Assessing a Two-Pronged Approach to Active Learning in Sport Sociology Classrooms

Abstract

Active-learning research has explored 2 distinct areas: pedagogy and physical space. As existing research has most often explored only 1 area per study and few have been done in the area of sport sociology, additional research is needed. This research combined both areas of active learning through a quasi-experimental design. Using 2 different classes, Sport and Society and Gender and Sport, students were exposed to an unchanging physical space or manipulated physical space, as well as active-learning tasks of varying complexity. No differences in student perceptions of engagement or learning were found when comparing space variations; however, task complexity did lead to significant differences in student perceptions of engagement and learning.

Applied Improvisation in the Sport Management Curriculum

“…At its core, active learning attempts to foster improved student engagement through less passive, one-way experiences, such as traditional course lectures, while focusing on the active participation of the student (Lumpkin & Achen, 2015). Some of the more notable approaches to increasing active participation such as the use of flipped classrooms, role playing, hyperpedagogy, and the use of technologies to keep students engaged during lectures (Dane-Staples, 2019;Edwards & Finger, 2007;Lumpkin & Achen, 2015;Pierce & Middendorf, 2008) have previously been explored in sport management education literature. While the focus on active participation is important, the aforementioned applications of engaged learning in sport management also share the common tenet of student dyadic interactions.…”