Constructivism and Technology in Physical Education Brandon Asbury EdTech 504

Introduction

Physical Education is a growing need in the American society. Obesity rates are at an all time high. With food proportions bigger than they were in the 1950s and activity rates going down amongst children, teens and adults, P.E. is becoming more of a necessity. Many feel that Physical education is the same as it was when in the good ole days, but little do many know that physical education is changing with the times. Many P.E. departments in the public school system are moving towards technology to help guide and fuel students towards a healthier future. Teachers are using pedometers (tools to measure steps), video games, the computer, video equipment and even Heart rate monitors for their students to find ways to become more involved in P.E. Constructivism is a key factor in technology in physical education. When looking at the constructivist view in the world this theory ties in very well with physical education. As technology moves forward the world must adapt. And in the physical education world this is no different. Technology rules the world. We get e-mail without having to wait for a letter, instant messaging allows for people to communicate instantly without having to wait for a long response. Text messaging allows people to stay in constant contact and know what others are doing in a matter of seconds. With technology so prevalent in our daily lives teachers have to adapt and utilize these forms of technology in the classroom. This gives our students a direct correlation to the world that they live in. Physical education and constructivism can work hand in hand with a direct correlation between the real world and what the students have learned or experienced, and what they are gaining from that in the gym.

Constructivist Theory Constructivism is a theory stated as, what individuals learn is consciously constructed from their own concrete experiences.( Jonassen, D., Land, S.) If you sit back and think about what you believe or what or how you have learned in your years of education, it could directly reflect to something that has happened in ones life. If a person enjoys the arts/ or sports and participating in both there is a good chance that they are a visual/active learner this can stem from a past experience in the field or maybe a lack of opportunity in the past that has formed their knowledge. This theory has a big background, which involves many architects to the theory, such as Vygotsky, Piaget and Dewey. Piaget has often been referred to as the original constructivist. (Oxford, 2009, pg. 39) Oxford wrote that, Piaget stated that children were their own scientists. If we think about that statement it is true. We move through this world

observing different skills, lessons, what is right and what is wrong when it comes to social situations (rules, laws). Constructivism is the basis of many theories. Unlike behaviorism, which states that things are the way they are. We act a way because we are that way. And congnitivism, which states that we learn based on our behavior. Constructivism differs in the sense that, what we have accumulated over time is how we learn. Social Constructivism Social constructivism emphasizes the importance of culture and context in understanding what occurs in society and constructing knowledge based on this understanding. (Kim, 2001) This theory emphasizes the effect the social issues on learning. When children are growing social factors play just as important a roll on their learning as does the next section, cognitive constructivism. Social constructivists believe that reality is constructed through human activity. (Kim, 2001) This portion of the theory is especially important. When we have many connections with humans in the world then we learn how to communicate and socialize with others. How to properly talk to people in the correct situation. Cognitive Constructivism Piaget was the key contributor to cognitive constructivism. Piaget's theory of cognitive development proposes that humans cannot be given information, which they immediately understand and use; instead, humans must construct their own knowledge. (Powell, Kalina, 2009) There are four stages to Piagets theory. The first stage states that children discover their environment and physical activity. Stage two is how children develop their language skills but cannot comprehend the thoughts of others. Stage three is where children start to understand pictures, but also contains a sub-stage, where children will ask many questions. Stage four states that children gain intuitive thought.(Powell, kalian, 2009) These stages are very important when looking at cognitive constructivism. All of these stages presented are very evident when looking at students in our classrooms or other children. The stages present a learning environment that also adapts with the times. As technology starts to take over our society Piagets theory on cognitive constructivism becomes more evident when talking about a modern student versus a previous student or the past how that student learned was vastly different then what children are exposed to more technological experiences then what was present in the past.

Use of technology in the P.E. Classroom Physical education is moving into the digital age every year. Teachers have had to adjust curriculums to meet the needs of todays students. More and more students are becoming overweight due to the inactive lifestyles led to by modern technology. Video game companies have mastered the art of increasing difficulty in the game to hook kids

into wanting to play more to see if they can beat that level, thus adding to more time playing in the house instead of outside. TV has also contributed to the higher obesity rates in America as again, instant gratification takes over and students have a stimulus through television. Teachers are starting to use fire to fight fire in the gym. More and more physical education teachers are using video games and other forms of technology to help get their students more excited about becoming physically fit. Forms of technology The three major forms of technology in the physical education gym at this movement are video games, Heart rate monitors and pedometers. All of which can serve a purpose for a different cost. Each one can motivate students in different ways to continue to work hard at being physically active. Video Games Video games are a fun and challenging. This is exactly what video game designers want when developing the game. This is what gets kids/adults hooked, the progressive difficulty levels that come with the game. When a person plays a game the levels will get harder or tasks will become more difficult as the person runs through the game. At this time this is where many P.E. teachers are failing. Students see a challenge with the video game and in P.E. it is not a progressive challenge for the student. Well there are some physical education programs out there that are using fire to fight fire. Many programs are incorporating motion-controlled video games into the gym to get kids both physically active and personally involved. Dance dance revolution was one of the earliest games that has been invented to get people moving and in many physical education supply magazines this is the game that is promoted for gyms. This game is a full body exercise for students to play in and out of the classroom. Trout & Christie state, While interactive games may enhance skills such as coordination, balance, reaction time, endurance, speed and agility there is no research stating that even if learned, these skills would transfer over to a sports context. Even though this may be true all of these skills will help a student become more physically fit in the long run. These different skills do contribute to the overall health of each student such as balance. Balance is a great way to help build core strength and help students find a way to stay injury free. Another benefit to these motion games is the activity that does come from them. Students who find them fun and find more interest in them tend to want to participate in physical education more when they come out. Picking the correct games for class can really get a students heart rate up and gets them active. Heart Rate monitors Heart rate monitors are a newer method of technology being used in the physical education classroom. Unlike video games there are no challenges that get harder as the

day goes. This form a technology does something different for both the student and the instructor. The student can look down at their watch and see where their hear rate is and whether or not they have to increase their activity level or even in some cases bring it down. This does so in and immediate fashion for the student. For the teacher they have a more accurate way to grade a students progress in the class. They can see when and how long each and every student has been working or not working based on the feedback of the heart rate monitor. Heart rate monitoring with 6 to 7 year-old children during the summer reported a mean of 15.2 minutes per day at heart rates greater than 60% (Janz, golden, Hansen & Mahoney, 2001 pg. 299). Sixty percent of a HR of a student who is 6 to 7 is about 128-130 beats per minute (based on the formula for HR of 220-age= max HR, times 60%). Heart Rate monitors are giving physical education teachers this technology in class and the opportunity for their students to get that immediate feedback when it comes to their heart rate. With this technology in the classroom students are getting the opportunity to use technology that they may see in the real world as opposed to the teacher watching a skill and grading based on what they observe. On the opposing side of the argument many factors can attribute to the negative, but the main factor is the level of fitness. A teacher may have a student that is physically active outside of school versus a student who is almost sedentary. The student who is physically active is going to have to work harder to get their heart rate up to 60 percent, and the student who is sedentary is not going to have to work as hard to get their heart rate up. Although this is a challenge for this may pave the way for a challenge for the one who is physically active everyone has to start somewhere. Pedometers Pedometers are a way that teachers are moving in their classrooms for physical education as well. This is a cost effective way for teachers to evaluate students in a more objective way than just observe and award a grade for the day. Pedometers measure each step the students will take in a class. Many teachers have looked at the average and given the students a grade based on the amount of steps they take according to what every other has taken. This is a low cost comparison to both video games and heart rate monitors when looking at evaluating students for a grade. There are some drawbacks with the student being able to control and manipulate the device, but for the most part these tools are an effective way for many physical education teachers to evaluate their students in an objective matter. Conclusion When looking at technology in physical education and constructivism the theory or constructivism, the correlation is very prevalent. As physical education teachers move through the years and try to adapt with the growing popularity of technology, there is also an opportunity to relate to students with the knowledge they have already obtained through their previous experiences out of school.

With the growing popularity of video games, computers and TV. Physical education teachers have to find more innovating ways to keep students interested and find ways to connect to their students. Technology is this way and with the proper facilitation these forms of technology can be entertaining to the student but also a great way for the student to see physical activity in a day. It will also benefit teachers ability to grade their students.

References Trout,J., Chrisiti, B. (2007). Interactive video games in physical education. JOPERD Kim, B. (2001). Social constructivism. In M. Orey (Ed.), Emerging perspectives on learning, teaching, and technology. Available Website: http://www.coe.uga.edu/epltt/SocialConstructivism.htm Oxford, R. (1997) Constructivism: Shape-Shifting, Substance, and Teacher Education Applications. Peabody Journal of Education. Ertmer, P., Newbey, T. (1993) Behaviorism, cognitivism, and constructivism: comparing critical features from an instructional design perspective. Performance Improvement quarterly. Squire, K. (N.D.) Video games in education. Massachusetts Institute of Technology Powell, K. C., & Kalina, C. J. (2009). Cognitive and social constructivism: Developing tools for an effective classroom. Education, 130(2), 241-250. http://search.proquest.com/docview/196408006?accountid=9649 Jonassen, D., Land, S. (2000) Theoretical foundations of learning environments . Lawrence Erlbaum Associated, Publishers.