Development of a computer-based interactive teaching simulation program for physical education.

Abstract

The purposes of this study were to develop a computer-based interactive teaching simulation exercise and to explore its potential use in the development as well as assessment of the preservice student's interactive teaching skills in the area of physical education.

The project was conducted in two phases. Phase one, was employed to design the simulation exercise. In order to complete the design, the following tasks were completed: (1) the teaching skills that were considered important for effective teaching were identified; (2) the teaching situations that required the participants to apply the identified teaching skills were selected; (3) a computer based interactive teaching simulation exercise was designed.

Phase two was devoted to the evaluation of the designed simulation exercise. Eighteen physical education majors (training group) and twelve public school teachers (experienced group) were administered the designed instrument according to a standard procedure. Each subject was administered the instrument after which the observed results were coded and the data analyzed. The derived results demonstrated that the experienced group differed from the training group in performing the simulated tasks. The subjects in the experienced group had a significantly higher rating score than the subjects in the training group {dollar}\rm(P less than .01).{dollar} When asked to make a decision regarding whether to handle the situations as presented to them or not, the subjects from the experienced group made decisions that were different from the subjects in the training group. In addition, the actions employed by the subjects from the two groups also differed. The experienced group chose actions that were rated the highest rating score (3 on a scale of 1-3) and used "effective" teaching actions more frequently than the training group {dollar}\rm(P less than .01).{dollar}.

A reliability estimate for the total test score was calculated using Cronbach's alpha. A coefficient of 0.58 was obtained. This value was judged to be moderate, yet comparable to similar studies.

On the basis of the above results, the present study suggests that the simulation exercise which was developed here is useful in the development and assessment of the selected physical education teaching skills.