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RESEARCH-ARTICLE

Active learning in the classroom: a muscle identification game in a kinesiology course

Departments of ¹Human Performance and Exercise Science and ²Human Ecology, Youngstown State University, Youngstown; and ³Department of Rehabilitation, Summa Health System, Akron, Ohio

Address for reprint requests and other correspondence: M. L. McCarroll, Dept. of Human Performance and Exercise Science, Youngstown State Univ., 307H Beeghly Center, One Univ. Plaza, Youngstown, OH 44555-0001 (e-mail: mlmccarroll{at}ysu.edu).

Abstract

It is often difficult for educators to teach a kinesiology and applied anatomy (KAA) course due to the vast amount of information that students are required to learn. In this study, a convenient sample of students (class A) from one section of a KAA course played the speed muscle introduction and matching game, which is loosely based off the premise of the adult game of "speed dating." The game involves student's taking on a "muscle" personality when introducing themselves to potential mates. The experimental group (class A) played the game at two time points throughout the semester after a series of lectures focusing on the body's muscles. A control group (class B) from another section of the KAA course still received the series of lectures but did not play the games throughout the semester. A postgame questionnaire given to class A revealed the following scores: 1) overall perception of the game (score: 4.43 ± 0.68), whether goals and objectives were met (score: 4.05 ± 0.67 to 4.95 ± 0.22), and perceptions of the organization of the game (score: 3.81 ± 0.81 to 4.48 ± 0.60). Overall, the game was well received by class A. When evaluating outcome scores of final grades between the two groups, class A improved final grades by 5.82% for a mean grade of 79.52 ± 10.0; however, the final grades were not statistically significant (P > 0.05) compared with class B (73.7 ± 15.6). The results show that an interactive game may contribute to improved final grades in a KAA course and could be an alternative means of disseminating kinesiology information.

Key words: functional anatomy