In the summer of 2002, the Department of Kinesiology and Health atTexas A&M University-Corpus Christi (TAMUCC) offered a bachelor degree distance learning course over the Internet as the first step in developing a distance learning track within their exercise science curriculum. This class was partially supported with a grant from the University Outreach program and administered through the Center of Teaching Excellence at TAMUCC. The primary feature to this course was to present lectures and practice quizzes complete with QuickTime movies and graphic illustrations.
Additionally, the use of electronic mail and exercise physiology lab experiences were required as a means of maintaining communication with students and providing them with application to what was being discussed in lectures respectively. In this article, we discuss the details and results of this pilot project.
Since TAMUCC opened its doors to a four-year curriculum in 1994, the natural constituency of potential students who desire non-traditional courses from the University has increased dramatically. Since a high percentage of our students are working part-time or full-time while attending college, it has become apparent that attending actual classes during regular working hours is difficult (if not impossible). Additionally, many of the adult students live in neighboring towns along the Coastal Bend, far away from the campus. As a state institution of higher education, we felt that we had a responsibility to try to offer some alternatives to the members of our regional community who were attempting to obtain their undergraduate degrees in Kinesiology.
To this date, there is no other course being taught in the area of exercise physiology via the Internet. So there are various questions that need to be answered as to whether or not such a field of science can be taught well enough to accommodate students needing distance learning. We have observed other courses such as the science of athletic injuries classes which seem to offer little more than reading assignments, sharp graphics and cute animations. There are few (if any) courses being distributed over the Internet, which offer combinations of learning environments similar to the traditional classroom, where socialization, interaction, and laboratory assignments are prevalent.
As we look to the future prospects of distance learning in the field of Kinesiology, we felt that this pilot course could provide us with first-hand knowledge and experience from which to draw on for future endeavors. In the final analysis, the pilot has been very successful. However, as with any new development in education, one should always proceed with some caution.