Distance learning in elective academic physical education disciplines: health tests and progress analyses

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PhD, Associate Professor O.I. Kuzmina1
PhD, Professor A.A. Akhmatgatin1
PhD, Associate Professor O.A. Shvachun2
PhD, Associate Professor A.G. Galimova3
1Irkutsk National Research Technical University, Irkutsk
2Russian State University of Justice, Voronezh
3East-Siberian Institute of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia, Irkutsk

Objective of the study was to analyze benefits and drawbacks of the academic distance learning formats for the students’ physical fitness in the pandemic period versus the pre-pandemic physical fitness test data.
Methods and structure of the study. The distance learning format was introduced by Irkutsk National Research Technical University (INRTU) in March through June 2020, with the Physical Education Department making a transition to the Moodle learning platform. The physical education and sport staff offered the distance physical education models customized to the students’ health, age, physical fitness and individual progress needs, with the recommended sets of exercises mobilizing every key muscle group mostly by the own body weight application practices. We sampled for the study the 2-year students (n=221) qualified with the Health Group III and split them up into Reference Group (RG, n=103) trained in the pre-pandemic 2018-19 period and Experimental Group (EG, n=118) trained in the pandemic 2019-20 period. The RG and EG were virtually identical in the primary health conditions and diagnoses.
Practical self-reliant/ distant physical trainings were run twice a week and fixed by video-reports. Since the isolation requirements complicated the traditional speed and endurance trainings, the exercise sets were dominated by the strength, coordination and flexibility centered practices.
Results and conclusion. The study data and analyses showed that the distance learning format of the academic physical education service for the Health Group III may be recommended only in very limited and provisional training models complementary to the traditional physical education service curricula. It may be beneficial only for the students knowledgeable and skillful in the independent physical education practices plus well equipped with the training technologies and basic self-test systems. It should be mentioned at the same time that the modern university distance learning website with the advanced digital physical education technologies effectively encourages the INRTU students’ cognitive activity and independence. Such the distance learning facilities developed and advanced by many national universities may be beneficial for the self-reliant trainings of the responsible and determined senior students in many domains including modern physical education models for optimal customizable physical activity and healthy lifestyle.

Keywords: distance learning, physical fitness, students.

References

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