Use of mobile devices as a facilitator of the practice of physical activity in physical education lessons: experience in higher education

• Published in: Journal of Physical Education and Sport Vol. 20; no. 6; pp. 3629 - 3634
• Main Authors: Lizandra, Jorge, Valverde-Esteve, Teresa, García-Massó, Xavier
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Pitesti Universitatea din Pitesti 01.12.2020
• Subjects: Adolescents; Cellular telephones; Data Analysis; Exercise; Learning Processes; Physical education; Smartphones; Students; Teaching Methods
• ISSN: 2247-8051; 2247-806X
• DOI: 10.7752/jpes.2020.06489

The potential of the Technologies of Information and Communication in educational contexts has been questioned in recent years. However, the subject of physical education has now become a permeable space for including technological devices, despite the fact that there is some resistance to their incorporation into the classes. This is mainly due fears of the risk derived either from their misuse or because some schools are unable to make the investment in certain devices. This paper describes an innovative experience with mobile devices as gamifying elements in the field of physical education in higher education, by which we aimed to show the symbiotic effect of the use of technology as a facilitator of the practice of physical activity. The study also indicated that it is not necessary to provide each student with an individual device in order to obtain reliable data, as well as suitable procedures for the participants' assessment procedures. After performing different analyses based on a positivist research paradigm, we found that the experience was positively valued by the students and that the daily recommendations for moderate physical activity were improved. The validity and reliability tests confirmed that one device for every two students would be enough provide useful information regarding the students' physical demands. Incorporating technology in PE lessons has thus been shown to be satisfactory for the students.It not only favoured the fulfilment of the recommendations on physical activity but also obtainedvalid and reliable information withoutrequiring all the students to have their own individual device.