves adopting the game design principles in setting goals while undertaking physical activity. On the other hand, video recording helps the student reflect and carry out self-assessment, which serves as a motivation factor for improved outcomes. Lastly, using mobile apps in instructing approaches also help motivate the learners and influence their beliefs, resulting in better outcomes. While there are many benefits to integrating technology in physical education, some shortcomings include inadequate resources, insufficient knowledge of their use, and time to learn.
References
Baek, J. H., Keath, A., & Elliott, E. (2018). Physical education teachers’ technology practices and challenges. International Journal of Human Movement Science, 12(2), 27-42. https://doi.org/10.23949/ijhms.2018.08.12.2.2
Beemer, L. R., Ajibewa, T. A., DellaVecchia, G., & Hasson, R. E. (2019). A pilot intervention using gamification to enhance student participation in classroom activity breaks. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 16(21), 4082. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/ijerph16214082
Greve, S., Thumel, M., Jastrow, F., Krieger, C., Schwedler, A., & Süßenbach, J. (2022). The use of digital media in primary school PE–student perspectives on product-oriented ways of lesson staging. Physical Education and Sport Pedagogy, 27(1), 43-58. https://doi.org/10.1080/17408989.2020.1849597
Lee, J. E., & Gao, Z. (2020). Effects of the iPad and mobile application-integrated physical education on children’s physical activity and psychosocial beliefs. Physical Education and Sport Pedagogy, 25(6), 567-584. https://doi.org/10.1080/17408989.2020.1761953
Potdevin, F., Vors, O., Huchez, A., Lamour, M., Davids, K., & Schnitzler, C. (2018). How can video feedback be used in physical education to support novice learning in gymnastics? Effects on motor learning, self-assessment, and motivation. Physical Education and Sport Pedagogy, 23(6), 559-574. https://doi.org/10.1080/17408989.2018.1485138
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