Delivering Numerical Methods to Sports Science Students

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Delivering Numerical Methods to Sports Science
Students

• Barbara Cogdell
• Ron Baxendale
• Faculty of Biomedical and Life Sciences
• University of Glasgow

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Introduction

• Management of numerical data is very important
  for Sports Science students
• Fitness testing
• Body composition
• Interpretation of research findings
• Research projects
• Biomechanics
• Statistics

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Students

• Level 3 of a 4 year honours degree in Physiology
  and Sports Science
• Between 35 and 140 students each year
• Most but not all have Higher maths
• Wide range from Standard Grade to University
  Level 2
• First 2 years shared course with other Biological
  Science students

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Original Course

• Lecture course Quantitative Physiology
• 10 weeks of 2 hours per week
• Taught together with other human biology students
  in large group
• BUT not liked by students
• Hard
• Didnt like being taught maths
• Didnt see the point

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Current course Data Management

• No formal lectures
• Lasts 5 weeks
• Students given 1 problem per week
• e-mailed out on a Monday
• handed in by Friday lunchtime
• Problems marked with feedback
• returned on Monday or Tuesday
• Drop in session on Wednesday
• Question on degree exam paper

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Skills to be acquired

• Presentation of data graphs
• Interpretation of graphs
• Normal values of physiological variables
• Units of measurement
• Simple calculations
• Use of Excel

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Key factors

• Active
• Problems specific to Sports Science
• Quick feedback
• Drop-in sessions for those who need help, while
  those who find problems easy do not have to
  attend
• Students realise that they need numerical skills
  by this stage in their course
• Name doesnt sound like maths

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Example of problems

• Attached is a set of data recorded from a 55
  year old male
• who weighs 80 kilos.
• The test is a familiar one where he pedals on an
  exercise cycle
• ergometer against progressively greater
  resistance.
• Heart rate and oxygen consumption are measured.
• On one side of A4, please draw
• 1. A graph showing heart rate and oxygen
  consumption throughout the test.
• 2. A graph showing the relationship between
  heart rate and oxygen consumption.
• 3. Write a sentence to tell me what his maximum
  oxygen consumption in ml/kg/min is and how fit
  you think he is.

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Approach to marking

• Problem - students not used to being completely
  accurate and correct
• Therefore marking must pick up all mistakes
• Feedback must be prompt

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How did it work?

• This year 36 students
• 100 of problems completed. No late work
• Quality of graph plotting improved
• Students handing-in identical work
• Easy to spot as identical Excel graphs impossible
  
• Some collaboration should be encouraged
• Use multiple data sets

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Feedback from students

• Some students still dont like Data Management
• BUT some praise Its the most effective way of
  learning computer based skills I feel.

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