Luận văn: Đánh giá hiệu quả khóa học Fitness & Wellness trực tuyến dựa trên khái niệm

Columbus State University CSU ePress Theses and Dissertations Student Publications 8-2019 Efficacy of an Online, Concepts-Based Fitness and Wellness Course David Townsend Mann Follow this and additional works at: https://csuepress.edu/theses_dissertations Part of the Educational Leadership Commons, and the Higher Education Commons Recommended Citation Mann, David Townsend, "Efficacy of an Online, Concepts-Based Fitness and Wellness Course" (2019). Theses and Dissertations.edu/theses_dissertations/311 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Student Publications at CSU ePress. It has been accepted for inclusion in Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of CSU ePress. THE EFFICACY OF AN ONLINE, CONCEPTS-BASED FITNESS AND WELLNESS COURSE By David Townsend Mann A Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Education in Curriculum and Leadership (HIGHER EDUCATION ADMINISTRATION) Columbus State University Columbus, GA August 2019 ©2019 by David Townsend Mann.

All Rights Reserved. DEDICATION This work is dedicated to my grandmother, Sue Townsend, whose work ethic and perseverance was exceeded only by her character, optimism, and love of family. iv ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The culmination of this work would remain an obsequious aspiration without the influence and support of my wife, Cynthia Mann, who held our family together during four relocations, three job changes, and all the other wonderful madness we experienced since this project began in 2014. Also, I cannot fully express my gratitude to the faculty of Columbus State University including my dissertation chair, Dr.

Michael Richardson, for presenting this opportunity to my colleagues and me years ago at Darton State College, and for patiently guiding this nervous candidate from start to finish. The members of my dissertation committee, Dr. Robert Waller and Dr. Christopher Garretson, were also very encouraging and helpful.

The responsiveness of Dr. Jennifer Brown to phone calls, emails, and video conference invitations led the researcher to develop a worthy proposal and to keep moving forward. I must mention my appreciation for the support given by my department chairperson, Dr. Christy Killman, whose steady reassurance restored my academic and career endeavors.

And, finally, I am fortunate to have great friends – Dr. Jeff Kluball, Dr. Michael Phillips, Dr. Kenneth Kirsch, and others – who helped along the way.

v VITA DAVID MANN PROFESIONAL EXPERIENCE INSTRUCTOR OF EXERCISE SCIENCE 2017-Present TENNESSEE TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY Cookeville, TN CHAIR OF HHUP & ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR 2016-2017 ALBANY STATE UNIVERSITY Albany, GA HPER CHAIR & ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR 2015 to 2016 DARTON STATE COLLEGE Albany, GA ASST. PROFESSOR/ DIRECTOR OF SPORTS INFORMATION 2011 to 2015 DARTON STATE COLLEGE Albany, GA ASST. PROFESSOR/ HEAD CROSS COUNTRY COACH 2007 to 2011 DARTON STATE COLLEGE Albany, GA INSTRUCTOR/ ASSISTANT SOCCER COACH 2005 to 2006 DARTON COLLEGE Albany, GA GRADUATE ASSISTANT 2003 to 2004 DELTA STATE UNIVERSITY Cleveland, MS EDUCATION DOCTOR OF EDUCATION 2019 COLUMBUS STATE UNIVERSITY Columbus, GA Curriculum and Leadership: Higher Education Administration MASTER OF EDUCATION 2004 DELTA STATE UNIVERSITY Cleveland, MS Health & Physical Education BACHELOR OF ARTS 2002 DELTA STATE UNIVERSITY Cleveland, MS English, Journalism vi ABSTRACT With the sudden growth of distance education at the turn of the century, online offerings of fitness and wellness courses spread quickly across college curriculums. However, the emergence of rigorously designed research regarding the ability of online, concepts-based fitness and wellness classes to significantly improve student health has progressed at a more leisurely pace, leaving stakeholders within higher education unsure of its effectiveness.

The purpose of this study was to examine changes of levels health-related fitness among 28 undergraduate students enrolled in an online, 15-week fitness and wellness course. The study centered around the concept of health-related fitness having five components: cardiovascular endurance, body composition, flexibility, muscular strength, and muscular endurance. Participants underwent a battery of fitness tests administered by a graduate assistant before and after a mandatory period of exercise that spanned 8 weeks of Lifetime Fitness & Wellness at Tennessee Technological University during the Fall 2018 semester. The assessments included the YMCA 3-Minute Step Test to measure cardiovascular endurance, bioelectrical impedance calculation of body composition, the Sit and Reach Test of trunk flexibility, the use of a dynamometer to determine grip strength, and the American College of Sports Medicine Push-Up Test to measure muscular endurance.

Statistical analysis using paired samples t-tests revealed significant improvements among levels of cardiovascular endurance, flexibility, and muscular endurance. Changes to muscular strength and body composition were not statistically significant. The results of this study support the existing literature in that online, concepts-based fitness and wellness courses are an effective means of improving student health. vii TABLE OF CONTENTS List of Tables .x List of Figures.

xi CHAPTER I: INTRODUCTION.1 Background of the Problem .1 Statement of the Problem.3 Research Questions and Hypotheses .8 Importance of the Study.16 Definition of Terms.19 CHAPTER II: REVIEW OF LITERATURE .21 College-Level Physical Education.21 History and Current State of Physical Education .24 Current Issues in College-Level Physical Education.28 Online Education in U. Colleges and Universities .30 Online Physical Education.40 CHAPTER III: METHODOLOGY .42 Research Questions and Hypotheses .51 Reporting the Data .56 CHAPTER IV: RESULTS.57 Research Questions and Hypotheses .72 Summary of the Study .72 Analysis of Research Findings.73 Discussion of Research Findings .99 Appendix A: Lifetime Fitness & Wellness Pre/Post Test .100 Appendix B: Lifetime Fitness & Wellness Syllabus.101 Appendix C: Columbus State University IRB Letter of Approval .109 ix LIST OF TABLES Table 1. Age, Gender, and Ethnicity of Participants. Pretest/Posttest Analysis of Cardiovascular Endurance.

Pretest/Posttest Analysis of Body Composition. Pretest/Posttest Analysis of Flexibility. Pretest/Posttest Analysis of Muscular Endurance. Pretest/Posttest Analysis of Muscular Strength .68 x LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1.

Five Components of Health-Related Fitness. Physical Activity Guidelines. American College of Sports Medicine Guidelines for Physical Training. Pretest/Posttest Measurements in Lifetime Fitness & Wellness.

Concept Analysis Chart for Related Research. Relationship Chart regarding Current and Previous Studies.74 xi CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION Background of the Problem The number of people who are obese in the United States has risen dramatically over the past two decades as a direct result of inactivity and unhealthy eating behaviors (Hoeger & Hoeger, 2015; Wells & Buzby, 2008). Researchers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), a federal agency dedicated to the goal of improving overall public health, have found that 35% of U. adults are obese and 69% of U.

adults are overweight (CDC, 2012). These rates have skyrocketed from the obesity and overweight rates presented 40 years ago of 13% and 31%, respectively (Fryar, Carroll, & Ogden, 2015). This epidemic of obesity has an annual medical cost of $147 billion in the United States (CDC, 2015). Despite this bulging social issue, the number of American four-year colleges and universities requiring mandatory physical education has dropped significantly (Grassgreen, 2012; Oregon State University News and Research Communications, 2013; Painter, 2013).

In fact, researchers found that 97% of U. college students were required to take physical education courses in 1920, and today, that number has dropped to an all- time low of 39% (Oregon State University News and Research Communications, 2013). Non-exercising, modern college students say that having more time for exercise and greater access to facilities would be the top circumstances to begin exercise (Ebben & Brudzynski, 2008). With online education considered by some scholars to be in its infancy (McPherson & Bacow, 2015), a trend toward health and fitness-related online 2 courses is rising, particularly in secondary schools (North Carolina Department of Public Instruction, 2015).

A researcher opposed to online physical education courses argues that students simply cheat the exercise portion of such courses (Harvey, 2013), while another in support of online fitness courses argues that the freedom of exercise activity choices motivates students to become more active (Grayson, 2010). Online physical education courses often include an exercise regimen, and researchers have shown that strenuous exercise leads to improved cognitive function (Griffin et al., 2011) and enhanced academic performance (Sallis, Patrick, & Long, 1999) among students. Other benefits of regular exercise experienced through college-level physical education courses can include weight control, reduced risk of cardiovascular disease, reduced risk of type 2 diabetes, reduced risk of some cancers, stronger bones and muscles, improved mental health and mood, and increased chances of living longer (CDC, 2015). Also, regular visits to campus fitness centers have a proven relationship with high grade-point averages (Neubert, 2013).

Because of the alarming rates of physical inactivity, obesity, and hypokinetic diseases, combined with the increasing number of college students learning online (Allen & Seaman, 2013), some movement toward post-secondary online physical education already exists, and educators need to be proactive and guide the process so that the result is well-conceived curricula (Kooiman & Sheehan, 2014). However, a large concern for the academic rigor of online physical education courses exists, according to researchers who conducted a survey of over 100 kinesiology department administrators (Mahar, Hall, Delp, & Morrow, Jr. For these reasons, this researcher proposed a study of the 3 effectiveness of an online, concepts-based fitness and wellness course to significantly change levels of health-related fitness among college students. Statement of the Problem Researchers have provided much evidence toward a need for concepts-based fitness and wellness courses as necessary components of a college curriculum.

Unfortunately, an overwhelming number of universities are moving away from mandatory physical education requirements due to budget constraints, pressure to fast- track degree paths, and the emergence of online education. As online education surged forward, however, online physical education trends began to develop as institutional leaders who valued the benefit of such courses sought ways of keeping them in the emerging online curriculum. Higher education administrators then found these online physical education offerings to be highly cost effective, favorable among students, and a feasible way of providing students with the many temporary and lifelong benefits of college-level fitness and wellness courses. In short, online physical education became a seemingly quick remedy to a common issue across all of higher education.

However, very little is known about the efficacy of these courses. This researcher found very few studies whose authors focused upon the effectiveness of college-level online fitness and wellness courses. Further, as institutions rushed to put these online offerings into practice, these classes were often developed by instructors whose expertise lied within on-the-ground physical education, which may not necessarily lead to the highest quality online experiences for students. Although some research findings have led to a general belief among administrators that online physical education is effective in meeting learning outcomes and keeping students active, many administrators also believe 4 that instructors do not truly know whether the students are actually exercising.

In online physical education courses, students keep an exercise journal that must be submitted for the instructor’s review upon the closing of the semester, or students swipe an ID card at the university fitness center to keep an online log of visits (Ransdell, Rice, Snelson, & DeCola, 2008). Without recognizing whether students simply chose not to exercise but to write a mendacious journal or merely swipe into the fitness center and walk back out of the door, little is known regarding whether online physical education students are gaining any health benefits while enrolled in the course and the intended improvements in attitudes toward daily exercise. Administrators also do not know what is most effective in regard to exercise requirements in online physical education courses (Mahar et al. Because the courses were often developed by instructors whose backgrounds lied in face-to-face or traditional physical education courses, activity requirements closely resembled the exercise requirements of a grounded classroom.

Students would be required to carry out very strict exercise routines that involved very specific movements and specialized equipment. This method is problematic for several reasons. First, online students may not have access to a facility that provides the equipment necessary to follow the prescribed routine, or if they do, access includes a monthly membership cost (Van Niekerk, 2010). Second, college students enjoy a freedom of choice (Renn & Reason, 2013), and therefore, they often do not appreciate the standard routines typical of an online fitness and wellness course (e.