Teaching Development Grants
    Completed TDG Projects

    Assessment and Feedback

    Internship in Exercise Science: Development and Assessment of Experiential Learning Aided by Social Media

    Abstract

    The primary aim of this project was to contribute to further curriculum development of the BSc (Exercise and Health) programme, with focus on experiential learning implementation and assessment via the use of social media in EXSC3001: Internship, EXSC2007: Exercise Prescription, and EXSC3011: Advanced Exercise Prescription. A secondary aim is to examine the role of social media in facilitating the stages of the experiential learning cycle. Social media (i.e. Facebook) was incorporated in three iterations: EXSC3001 (summer, AY15-16), EXSC2007 (sem 1, AY15-16), EXSC3011 (sem 2, AY15-16). In the last implementation of EXSC3001 (summer, AY16-17), the course team opted to utilize Moodle in the final iteration.

    An assessment rubric for evaluating reflective observation and abstract conceptualization through social media posts was developed, tested and revised throughout the three iterative cycles. Students perceptions of the benefits of social media in the capstone Internship for key variables (Technology; Group Interaction; Motivation; Learning/Pedagogy) were very positive – average a rating of 4 (scale of 0-5).

    The developed assessment rubric had been passed on to the new EXSC3001 coordinator, and it is hoped to be incorporated in the curricular revisions (however, recent significant structural changes within the BSc programme may limit this development).

    Principal Investigator

    Dr. D.J. Macfarlane, School of Public Health, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine Contact (succeeded Dr. Catherine Capio from August 2016 upon her departure from the University)

    Project level

    Programme-level project

    Project Completion

    November 2016

    Deliverables

    1. Social media (i.e. Facebook) has been incorporated in three iterations: EXSC3001 (summer, AY15-16), EXSC2007 (sem 1, AY15-16), EXSC3011 (sem 2, AY15-16). In the last implementation of EXSC3001 (summer, AY16-17, the course team opted to utilize Moodle in the final iteration, which showed that the interaction provided by social media supported the experiential learning cycle better in some ways.
    2. An assessment rubric for reflection during experiential learning has been developed, and had been revised in the last implementation of EXSC3001.
    3. Data had been gathered on students’ performances and their perceptions of learning experiences using social media. Preliminary analyses of these data informed the development of the assessment rubric.
    4. Content of students’ postings had been downloaded from the online platform (both Facebook and Moodle), and preliminary analysis had been done. A conceptual model for experiential learning in exercise science is proposed, and further qualitative analysis will be performed to develop a manuscript to be submitted for publication.