Physical activity monitoring as a source for engaged learning

Date: Wednesday, June 1
Time: 10:20 a.m. – 12 noon, second of three presentations at this time
Location: 104 Gore Hall 

With recent technology, student physical activity can be recorded, automatically updated to a database, and made available as a resource for teaching, research, and health services. The objective of this pilot/feasibility study, to be completed at the end of the Spring 2016 semester, is to create a resource for engaged, experiential learning that concurrently benefits student wellness.

At the beginning of Fall 2015, Fitbit® Zip™ monitors were distributed to 150 students, including the 25 students in Research Methods (KAAP 400).  This course introduces students to research on health and physical activity, research design, statistical analyses, and scientific writing. The physical activity database served as a resource for in-class exercises and assignments. The subsequent Spring 2016 semester of Research Methods served as a control group, with students using the physical activity database but not contributing to it with their own activity.

The efficacy of this project as a teaching tool will be evaluated through comparisons of class evaluations, custom surveys, and instructor evaluation. The data from this study will determine the feasibility and potential efficacy of our approach. We ambitiously envision a scenario where UD distributes activity monitors to all students upon their arrival, recording activity throughout their student experience and beyond. These data will then be made available for teaching and research across disciplines so that nearly all students interact with the database.