6 Ways to Integrate Technology into

Physical Education
Teaching physical education can be challenging for any number of reasons, from a lack of equipment
to keeping students engaged. To meet these challenges, some educators are turning to technology
to create more dynamic classes that work for students with a wide range of fitness levels. Here
are some examples of technology and how you can use them in your classes.

Pedometers
Pedometers are probably one of the first examples that come to mind when discussing technology
and physical activity. Measuring steps is one of the easiest ways to measure physical activity, and
pedometers can be used by a wide range of age groups. Another benefit of using pedometers is they
can be used in a variety of tasks, such as doing household chores or scavenger hunts. One issue to
remember with pedometers and heart rate monitors is that target rates are different for children with
different abilities and activity levels, so be sure to plan accordingly.

Heart Rate Monitors

Heart rate monitors are used to measure a student’s pulse while engaged in activities. Using these
devices allows educators and students to aim for an individualized target heart rate that is
challenging to maintain but not too difficult to achieve. By customizing student goals, students feel
more involved and more empowered to continue with fitness. Once more, there are different target
rates depending on age and ability, so remember to take those into consideration.

Health Tracking
Taking the data used by heart monitors and pedometers is vital to creating a long-term plan for
advancing health. Some pedometers and heart monitors have connectivity built in, which makes the
process easier. Using tracking programs or monitoring systems provides educators with tools useful
in creating custom goals for the students. Using these kinds of programs allows for instant feedback
that allows students the opportunity to adjust their goals and how they wish to achieve them.

Apps
With the explosion in mobile technology, physical educators have a wealth of tools. For
example, MapMyFitness and MyFitnessPal allow for movement tracking as well as nutritional help.
Some apps also assist with improving athletic activities such as basketball. Then, the students can
compare what they with what the app instructs. Another idea is to use Google Earth to show students
distances and challenge them to walk those distances—for example, the height of Mount Everest or
the distance between their home and another location.

Video Resources
Sites such as YouTube and Vimeo offer a wide range of tools for educators. If an educator wants to
teach something such as dance or yoga, there is a wide variety of how-to videos that can apply to
any age group. Additionally, some educators create video projects where student groups create an
instructional video to teach something to the rest of the class.
Games
There is a steady market of “exergames,” such as Wii Sports and Dance Dance Revolution. To use
these for a whole class, have a few students using the controllers (taking turns is crucial!) and have
the rest of the class follow along with them. For these games, and any video resources, projecting the
video on a wall or screen allows everybody to see what is happening.

Adapting to new technology can be challenging for instructors. Sometimes, physical education
instructors can feel as if technology does not apply to their subject. However, by embracing
technology, physical education instructors create a more varied and dynamic classroom. They are
also able to appeal to the interests of many different students and ability types. Using technology to
teach physical health allows educators to create more activities and show how important their goals
are.

How Technology is Revolutionizing

Sports Training
In the past, sports training required extensive paperwork and post-practice effort from both the trainer
and the athlete. While the athlete practiced, notes and video were diligently taken and then collated
into charts and graphs representing that athlete’s performance. After practice, trainer and athlete
would work together discussing aches, pains, and thoughts about physical movements that
happened much earlier. The system was grueling, but worked as far as athletes and trainers knew.
That is until recent technology transformed the field of sports training.
Advanced technology has become smaller, more resilient, and less burdensome over recent years,
paving the way for new opportunities, especially in athletics. Now athletes wear sensors that convey
real-time information to a trainer’s tablet, GPS accurately pinpoints motion, smartphones keep
everyone current and wearable tech can prevent injuries. Compared to whiteboards and post-practice
reviews, technology has substantially increased athletic potential.

Technology is revolutionizing sports training by live-tracking performances, perfecting athletic

movements, enhancing communication and virtually eliminating injuries.

Tracking Performance
Using sensors placed on the body or in “smart clothing” (active wear with sensing fibers woven in),
sports trainers can measure and track performance in real time. Almost anything about the athlete
can be measured, from breathing and heart rate, to hydration and temperature.

These live metrics can help the trainer determine what aspects each athlete needs to focus on more.
Athletes are unique, and real-time individual performance measurements can set a more precise and
accurate baseline. During practice, trainers can read live metrics and decide when it’s time to rest,
stretch or train harder.

Lasers and GPS have been incorporated into various aspects of the sports training world. Instead of
relying on times and splits, trainers can measure the exact position, distance, velocity and
acceleration of athletes to better understand where they can improve. Identifying more intricate data
leads to improved performance with less stress and chance for injury.
Perfecting Athletic Movements
Mounir Zok, the Director of Technology and Innovation for the U.S. Olympic Commission, has
watched technology change and mold sports for the better. He claims that sports technology is so
advanced that it can create a ‘digital code’ for winning the gold medal. What he means is: data
collected and compared can ultimately translate into a gold medal performance. Technology has
increased an athlete’s prowess simply because it magnifies performance-related actions and events
that have been previously unseen.

For example, cyclists can wear heads-up display (HUD) glasses that flawlessly deliver heartrate,
speed, incline and other relevant cycling information. Metrics such as these can help the cyclist focus
and improve because they can make adjustments mid ride.

Swimmers and divers participate in an extremely technical sport and have adapted sensors into their
practices as well. When swimming or diving, the sensors measure more than the usual time and
effort metrics. They map movements like rotational speed, dive angle, leg movement and
hydrodynamics. Observing movements like this is groundbreaking, and allows trainers to help
athletes perfect their movements. They may only shave milliseconds off their performance, but a
millisecond in a race can be all the difference.

Enhancing Communication
Applications such as YouTube have also enhanced communication during training. Countless hours
of workouts and game plays can be found by anyone and shared just as quickly through YouTube.
To bolster education through watching film or discussing plays, athletes and trainers can upload and
watch the necessary videos during practice or on their own time.
Communication has been further enhanced by other applications such as My Fitness Pal, a personal
digital health, diet and exercise journal that can be accessed on a smartphone or computer. Trainers
can keep track of athletes by checking their daily diet via My Fitness Pal, and athletes will have
personal accountability to their training. It’s similar to a social media site except that it’s specific to
exercise and athletes, coaches and trainers can interact with their input health information.

Eliminating Injuries
Perhaps the most important byproduct of technology in sports training is that injuries have been
severely reduced and now can be identified much earlier. Tracking performance, perfecting
movements and enhancing communication are not only benefits; they actually help create less injury-
prone environments.

Training management software can assist coaches and trainers in monitoring all aspects of training:
diet, energy, sleep, etc. When coaches and trainers can define individual practice for optimum
results, they are preventing fatigue and self-created injuries. Besides outside variables that cannot be
accounted for, the future may some day see injury-free athletics.
USING TECHNOLOGY TO PROMOTE PHYSICAL ACTIVITY
Technology is a double-edged sword. Computers, for example, contribute to sedentary leisure-time behaviors (e.g., playing seated computer games).
On the other hand, technology has been used to promote physical activity and change exercise behavior. For years, pedometers, accelerometers, and
heart rate monitors have been used as motivational tools. Newer technologies and approaches being used to promote physical activity include global
positioning systems (GPS), geographic information systems (GIS), interactive video games, and persuasive technology. Also, experts suggest that
Internet-based physical activity interventions should be used by clinicians to promote and change exercise behavior (Marcus, Ciccolo, and
Sciamanna 2009). Such interventions are more effective if they incorporate behavior change theory, especially planned behavior theory, include
multiple behavior change techniques, and utilize multiple methods (i.e., text messaging) for interacting with clients (Webb et al. 2010). Irwin and
colleagues (2012) described how the use of virtual exercise partners and group exercise motivation increases exercise performance; these concepts
may be beneficial in promoting health through active video gaming.

PEDOMETERS

Pedometers count and monitor the number of steps taken throughout the day. Most pedometers provide a fairly
accurate count of steps taken during ambulatory activities such as walking, jogging, and running. Estimates of
the distance walked and caloric expenditure are less accurate. Some newer devices also provide an estimate of
the total time spent when walking continuously at a moderate intensity for durations of 10 min or more. To
provide accurate step counts, most pedometers need to be attached to a firm waistband; however, some
pedometers can be carried in a shirt pocket, pants pocket, or bag held close to the body. Others can be worn on
the ankle or in a shoe (Tudor-Locke, Bassett, et al. 2011). Studies show that some pedometers provide a valid
(bias < 3%) and reliable (CV < 2.1%) measure of steps during constant- and variable-speed walking for
both healthy and overweight adults when the pedometer is placed on the waistband (sides and back), in the shirt
pocket, or around the neck; however, positioning the pedometer in the pants pocket or in the backpack
decreases accuracy (Hasson et al. 2009; Holbrook, Barreira, and Kang 2009).

 

Studies report that pedometer-based walking increases physical activity (Williams et al. 2008). In a synthesis of
studies addressing the use of pedometers to increase physical activity, Bravata and colleagues (2007) reported
that on average pedometer users increase their physical activity by 27% over baseline levels. A key predictor of
increased physical activity is setting a step goal (e.g., 10,000 steps per day) for participants. Pedometer-based
walking programs are associated with significant decreases in body mass index, body weight, and systolic
blood pressure (Bravata et al. 2007; Richardson et al. 2008).

 

Thresholds for health benefits from walking have been established using pedometers (Tudor-Locke, Craig
2011). Accumulating 8000 to 9000 steps per day at a rate of no fewer than 100 steps∙min -

 is equivalent to 30 min of moderate physical activity, the health benefit threshold. For weight loss,
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accumulating 11,000 to 13,000 steps∙day  is recommended. Using criterion-referenced

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approaches, youth-specific thresholds for good health are being established. In the future, minimal levels of
steps per day may be used to identify health risk thresholds for cardiovascular diseases (CVD), obesity, and
osteoporosis. Table 3.4 presents classification of physical activity levels for adults and children based on the
number of steps taken daily (Tudor-Locke et al. 2005; 2008). Additional information about the validity and
accuracy of pedometers is available (Holbrook, Barreira, and Kang 2009; Lamonte, Ainsworth, and Reis 2006;
Tudor-Locke, Bassett, et al. 2011; Tudor-Locke et al. 2002; 2006).

ACCELEROMETERS
Accelerometers record body acceleration minute to minute, providing detailed information about the frequency, duration, intensity, and patterns of
movement. Counts from accelerometers are used to estimate energy expenditure. Accelerometers have been used to provide an objective measure of
compliance with physical activity recommendations for the U.S. population (Troiano et al. 2008). Accelerometer data indicated that less than 5% of
adults in the United States engaged in 30 min/day of moderate exercise, 5 to 7 days/wk. This is substantially lower than the self-reported value (49%)
from national surveys. Also, only 8% of adolescents reached the goal of exercising 60 min/day, 5 to 7 days/wk, based on accelerometer data. The
relatively higher cost of accelerometers (about $300 U.S. per unit) compared to pedometers ($10 - $30 U.S. per unit) limits their use in large-scale,
physical activity interventions. In the future, lower-cost units may be developed and more widely used in national surveys and community-based
interventions. Heil, Brage, and Rothney (2012) offer a 7-step, 3-phase algorithm built on best practices for gathering, manipulating, and conveying
accelerometry-based physical activity data.

 

Accelerometer technology is now finding its way into newer classes of waist-mounted pedometers and smartphones. The piezoelectric mechanism is
sensitive to the vertical acceleration at the hip (Tudor-Locke, Bassett, et al. 2011). Data storage capabilities of these new piezoelectric pedometers
range from 1-day periods over 7 days to 1 min periods over 60 days and hour-long periods over 200 days. Stored data are transferable to a computer
via a USB cable. Nike has designed a piezoelectric pedometer that fits into a customized indentation in the midsole of the shoe; it uses the ground
contact time to derive speed of motion, total distance covered, and energy expended. These data are transmitted by radio waves to an intermediary
device (i.e., Apple iPod nano) for display, storage, or eventual download to a computer.

 

HEART RATE MONITORS

Heart rate monitors are used primarily to assess and monitor exercise intensity. These devices are especially useful for monitoring exercise intensity
of individuals in cardiac rehabilitation programs and highly trained, competitive athletes. Because heart rate is linearly related to oxygen uptake, it
can be used to estimate the individual's exercise energy expenditure. However, estimates of energy expenditure from heart rate may be affected by
factors such as temperature, humidity, hydration, and emotional stress.

 

COMBINED HEART RATE MONITORING AND ACCELEROMETRY

The prediction of energy expenditure during physical activity is improved by 20% when data from heart rate monitors are used in conjunction with
accelerometer measures of physical activity (Strath, Brage, and Ekelund 2005). Devices that simultaneously monitor heart rate and body motion
provide valid and reliable measures of physical activity of children, adolescents, and adults in free-living conditions (Barreira et al. 2009; Crouter,
Churilla, and Bassett 2008; Zakeri et al. 2008). For a thorough discussion regarding the future directions of multisensor data synchronization and
data fusion, see the article by Intille and colleagues (2012).

 

SMART FABRIC AND SENSOR TECHNOLOGY

Textiles are being explored in terms of their ability to interface between the human body and physiological variables; these smart fabrics hold
promise for combining electrical and computing properties with nonintrusive monitoring (Paradiso and Pacelli 2011). Such wearable monitoring
systems integrate clothing with sensors capable of remotely monitoring physiological responses during daily activities and sleep (Paradiso, Faetti,
and Werner 2011). Baek and colleagues (2012) used a biometric chair to successfully and unobtrusively measure beat-to-beat ECG heart rate and
blood pressure without skin-to-sensor contact and while their participants were wearing casual clothes.

 

In addition to being misstated in self-reports, body mass can vary dramatically within any given time period; treating it as a constant introduces error
into the energy expenditure equations. Sazonova, Browning, and Sazonov (2011) presented a novel integration of insole pressure sensors with a 3D
accelerometer mounted on the heel of tennis shoes. The results of their study led them to conclude that this combination of accelerometry (e.g.,
motion velocity) and pressure sensor (e.g., body mass) technology is feasible for the indirect estimation of energy expenditure.

 

Wireless body area networks (WBANs) are cutting-edge technological concepts for evaluating physiological responses as individuals undergo their
daily activities. WBANs utilize medical-grade sensors (e.g., brain wave, oxygen saturation, motor unit recruitment, blood pressure, temperature,
inertia, and location) that are placed on or near the surface of the skin. These various sensors transmit physiological data to a small, unobtrusive
coordinator node worn on the body. The coordinator node is responsible for data fusion and integration. These integrated data can then be
transmitted either wirelessly via a mobile device (e.g., smartphone with Bluetooth technology) or existing Internet technology to a central data
repository (Felisberto et al. 2012; Marinkovic and Popovici 2012). Although WBAN applications have evolved through the need to continuously
monitor healthcare patients remotely, this technology may prove to be useful in exercise science research studies.

 

GLOBAL POSITIONING SYSTEM AND GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEM

Global positioning system (GPS) technology uses 24 satellites and ground stations as reference points to calculate geographic locations and
accurately track a specific activity. For example, a portable GPS unit provides information about altitude, distance, time, and average velocity while
hiking. A graph depicting the uphill and downhill portions of the terrain is also provided. GPS can be used in conjunction with accelerometers to
assess and monitor physical activity (Maddison et al. 2010; Rodriguez, Brown, and Troped 2005; Schutz and Herren 2000; Troped et al. 2008). Some
models can compute calories expended (Maddison et al. 2010). Due to the need of GPS units to detect satellite signals through direct line of sight,
they fail to record indoor positions (Cho, Rodrigues, and Evenson 2011). GPS receivers that can be worn on the wrist or upper arm or at the waist are
now available. These units are being investigated in terms of their utility in accurately tracking bouts of outdoor walking lasting a minimum of 3 min
(Cho, Rodriguez, and Evenson 2011). In a proof-of-principle study, smartphone GPS with accelerometry technology and Bluetooth transmitters were
found to be a cost-effective method of noninvasively monitoring temporal and spatial patterns of day-to-day movements both indoors and out
(Schenk et al. 2011). As the technology develops, GPS in combination with the global telecommunications networks may become more widely used
to assess and to promote physical activity. However, inter- and intra-unit validity and reliability should be established as part of any future research
project incorporating GPS technology (Abraham et al. 2012).

 

The geographic information system (GIS) is a computer system that stores information about location and the surrounding environment. Using GIS,
the influence of the environment (i.e., its form and design) on physical activity can be assessed (Zhu 2008). Detailed information about using GIS to
assess environmental supports for physical activity is available (Porter et al. 2004). GIS was instrumental in an investigation of how the built
environment (e.g., sidewalks, open spaces, bike paths, nighttime lighting, and population density per block) influences physical activity and the
walkability index in a Houston, Texas neighborhood (Oluyomi et al. 2012). Combining data regarding environmental features with census data will
provide developers and city planners with the opportunity to design neighborhoods that are more conducive to walking, biking, and active play.

 

Another use of GIS technology was evident in a study of physical activity patterns in teenagers living in New Zealand (Maddison et al. 2010). GPS
and accelerometry data were synchronized and combined based on date and time. Subsequently, this merged file was overlaid with GIS coordinates
identifying roads, buildings, land use, and home addresses. This combination of technology was successful in identifying that the teens exceeded the
recommended 60 min of moderate- to vigorous-intensity physical activity per day; however, there was no ability to identify the types of activity in
which the teens were engaged. Differences in their locations and free-living physical activity intensity were also evident based on the day of the
week. The fact that most of the moderate- to vigorous-intensity activity occurred near home and school suggests the benefit of utilizing those
environments for future health behavior interventions (Maddison et al. 2010).

 

INTERACTIVE VIDEO GAMES

Although interactive video games, like Dance Dance Revolution (DDR), Wii Sports, Wii Fit, Sony Play Station, Xavix, and EyeToy games were
designed to create a more engaging game play, studies show that these games increase energy expenditure and may produce positive health benefits
(Bailey and McInnis 2011; Chamberlin and Gallagher 2008; Graves et al. 2007; Maddison et al. 2011; Murphy et al. 2009; Zhu 2008). Many fitness
centers, schools, and senior centers are now offering interactive games to promote physical activity of children, adolescents, and older adults. These
interactive games are well suited for playing alone or with others, and they require little training or skill, provide an alternative to exercising in bad
weather, and may serve as a transition to actually participating in sports and physical activities (Chamberlin and Gallagher 2008). Acute bouts of
interactive gaming have also improved children's cognitive processes (Best 2011). Warburton and colleagues (2009) reported that interactive video
game cycling significantly increased steady-state HR and energy expenditure compared to traditional cycling at constant, submaximal workloads;
both forms of cycling (traditional and interactive video game cycling) resulted in similar ratings of perceived exertion. Energy expended playing
interactive video games is significantly higher for games primarily played with lower body movements compared to upper body movements (Biddiss
and Irwin 2010; Jordan, Donne, and Fletcher 2011). An extensive study of interactive video games monitoring children's energy expenditure with
indirect calorimetry highlights the influence of gender, intensity, and active mass on the overall energy cost of the games (Foley and Maddison
2010).

 

Exergaming is the term given to interactive digital games in which the player actively moves. Bailey and McInnis (2011) evaluated the enjoyment
and 10 min energy demand of six different exergaming systems and treadmill walking for children of normal and above-normal BMIs. The
associated MET levels were in the moderate- to vigorous-intensity ranges; Wii boxing and treadmill walking at 3 mph produced the lowest MET
levels, while Sportwall and Xavix produced the highest. The children reported high levels of enjoyment. Interestingly, the children in the highest
BMI percentiles reported more enjoyment with the exergames and treadmill walking; they also expended significantly more energy per kg of lean
tissue during exergaming compared to their lower-BMI counterparts. Although not many randomized controlled trials have investigated the effects of
exergaming, a reduction in weight gain, waist circumference, and blood pressure have been reported for overweight children who participate in
exergaming (Maddison et al. 2011, Murphy et al. 2009).

 

Dance Dance Revolution (DDR) is a video game with a floor pad controller that has a grid of arrow panels. Because dancing is a good aerobic
activity, DDR has been used to promote physical activity and weight loss in obese children and adults (Epstein et al. 2007; Zhu 2008). As predicted
by Zhu (2008), more than 1500 schools in the United States use DDR in physical education classes, with the state of West Virginia initially taking
the lead. Sell and colleagues (2008) reported that energy expenditure while playing the DDR video game depends on the participant's experience.
Although for inexperienced participants, DDR was equivalent to light-intensity exercise (18% V\od\O 2R and 4.8 kcal·min-1), on average,
DDR was classified as a moderate-intensity activity (47% V\od\O 2R and 10.5 kcal·min-1). DDR produced an average energy expenditure of
5.4 ± 1.8 METs among children of various BMI values; girls reported a higher level of enjoyment of DDR than did boys (Bailey and
McInnis 2011).

 

Wii Sports is a home video game that uses a wireless, handheld remote controller to detect movement in multiple dimensions while mimicking sport
activities. The games include tennis, golf, bowling, and boxing. Although playing Wii Sports will not burn as many calories as actually playing the
sport, Wii bowling, tennis, golf, and boxing games increased energy expenditure by 2% compared to sedentary computer games (Graves et al. 2007).
Also, energy expenditure and heart rate were significantly greater in Wii boxing (3.2 METs), bowling (2.2 METs), and tennis (2.4 METs) compared
to sedentary (1.4 METs) gaming (Graves, Ridgers, and Stratton 2008). Boys report enjoying Wii boxing (level 3) more than do girls as performed at
4.2 METs (Bailey and McInnis 2011). Wii tennis and boxing played in a standing position during a single 15 min session provided moderate-
intensity physical activity (3.7 and 4.1 METs, respectively) for a small convenience sample of chronic (>6 mo) stroke patients (Hurkmans et al.
2011).

 

In 2008, Wii Fit was launched by Nintendo. This interactive video game offers more than 40 training activities categorized into four areas: aerobics
(e.g., hula hoops and running), strength training (e.g., lunges and leg extensions), yoga, and balance training. This exercise game uses the handheld
Wii remote controller and a balance board peripheral for some of these activities (e.g., running in place and yoga poses). In light of the positive
response Wii Sport and Wii Fit have received, many fitness centers, senior centers, hospitals, and physical therapy centers are now incorporating this
interactive technology into their exercise and rehabilitation programs (Zhu 2008).

 

While a great majority of the exergaming focus has been on children, it also holds promise for promoting functional independence, improving
balance, preventing falls, reducing premature disability, and maintaining health by increasing the physical activity levels of adults and seniors
(deJong 2010). Balance confidence, mental health, and timed walking along a narrow path improved for the seniors who completed a 3 mo video
dancing intervention (30 min per session, twice weekly) (Studenski et al. 2010). Older (>65 yr) community-dwelling adults of normal ability and
with no previous experience with exergaming played 9 active video games in 5 min bouts (Taylor et al. 2012). The boxing and bowling games were
played in both the seated and standing positions. The energy expended, on average, ranged from 1.5 to 3 METs and did not differ for comparisons of
seated versus standing gaming positions. Consequently, such activities may be beneficial in helping seniors reap the benefits of physical activity
regardless of their ability to stand and walk.

 

Virtual reality, or simulation technology, is an exciting advancement of the human-computer interface with potential for penetration into the
interactive healthy behaviors domain. Immersive virtual reality utilizes head-mounted displays, body-motion sensors, real-time graphics, and
advanced interface devices (e.g., specialized helmets) to offer user-specific experiences in a simulated environment (Rizzo et al. 2011).
Nonimmersive virtual reality utilizes current flat-screen (e.g., television or computer screens) and traditional interface devices, such as keyboards,
game pads, and joysticks. Some high-end fitness centers have embraced the interface between traditional exercise equipment and virtual reality
technology to offer more diverse exercise experiences. Optical motion tracking of human motion is made possible by commercially available web
cameras and light-emitting diodes or strategically placed reflective markers. Although this technology is still evolving, the Xbox Kinect system uses
a depth-sensing camera to capture full-body movement. Since the human body is the interface device, the player can move more naturally. With
further interdisciplinary research and development, this style of interactive exergaming may offer full body - interaction gaming that further
promotes physically active lifestyles (Rizzo et al. 2011).

Factors Affecting Technology Integration in the Classroom Shonta Harrell and Yvette Bynum Alabama State University
and The University of Alabama Abstract Technology is an integral part of our everyday lives. In fact, students in our
public schools are considered digital natives and have become accustomed to always being connected to their devices
and the Internet. In 2013, 71 percent of the US population age 3 and older used the Internet (Snyder, de Brey, & Dillow,
2016). Given the importance technology plays in our lives, schools now have a responsibility to integrate it into teaching
and learning and prepare students for 21st Century skills and careers (Cakir, 2012; Luterberbach & Brown, 2011).
Although classrooms may have access to many technology devices, there are several external and internal factors that
affect the proper implementation of technology in classrooms. In preparing students to be college and career ready,
technology integration is imperative. This paper will discuss factors such as poor infrastructure, inadequate technology,
lack of sufficient technological tools, effective professional development (external factors), low teacher self-efficacy and
teacher perceptions (internal factors) that affect technology integration in PK-12 schools. Keywords: technology
integration, self-efficacy, digital literacy, digital natives, 21 st century.

In today's culture, you will be hard-pressed to find a child of any age not plugged into some form of technology.
Students today are considered digital natives and are immersed daily in the world of interactive technology such as
mobile phones, iPods, television on demand, and other limitless resources that provide the answer to any question with
just a few clicks of a keyboard or taps on a screen. Over the past few years, technology has become a major tool used in
just about every career field and has provided educators with a valuable resource to support teaching and learning (Mac
Callum, Jeffrey, & Kinshuk, 2014). The traditional model of education with lectures and students sitting in straight rows
is no longer sufficient. Schools now have a responsibility to integrate technology into the curriculum and prepare
students for 21st Century skills and careers (Cakir, 2012; Luterberbach and Brown, 2011). Practically speaking, there is
an obvious need for students to be prepared to use technology to compete in the 21st-century global economy.
Technology is an essential life skill in the workforce. Students who are technologically savvy often have a better chance
of getting a job and excelling in their careers (Savage & Brown, 2015). However, the task of integrating technology into
classroom instruction in a meaningful and state-of-the-art way remains challenging (Pittman & Gaines, 2015). Although
classrooms may have access to technology initiatives, there are several circumstances that affect the proper
implementation of technology in classrooms such as poor infrastructure, inadequate technology, lack of sufficient
technological tools, effective professional development (external factors), low teacher self-efficacy and teacher
perceptions (internal factors). In preparing students to be college and career ready, technology integration is
imperative. This paper will discuss those external and internal factors that affect technology integration in PK-12
schools.

External Factors Limiting Technology Integration Poor Infrastructure There is a revolution underway in K-12 classrooms
as school districts and boards move to adopt a new style of classrooms and pedagogy focused on mobile learning. To
succeed, the move to anywhere, anytime learning must be supported by a strong foundation in technology, particularly
network infrastructure (Build the 21st Century Classroom, 2018). By focusing on the right technological advances in
network management and security from the right vendor, school districts can prepare their classrooms for tomorrow’s
networking needs. Too often infrastructure is overlooked when making the decision to purchase technological tools and
how they will be utilized in the learning environment. When making these decisions certain aspects should be
considered such as the range of the devices, duration the device's purpose. Collaborative classrooms require not only
furniture grouped to facilitate clusters of learners, but also a strong Wi-Fi signal that assures students of anywhere
anytime connectivity for a range of devices (Build the 21st Century Classroom, 2018). Infrastructure can affect Wi-Fi
connection and limit internet access to technology devices. Especially, in rural schools and older building without proper
power voltage to support multiple tech devices. Only 68% of students say they have Wi-Fi access at school (Pearson,
2015). Hence, school districts would greatly benefit from focusing on the best networking management tools for their
system to further prepare classrooms for tomorrow's networking requirements.

Inadequate Technology From the perspective of learning theory, the integration of technology usage into the classroom
serves constructivist and sociocultural principles. According to the constructivist view, learners create knowledge as a
result of their interactions with the environment, building on existing knowledge and dependent upon the relevance of
the content or instructional activity in their own lives. From the sociocultural perspective, technology provides the
platform, and the tools to engage via numerous media with other individuals and groups beyond the immediate reach
of the learner (Pittman & Gaines, 2015). There is an obvious need for students to be prepared to use technology. In
2013, 71 percent of the US population age 3 and older used the Internet (Snyder, de Brey, & Dillow, 2016). However,
due to limited funds and budgets schools don’t have the resources to provide adequate technology for every student. In
the Student Mobile Device Survey National Report: Students Grades 4-12 conducted by Pearson (2015) it found that
14% of elementary students attend a school with a 1:1 initiative. However, most students access to technology is
through a computer lab (37%) or shared in a classroom (33%). Sixty-two percent of students want to use technology
more in the classroom, but the reality is that the resources are just not available. In schools that implement Bring Your
Own Device (BYOD), it is assumed students will have the devices to fill in gaps where schools lack the resources.
However, only 8% (elementary) and 13% (middle and high) school students bring their own devices to school for
personal use. The opportunity to engage broadly and deeply with virtual environments made possible by technology
continues to lag in education. The practical applications for learners as they create knowledge for themselves are
numerous and growing, as can be evidenced by a simple Internet search on the subject. As districts continually move
toward 21st-century classrooms, it is important to bridge the gap between utilization and adequate resources.

Lack of Sufficient, Effective Professional Development Even with adequate technology access, effective professional
development remains a reason that makes it difficult to increase the level of technology integration in classrooms. Little
is understood about what these experiences might look like for teachers ‘‘on the ground,’’ during implementation of
technology-integrated professional development (Wilkerson, Andrews, Shaban, Laina, & Gravel, 2016). Research
indicates that simply providing teachers with professional development opportunities related to using technology does
not translate into higher levels of integration in the classroom. It is only when they are provided the knowledge, skills,
resources, and support that they will integrate technology in the curriculum to maximize its effects on teaching and
learning (Papanastasiou, Zemblyas, & Vrasidas, 2003). However, schools are providing technology-related professional
development. Technology integration was the second most common topic for professional development (67% of
teachers) only following training on a content specific area (Rotermund, De Rocje, & Ottem, 2017). But, of those that
participated in training, 59% only received 8 or fewer hours indicating teachers are left on their own with the daunting
task of choosing the most appropriate technology tool to support teaching and learning.

Internal Factors that Limit Technology Integration Low self-efficacy Self-efficacy is the belief that a person can perform a
task to achieve the desired outcome. It is an essential concept of Bandura's social cognitive theory (1977) that affects
how you choose to interact with society and your surroundings. Researchers in education focus on the principles of self-
efficacy involving performance accomplishment, vicarious experiences, verbal persuasion, and physiological stress
(Howardson & Behrend, 2015; Pan & Franklin, 2011). It is predicted that digital classrooms, which involve many
technological devices, will improve students’ success level. However, without effective technological integration, it is
unreasonable to claim it is possible to reach these goals without the necessary online technologies self-efficacy (Ozerbas
& Erdogan, 2016). The theory of self-efficacy is “that people process, weigh, and integrate diverse sources of
information concerning their capability, and they regulate their choice behavior and effort expenditure according to that
information” (Bandura, 1977). We have control over our behavior not control of the outcome. There is also a significant
correlation to teacher’s use of technology in the classroom with their self-efficacy (Li, Worch, Zhou, & Aguiton, 2015).
Due to high demands of student achievement and accountability, if teachers felt the use of technology had a positive
outcome on their students’ learning it was more likely they would integrate it into their practice. However, if they felt it
would not increase their student’s performance they would not use it. Another point worth noting, 62% of elementary
students feel they know more about technology than their teachers (Pearson, 2015) which may add to some teachers
perceived low self-efficacy.

Teacher Perceptions Despite increasing access to technology in schools, teachers are usually portrayed as hesitant users.
They are accustomed to the old standard which can create frustration when trying to shift to a new paradigm leading
them to stray away from the use of 21st-century technological devices. Teachers who are not digitally literate, able to
understand and use information from a variety of digital sources, will be the ones who integrate technology. They
perceive the effort needed to learn the new technology and practicality or value of it as a significant consideration in
whether they use it or not (Mac Callum, Jeffrey, & Kinshuk, 2014). This is consistent with other research that found
teacher’s readiness, or lack thereof, had the highest total effect on whether teachers integrated technology in their
classrooms (Inan & Lowther, 2009). Teachers also perceive technology integration negatively due to the amount of time
it takesto integrate into the curriculum through additional training and planning. Technology integration requires
preparation, classroom management practices, and demands attention that is not normally spent in those areas. It is
easier to just remain with the “status quo.”

Summary The integration of technology in the classroom is a multifarious process. One of the greatest challenges for
teachers is the link between educational technology innovations, promising practices for teaching and learning and
integrating technology with increases in student achievement (Middleton & Murray, 1999). Successful student-use of
technology in education hinges on knowing how to manage technology efficiently and overcoming barriers that come
with integrating technology. Simply equipping schools and classrooms with technology is not the panacea for improving
student achievement. It would be necessary to conduct a longitudinal study to suggest if the tools used are even
effective and then the district can construct a plan to help schools address these hindering internal and external factors.
Self-efficacy plays a significant role in the desire to use such tools in the classroom. Therefore, teachers must be
supported and felt that their needs are being met throughout the implementation process. When teachers are not
confident in the usage of these tools, they tend to have a lower perception of its value. Hence, the tools will not be used
to their full capacity creating an internal barrier. Administration adds to teachers’ low self-efficacy by not providing
them sufficient amount of professional development. Coupled with poor infrastructure, lack of network bandwidth and
a shortage of enough devices for classroom usage may cause teachers to feel discouraged and abandon fully
implementing technology into their practice. Furthermore, hindering the students from receiving 21st-century
instruction. As schools are moving toward college and career readiness, it is imperative that districts address these
barriers, and include them in the process when developing technology plans for new investments and expansions. As
society continues to grow in its use of technology for social reasons it is expected that education will continue to grow in
the usage of such tools as well. Addressing these barriers is a step in a positive direction in closing this gap.
RELATIONSHIP OF PHYSICAL FITNESS TO
ATHLETIC PERFORMANCE AND SPORTS
Physical fitness leads to better athletic performance, and persistent training will usually develop physical
fitness. Detailed analyses of the anatomic and physiological characteristics of famous athletes show that it is
possible to make fairly reliable predictions of athletic performance. Scores obtained by various static and
dynamic tests exhibit various degrees of correlation with the scores made in competition, and it has been easy
to pick out the tests that give the highest coefficients of correlation. Dynamic tests thus are shown to have
higher predictive value than static tests. Type of physique, strength and power, respiratory efficiency, and
cardiovascular components are among the factors that determine performance, but no two, or three, or four
factors, even when combined in an optimum manner, measure all aspects of fitness. Fitness tests applied to
former champions gave the best results in those athletes who were in continued training. Endurance training
makes marked improvements in cardiovascular function. Ability of the endurance athlete to use oxygen is
related to circulatory and respiratory capacity, but in sprints, weight lifting, and swimming there are many other
important specifics.

Basis of Sports
Training
All activities which are part of human behavior were subject to a long-term
development. Let us take throwing, which is regarded a basic motor activity, as an
example. In the deep past, throwing was necessary for feeding and defense. At
present, throwing has lost its importance as one of the above mentioned activities
but it is involved in different sports to a great extent (e.g. athletics, handball,
baseball, etc.). The task of a prehistoric hunter was to hit the target precisely to get
food. The aim of a present-day athlete is to throw the javelin as far as possible. The
result of the activity in both examples can be considered a
performance. Performance is understood as an extent to which motor task is
accomplished. With the prehistoric hunter, performance is evaluated
dichotomically: hitting the target or missing and it is not restricted by any rules. In
the case of the athlete, performance is evaluated following rules of the sports
discipline which were set in advance, it is expressed by the length of the throw and
is understood as a sports performance. An ability to achieve a given performance
repeatedly is referred to as efficiency.
The aim of sports training is to achieve maximum individual or team efficiency
in a selected sports discipline limited by rules.
Reaching maximum efficiency in any activity is not possible over a day. Efficiency is
conditioned by several interrelated areas. Sports training focuses on reaching
maximum efficiency in motor abilities connected to a certain sports discipline.
Supposed performance depends on motor ability and motor skill which are closely
related to the sports discipline. Motor abilities can be described as relatively
stable sets of inner genetic presuppositions needed to carry out locomotive
activities. They include force, speed, endurance, coordination and flexibility. Motor
abilities are manifested on the outside by sports skills. Sports skills are
presuppositions needed for implementing performance in a selected sports
discipline which is limited by rules. Such presuppositions are gained through motor
learning. It, however, would not be possible to implement sports skills or develop
locomotive abilities without motivation. Motivation is understood as an inner
incentive to carry out certain activity. The final area needed for performance
implementation is represented by tactical skills. Tactics means conducting a sports
competition in a purposeful way.

4 Technology Resources That Athletes Can Utilize for Better

Performance - by Sarah Daren

Behind-the-scenes sports technologies are becoming just as important for athletes as the smartphones
and iPads that consumers are growing increasingly reliant on for navigating daily life. Innovative sports
technologies aid today's athletes in achieving new heights of excellence, and contemporary sports fans
benefit greatly from innovations such as real-time, on-screen markups and highlights, which makes it
considerably easier to keep track of many variables that can affect the outcome of the game. This
technology enhances the viewer experience and has a positive impact on many sports. Furthermore,
advanced technologies help officials maintain integrity in a highly competitive environment. Many of
today's viewers can't imagine watching televised sports without this technology.

Coaches and athletes, however, are using innovative technologies to tweak and improve their
performance in incredible ways that are relatively unknown to casual fans. Today's sports professionals
use a combination of traditional training and the latest technological advancements. Around the world,
remarkable inventions such as video analytics and 3-D motion capture systems are helping athletes and
coaches find previously hidden opportunities for improvement.

Sports technology engineers create amazing training resources using empirical evidence. These
exceptionally talented hardware and software specialists develop technologies that fulfill the needs of
contemporary coaches and athletes. It takes the collaborative effort of professionals from many fields to
make these innovative technologies a reality. A vastly talented array of experts, such as biomechanists,
sports scientists and computer science engineers, conjoin to engineer technologies that help athletes
improve their performance. The following sections showcase 4 of the latest technological resources that
engineers have developed for improving athletic performance.

Resource 1: Enhanced Performance and Training Technology

Sports professionals are finding that a regular routine of pushing one's physical abilities to the limit is not
the most effective way of improving athletic performance. Research has shown that there are more
effective and productive ways for athletes to enhance their abilities. Now, sports facilities around the
world feature cutting edge technologies as well as innovative, unique training methods.

Today, sports professionals can easily monitor and analyze important vital statistics such as their heart
rate, calorie intake and other critical performance variables. High-tech equipment and innovations help
today's athletes succeed and excel. Innovative technologies provide immediate access to information
that helps coaches and athletes better understand player's health and well-being. This information helps
athletes achieve optimal conditioning and develop a better and deeper understanding of how to
maximize their performance and strengths.

Resource 2: Social Media

Social media is helping athletes get into college and find more opportunities. A recent survey reveals that
72-percent of advancing high school seniors use social media platforms to research potential colleges
and universities and that 20-perecent of athletes use online platforms for sports related career
networking. Additionally, scouts have shifted from the old paradigm of using experience, gut feelings and
instincts to recruit talent. They can now use social media and other online resources to research detailed
and verified information about athletes. These technologies allow scouts to discover potential stars who
may have previously gone unnoticed.

Resource 3: Innovative Online Apps and Information Sources

Today's athletes use a combination of trainers, coaches, private lessons and sports tech to enhance their
abilities. Additionally, new technologies offer a plethora of options for reaching out for this vital support.
To improve their skills, performance, nutrition habits and techniques, many of today's athletes use
advanced technologies such as video projection and swing analysis. These kinds of technologies help
professional and amateur athletes turn their weaknesses into strengths.

Resource 4: Blended Learning and Education

Technology gives athletes pioneering ways to learn and train. They can now choose from a multitude of
ways to improve their performance. Internet connectivity allows athletes to learn at any time and from
anywhere in the world. In addition to traditional methods, they can now take advantage of online
courses and videos and leverage innovations such as artificial intelligence, virtual-reality and gamified
training to learn faster. In fact, today's AI sports training technologies are nearly sophisticated enough to
match human experts.

High-performing and dedicated athletes need more than natural talent. Technology is now an integral
component for enhancing athletic performance. Coaches praise the benefits of today's sports
technologies. Many believe that the information gathered by modern, state-of-the-art sports innovations
greatly complement traditional training. Coaches and athletes who stay informed about, and take
advantage of, the latest training resources and work hard will achieve exceptional results. With ingenuity,
technology and hard work, coaches and athletes will continue to produce amazing results in the field.

How Technology Changes

Physical Education Classes
For most students, working out or being physically active is a chore.

This is one good reason why PE teachers are turning to a plethora of electronic devices to
energize their students and motivate them. They are getting more creative and innovative
as their students have changed.

Why combine technology and

physical education classes
Incorporating technology into physical education classes produces an individually oriented
experience for students who feel reluctant about the subject. Additionally, it also has the
potential to reduce stress on the students’ bodies, improves their confidence, and makes
them more efficient and prepared for their classes. It enhances their strategies and skills
as well.

Technology makes it possible to incorporate other studies, like geography or math, into
physical education to produce optimal challenges for the students. With technology,
particularly mobile technology, physical educators now have a wide range of tools they
can use to examine and improve their students' physical skills. The list includes wearable
tech, physical education apps, gaming systems, virtual classes, and monitors and
trackers.

Phone applications in physical

education
Almost everyone has a smartphone, and PE teachers can use such devices to their
advantage in encouraging their students to work out and exercise. Although they won't
probably like their students to be constantly glued to their mobile phones throughout their
classes, when educational benefits are obvious the use of mobile phones and phone apps
should be encouraged.
There are a lot of phone apps available these days designed to track  movements and
offer nutritional guides. Students can access important information regarding their fitness
and diet with just a few clicks. And the best part is that most of those apps are free. While
there are apps that require some form of payments or monthly fees, the cost can be worth
the health benefits associated to well-informed workout and diet programs.

Online videos
With faster and more reliable internet, streaming videos is more accessible than ever
before. PE teachers can take advantage of this technology to encourage their students to
enhance their skills by checking out online videos and demonstrations. With the depths of
information available online, PE instructors won't have a hard time searching for videos
that can fit every student's needs.

Teachers, however, need to be careful in choosing videos. They need to make sure that
the videos are age appropriate to the class and grade they are teaching.

Additionally, to encourage better learning, teachers can also encourage their students to
create their own instructional videos of any workout they are passionate about doing.
This is more engaging than having students sit and watch videos that are already on the
internet.

Virtual classes
Physical education isn't just about being “physically active.” It's still a learning process, so
students are expected to engage in discussion with their teachers about their learnings,
challenges, and other necessary information for them to reach a deeper level of
understanding.

Virtual classes allow students to express their opinions and views about their activities.
They are also valuable in developing students' writing and communication skills. They
enable students to blend into media and enhance their creative thinking.
Gaming systems
Video games can change the way students think and feel about being physically active
and competitive. They appeal to their love of video games and spark their interest in their
application to physical education. They even make a great solution to keeping kids active
in bad weather.

With gaming systems applied to gym classes, students can take an activity associated
with inactivity and turn it into something productivity. They keep students immersed and
engaged which can be continued at home.

Monitors and trackers

Since not all students have the same physical capabilities, it's essential for teachers to be
aware of what their students can and can't do. It is important to adapt a program to a
particular student’s body, thus heart rate monitors have become critical for assessing
students' physical stamina and in setting realistic and reasonable goals for them.

Creating goals that are suited for an individual student will make it easier for them to feel
motivated, and encouraged to stay active and committed to their fitness routines.

Apart from heart-rate monitors, pedometers have also become an indispensable tool in
physical education. They are excellent and reliable when it comes to tracking steps.

They can keep track of how active a student is even when they're not engaged in a
workout or exercise. Apart from that, pedometers work even when used in running
errands and doing chores at home.

And if a student's step count is low, a pedometer can remind that student to keep walking
and going. It makes students more aware of their progress and to stick to their goals.
Smartwatches
Smartwatches make a great alternative to the traditional pedometer as a step counter.
They may be more expensive, but they offer more functions.

For example, some smartwatches can let students access their favorite music and listen
to it while working out. Other models have apps that can remind students to take any
medication they are on, track their sleeping hours, or log their moods. Some
smartwatches can log students’ running distance as well as their speed.

One problem with smartwatches is that they tend to be expensive. And the more features
they have, the higher their price gets. In essence, this simply means that although
smartwatches are handy in physical education classes, they may not fit every student and
instructors need to be aware of that.

Conclusion
Technology, in general, has positively reshaped physical education classes. With apps,
online videos, monitors, and trackers, physical education teachers are able to create
customized and reasonable goals for their students. In the process, students felt more
engaged and committed to being physically active which is essential in developing healthy
habits.

Disadvantages of Technology in Physical Education [edit | edit source]

The goal of physical education is to increase physical activity and fitness levels. When incorporating technology into
physical education curriculum it could decrease the time the class has for students to be motor engaged. When
students have less time of being engaged in physical activity the whole reason for physical education class is lost.
Is it possible for students to learn physical education with out technology? Yes, it is very possible and that is what is
happening today. With budgets decreasing every year in school systems, some physical education department's
funds are being cut very low or even eliminated. So with little funds already, buying technology would seem like a
step backwards. If it is possible to run a physical education effectively with out technology, then it is done. Money is
very scarce in school systems, so in what ever way possible teachers need to lower their budgets and with physical
education, teachers stick to the basics to help keep costs low. Using technology in any educational setting is
expensive and due to that fact that useful technology in physical education is so new it is currently very costly.
Being able to provide enough technology equipment for to put into each of your students had is very costly.
One of the big disadvantages of technology in physical education is that students tend to lose out on learning team
building skills. When things such as exergames are used in Physical Education only one or two students are playing
each game and they are not working as a team. In life, team work is key and having good team work and
communication skills within the work field is important to being successful. By using technology and decreasing the
students chance to work with others as a team is a disadvantages and a lose of a learning experience.
Conclusion[edit | edit source]
There are many different ways to integrate and utilize technology in Physical Education. There is a range from the
basic tools such as heart rate monitors, pedometers, and GPS, to complex computer generated sports simulators
and exergames. The point is, that technology can be used in physical education and there may be advantages of
that, but at what cost? Using technology may help students to be more engaged and motivated to learn, but they
may not be as physically active as they need to be in Physical Education. The main goal of Physical Education is to
get all students moving and being physically active. And when teachers try to utilize and integrate technology in
their classes, they use precious class time to set up, turn on, and take down equipment, which means less time to
get students moving. Physical Education is an important class to get away from technology and learn team work
and how to be healthy. If we don't show kids how to do things without technology, they could become too dependent
on it in the future, and not be as active when they become adults.

How does technology impact

physical activity levels among
students?
Researchers studied university students to determine how technology has
affected people’s physical activity levels.
Adults are encouraged to participate in at least 150 minutes of moderate physical activity or
75 minutes of vigorous exercise per week as recommended by the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention (CDC).  Previous studies have shown that these levels of physical
activity can help to prevent obesity as well as a number of chronic conditions such as type 2
diabetes and cardiovascular disease. They can also help to prevent certain cancers like colon
and breast cancer improve general well-being quality of sleep, reduce depression, and
increase cognitive capacity.

However, several factors such as technology use, sleep, and sociodemographic

characteristics could affect the recommended levels of physical activity. How has technology
affected people’s activity levels?

Technology use, sleep, and ethnicity may affect physical activity

The increased use of technology might affect young adults’ health behaviour, including
physical activity. It could reduce the cardiorespiratory fitness of the college students if they
consistently use their mobile phones or other gadgets instead of engaging in active
activities.

Studies, however, have shown mixed results among male and female students. In previous
research, sedentary technology use (i.e. desktop computers) was associated with less
activity in males, but not in females.
Additionally, sleep may impact activity. For instance, sleep is vital in maintaining normal
function, but college or university students often experience sleep deprivation. In this case,
short-term sleep loss might be associated with decreased levels of physical activity.

Physical activity levels may also be affected by sex and race or ethnicity. One study found
higher levels of physical activity among males than females from years 2000 to 2011 in
several US counties. However, during the same timeline, increasing levels of physical
activity were found among females. A study in the US demonstrated that among both men
and women, non-Hispanic white adults had higher regular physical activity levels compared
to all other groups. Each of these factors is important to examine and understand how they
impact physical activity levels to combat the obesity epidemic and related comorbidities.

A study recently published in BMC Public Health  aimed to identify physical activity levels

among undergraduate and graduate college students who were enrolled in college and
assess the relationship between sociodemographic (e.g. sex, race/ethnicity) and behavioural
factors (e.g. sleep, technology use) that are associated with physical activity. Many young
adults in college or university are beginning to establish their long-term health habits and
the researchers emphasized that understanding the effects of various variables on their
levels of physical activity is crucial to developing programs for long-term health.

Surveying university students

The researchers conducted a cross-sectional analysis of survey responses during the start of
the fall semester in 2014. An online survey was sent to all enrolled graduate and
undergraduate students and a total of 490 students completed the survey. The response
rate was 87.6% for undergraduate students and 48.4% for graduate students. The average
age of students was 21 years.

The results indicated that on average, students used smartphone technology most often at
about 4.4 hours per day, followed by laptops at around four hours a day.  They used
desktops at about one hour per day and tablets at a half-hour per day. The students
reported sleeping around 6.7 hours per night. The respondents were predominately male
(69%) and 32% identified as a racial or ethnic minority. The majority of the students (60%)
were also within the normal range for body mass index, with only 12% who were classified
as obese.

Majority of students met recommended physical activity guidelines

The results showed that the majority of respondents met or exceeded the recommended
physical activity guidelines. In fact, 85% of the college students reported having at least
150 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity per week, and only 15% did not. The
results showed that the individuals who reported more than 150 minutes of vigorous
physical activity per week were more likely to be male, and non-Hispanic white. They were
also the highest users of technology and received low-moderate levels of sleep (not the
lowest level).

Technology, specifically smartphone use, may drive physical activity levels

Based on the results, the researchers found that both a minority status and being female
were the strongest sociodemographic factors that are associated with insufficient activity
levels.
On the other hand, high technology use, primarily by using a smartphone, was associated
with higher physical activity levels. In contrast to previous assumptions, smartphone use
may actually drive the physical activity levels and not the other way around. These students
may be using technology while on the move, like walking or biking or exercising in the gym,
and could actually be using these devices to monitor their movements.

The study participants indicated that they use their technology devices for recreation and
also for work. In this case, the researchers failed to gather information about the types of
activities that the students were using.

There are limitations in the study that were discussed by the researchers. They were not
able to draw conclusions confirming cause and effect – for example, a lack of physical
activity is due to technology use. This is because of the observational nature of the study.
Because the study was limited to college students, the findings may not be widely
generalizable to other populations. In addition, the participants reported higher than
average levels of activity, which may not represent other college students.

This important study provides information for policymakers and healthcare providers
interested in increasing levels of physical activity in the population. Interventions aimed at
females and ethnic minorities will be important. With its ever-increasing use, technology will
continue to impact our lives and our health in sometimes surprising ways.

Written by Alexa Deano

Reference: Town Jr SD, Ory MG, Smith ML, et al. Accessing physical activity among young
adults attending a university: the role of sex, race/ethnicity/ technology use, and sleep.
BMC Public Health. 2017 September 18.

17 Disadvantages of Digital
Technology
Digital technology has revolutionized almost every aspect of people's lives in recent decades. Office
work, shopping, music, movies, television, photography, travel, transport, and long-distance
communications are just some areas that have been transformed. In fact it's fair to say that it's
become increasingly rare to find any electronic device or large machinery that doesn't incorporate
digital technology in some way.

Digital technology often means that devices have generally become much smaller, lighter, faster, and
more versatile than they used to be. It also means that huge amounts of information can be stored
locally or remotely and moved from place to place almost instantaneously. Even the term
"information" has expanded to include photos, audio, video, and other media, rather than just letters
and numbers. The information can be much more easily manipulated, too; photos, music, and movies
can be edited, for instance.

However, there are downsides to digital technology, too. Seventeen of the negatives are listed below.

17 Digital Technology Disadvantages

1. Data Security
 2. Crime and Terrorism
3. Complexity
4. Privacy Concerns
5. Social Disconnect
6. Work Overload
7. Digital Media Manipulation
8. Job Insecurity
9. Plagiarism and Copyright
10. Anonymity and Fake Personas
11. Overreliance on Gadgets
12. Addiction
13. Secondhand Living
14. Organization and Storage
15. Depersonalized Warfare
16. Longevity
17. Social Alienation
I will explain each downside of digital technology in more detail below.

1. Data Security
Digital technology means that vast amounts of data can be collected and stored. This can be private
information concerning individuals or organizations. It can be very difficult to keep this data safe. Just
a single breach can mean vast amounts of private information going into the hands of criminals,
terrorists, business rivals, foreign adversaries, or other malign entities.

2. Crime and Terrorism

The internet is fertile territory for malevolent forces to operate, thanks to its international nature, vast
scale, and the relative anonymity that users can enjoy. Examples of this include: terrorists using
social media to promote themselves and encourage others; drug dealers using the dark web to trade;
pedophiles using chat rooms and other places to groom potential victims, exchange photos, videos
and other information; and authoritarian regimes attempting to sway or distort elections in democratic
countries.

3. Complexity
We no longer understand the workings of the devices and machines that we interact with on a daily
basis. Fixing a modern car now means interacting with a computer; it is no longer just mechanical.
Using a phone can involve tackling all sorts of complicated settings. Minor glitches in the operations
of a laptop can cost both time and expense.

4. Privacy Concerns
It's become much harder to have personal privacy in the digital world and that's on top of the dangers
of your personal data being stolen or sold. For instance, everybody has the ability to take photos and
video footage on their mobile phone, then post it online. Employers can search for people online and
maybe find unflattering photographs, or see them expressing controversial opinions in social media
or blogs. Digital cameras watch and record our movements in public places. Minor indiscretions can
now haunt an individual for life when they're posted on the internet. Controlling your personal
information is very difficult and sometimes impossible.
5. Social Disconnect
There is an increasing tendency for people to socialize and communicate via digital devices rather
than through real-life contact. This can easily lead to a sense of disconnect and isolation. Human
beings have evolved over thousands of years to have real contact, so taking that away affects them
in all sorts of negative ways that we're only just beginning to understand. Studies have suggested
that the lack of real-life contact is causing depression and other forms of mental illness in many
people.

6. Work Overload
Many modern workers spend their days trying to keep up with the hundreds of emails that they are
sent each week, all of which require reading and some of which require replies or action. Texts from
colleagues in the evenings or on the weekend can mean that people never fully escape work.
Organizing the vast amount of digital data acquired in some jobs, such as the minutes of meetings,
training videos, photographs, reports, and instructions, can also be a huge headache.

7. Digital Media Manipulation

Digital media such as photographs, audio, and video are easy to edit, making the manipulation of
media widespread. It's not always easy to tell what is real and what is fake anymore. Photographs
can be altered using editing tools such as Photoshop. Digital audio and video can be doctored. The
issues will only intensify as the technology improves.

8. Job Insecurity
It used to be that you had to be physically present at a workplace to do a job, but now many work
tasks are performed remotely via the internet. That means a Third World worker in a low wage
economy can undercut you and take your job. Increasingly, humans aren't needed at all for many
tasks, as computers gradually replace them. Driving and delivery jobs, for instance, will disappear
soon as vehicles become automated.

9. Plagiarism and Copyright

Digital media is remarkably easy to copy and reproduce. Copyright laws are increasingly hard to
enforce, as the music and movie industries have discovered to their cost. School kids can copy and
paste their homework projects without really learning anything. A culture of "sharing" on social media
means that often the original creator of a piece of media is forgotten, as the piece is adapted and
claimed by others.

10. Anonymity and Fake Personas

Digital technology provides wide scope for users to hide their identities. Studies show that people are
much more likely to behave anti-socially if they don't think that there will be any consequences.
Bullying, trolling, stalking, threatening, and insulting behavior have all increased dramatically with the
rise of the internet. People assume fake personas for the purposes of scamming and defrauding.
Pedophiles use fake personas to gain access to and befriend children.

11. Overreliance on Gadgets

Reliance upon mobile phones, computers, and other digital gadgets has become common. Many
people have all their contact information, photographs, texts, and other personal information on their
phones. If they lose them, or the gadget breaks or runs out of power, then they are in trouble. Basic
living skills, like finding one's way around the streets of a town, have been replaced by taking
directions from a GPS system.

12. Addiction
Social media, computer games, messaging, and dating websites can all be addictive. Games want
you to play so that you will buy the next version. Websites want you to interact so that they can bring
in advertising money. Users end up wasting vast amounts of time and hemorrhaging money for low
return.

13. Secondhand Living

Many people no longer experience real-life events directly. Music concerts or live shows are videoed
on mobile phones, events are photographed, and audio is recorded. Media is uploaded onto social
sites. Life becomes something that is experienced through the prism of digital media rather than
firsthand.

14. Organization and Storage

Digital media can be very difficult to organize. Photos and music, for instance, can be located on
numerous devices, such as mobile phones, tablets, laptops, and portable hard drives. Individual
items can be hard to find but easy to accidentally delete or lose, and the device they are stored on
can be lost, stolen, or suffer catastrophic malfunction. Digital media can be difficult to store and
maintain long term. File formats change over time. In some instances traditional media can last
longer than their digital equivalent.

15. Depersonalized Warfare

Digital technology means that weapons can be deployed anywhere in the world without any actual
human military presence. Drones turn warfare into a computer game. Intercontinental missiles follow
streets and landmarks in foreign countries remotely. Satellites monitor enemy forces through
photographs and video taken from space.

16. Longevity
Digital gadgets typically have a short lifespan and become archaic relatively quickly. As the
technology advances at a pace, devices and machines quickly become unusable because they are
now seen as too slow, or incompatible with other devices, or they have simply been superseded by
newer, better versions. This creates tremendous waste and inefficiency, as older digital devices are
discarded when no longer useful. It can also become very expensive for users when you have to
upgrade every few years to a new device.

17. Social Alienation

Society continues to become more and more impersonal as digitized machines replace humans.
People shop online, do their banking online, pay bills online, and increasingly work online. Transport
is also set to become automated, which will ultimately result in taxis and delivery vehicles becoming
driver free. Loneliness and a lack of human contact with a flesh and blood person are becoming
increasingly common.
Advantages and disadvantages of technology
Technology brings benefits to sport, but it also brings disadvantages. Sometimes the technology needs to be
embedded and improved before it is fully effective, often the problems only emerge after time.

These tables highlight some of the advantages and disadvantages of technology in sport.

For athletes

Advantages Disadvantages

Better performance – marginal gains make the

Invades privacy
difference

Better medical care results in fewer injuries or

Blurs lines between personal and professional time
faster recovery from injury

Feedback from coaches is more focused, Availability and cost – makes sport and success exclusive
objective and helpful to wealthy people and countries

Improved kit is more comfortable, more Tempts athletes and coaches into cheating or unfair
efficient and safer practices

Part of a team, not isolated Puts the sole focus on winning not athletic endeavour

Athletics, Technology in

The differences in skill among athletes who compete at the highest levels
of their sports are actually very small. Mere hundredths of a second are
likely to separate those standing on the winner's platform from the also-
rans after the Olympic 100-meter dash or 100-meter freestyle swimming
competition. On any given day, the margin of victory of the world's top-
ranked professional tennis player over, say, the 10th-ranked player can
be just a few key points at critical moments in a handful of key games.
The difference between being ranked number one and number ten is
likely to be not just raw ability but the consistency with which a player
exercises that ability from game to game, even point to point, during a
match.
In this highly competitive environment, athletes look for any edge that will
help them win. To achieve that end, they have enlisted the aid of science
and technology. World-class bicyclists, for example, are as likely to be as
knowledgeable about the latest advances in metallurgy as they are
about their sport so that they can design aerodynamic, lightweight
bicycles that will help them shave seconds off their times. They also
carefully select their helmets and clothing to minimize wind resistance,
again in an effort to eliminate any factor that would slow them down.

Athletes who rely on repetitive motions—the stride of a runner, the serve

of a tennis player, the stroke through the water of a swimmer—use any
technology that will help make those motions more consistent and
eliminate wasted energy. The increasingly high-tech tools used include
computer simulations, advanced video cameras, wind tunnels, and
sophisticated mathematical and physics models that enable athletes to
break down their physical motions into their component parts in order to
look for flaws or ways to improve. In a sense, a person does not have to
choose between being an athlete and a scientist, for increasingly the two
fields are merging in exciting ways.
Aerodynamics in Sports Technology

Although virtually any sport could be used to illustrate this new role of
high technology—fencing, swimming, golf, cycling—tennis provides a
good example. In the twenty-first century, world-class tennis players (and
their coaches and trainers) must have a basic understanding of the laws
of aerodynamics in order to truly understand the sport and gain an edge
over competitors whose abilities match their own.
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has
developed a research program called "Aerodynamics and Sports
Technology." The goal of the project is to examine tennis—which involves
making a ball fly within the boundaries of an enclosed space—from an
aerodynamic point of view, much as aircraft designers do. Researchers
seek to answer basic questions. How does a tennis ball fly in the first
place? How do its flight and direction change? What is its speed, and how
and where does its speed change? How much does a tennis ball spin ,
and how does the spin of different types of shots differ from player to
player? What happens to the ball when it hits the court? How does the
ball interact with the air during its flight? The results of scientific research
examining these questions provide a good example of how mathematics,
physics, computer technology, and biomechanics can contribute to
athletic performance.
Ball Speed, Ball Spin, and Biomechanics. One of the questions that
interests sports scientists is ball speed. The usefulness of a radar gun is
limited because it cannot measure changes in the ball's speed at different
points in its flight. To measure ball speed, scientists had to develop
photographic techniques that could freeze the movement of a ball
traveling up to 120 miles an hour. Regular video does not work very well,
for it records images at a speed of 30 frames per second at a relatively
slow shutter speed. For this reason, television replays of tennis shots
tend to be blurry, for the ball is simply moving too fast and the typical
video camera is too slow.
To solve this problem, sports scientists make use of cameras that have a
high-speed shutter. While the camera still records action at 30 frames per
second, a high-speed shutter allows the camera to take a picture with a
duration of perhaps of a second—or even a mere of a second. This
shutter speed enables sports scientists to get clear pictures of the ball as
it moves through the air and thus allows them to measure accurately its
speed, and the change in its speed, during flight.
A second problem is measuring the ball's spin, and in particular the
various types of spin, such as topspin and underspin . The difficulty with
normal cameras, even those with very high shutter speeds, is that the ball
can spin several times in of a second over a distance of several feet. To
solve this problem, scientists enlisted a new technology called "high-
speed digital recording."
Instead of recording at 30 frames per second, these new cameras can
record from 250 to 2,000 frames per second. Combined with high-speed
shutters, they theoretically could take 2,000 pictures per second, each
with a duration of of a second, of a tennis ball during its flight. However,
practically, investigators have found that 250 frames per second provide
as much data as they need. With this type of equipment, scientists for the
first time are able to actually see the spin of a ball as it moves through the
air. They now know that during a serve a tennis ball can spin at a rate of
up to 1,000 revolutions per minute.
Armed with high-speed digital recording cameras, however, sports
scientists can also focus the camera not on the ball but on the player,
thus freezing the movements of the player as he or she strokes the ball.
Say, for example, that a player is having trouble with her serve. Nothing
seems to be wrong with the player's toss, swing, or footwork, but for
some reason she's "lost" her serve. High-speed digital recording might
provide answers.
Video taken of the player's serve can be used to create sophisticated
computer diagrams that show the precise path and speed of the player's
racket, allowing the player and her coach to break the serve down into
each tiny movement. Furthermore, multiple diagrams can be
superimposed one over the other, exposing subtle changes in movement,
racket speed, the angle of the racket head, where the racket strikes the
ball, the position of the player's body and feet, and so forth.
With this information, players and coaches can modify a player's serve
(or other stroke), look for tiny changes in the player's serve over time,
examine differences between first serves and second serves (which are
typically slower than first serves), and find a service technique that best
fits that player's size, strength, and the strategy he or she wants to adopt
depending on the unique skills of an opponent. Similar tools could be
used by a fencer, baseball batter, swimmer, golfer, sprinter, or any other
type of athlete.
Wind Tunnels and Computational Fluid Dynamics. Airplane designers
and auto manufacturers have long studied what happens when a plane or
car moves through the air, which creates resistance and drag. They
learned early on that their results remained the same, regardless of
whether a plane or car was moving in space or if the air was blown over a
stationary plane or car in a wind tunnel. Sports scientists enlist the aid of
wind tunnels to model the aerodynamics of baseballs, golf balls, and
tennis balls. In particular, they want to identify what they call "transition,"
or the change from "laminar" (smooth air flow) to "turbulence" (rough air
flow).
Wind tunnels, however, can be large and cumbersome, often as large as,
or larger than, a typical room. But the action of a wind tunnel can be
modeled mathematically, meaning that a "virtual" wind tunnel can be
created on a computer. This type of work, based on the physics of fluids,
is called computational fluid dynamics (CFD). CFD investigators begin by
programming into the computer all of their available data. In the case of
tennis simulations, they need to know the tennis ball's size and the
configuration of its seam (typically an hourglass shape). They also
program in the ball's speed and rate of spin—which they can now
measure accurately using the video cameras discussed earlier. Because
of the immense amount of data, a CFD simulation can sometimes take
weeks to run on the computer, though tennis simulations take about half
a day. With this information, the computer is able to model how the flight
path of a ball changes during its flight.
These and other high-tech tools will not turn a weekend tennis player,
golfer, or swimmer into an Olympic-class athlete, nor will they replace
drive, dedication, and the will to win. But as the world's best athletes
search for an edge, they provide invaluable information that was
unavailable less than a generation ago. They also provide yet another
example of the practical applications of science and mathematics.

Current Use of Technology in Athletic

Training Education
Abstract

Technology education in higher education and the health care professions is found throughout the
literature. Athletic training education (ATE) should mirror that of other health care professions. The
purpose of this study was exploratory in nature to determine a) how ATE faculty are integrating
technology into their classrooms, b) which they find to be most effective and why, and c) which
technologies they hope to use in the future. A 16-item online survey regarding technology use in
their ATE classrooms was sent to professional and post-professional degree CAATE-accredited
programs soliciting participants from ATE educators. Four themes were found as to why educators
use technology: management of information, supporting a variety of learning styles, provide visual
examples, and engage and prepare students. Three categories were found as to the most effective
technologies being used: specific technologies, general technology, and technology-related practices
for the classroom. Technology for ATE is being used to enhance education in the classroom; there are
opportunities to further develop what is used in both didactic and clinical education.

Impact of technology on the evolution of sports

training
Abstract
This research work aimed to analyze through research results in some sports how the application of
technology affects the diagnosis and planning of sports training. within the methodology, different
types of theoretical methods were used, such as analysis and synthesis, the logical history that,
through the findings found in different specialized databases, allowed us to find different positions
and theoretical references that allow us to affirm that winning in national and international
competitions is the product of conducting a well-planned interdisciplinary work, the use of methods
such as quasi-experimental that is based on the pre-test, the pedagogical intervention and the post-
test was carried out through the use of the technological implementation used in sport as it is
through sport machines such as contact platforms, linear encoders, sports preparation software,
tablets, and mobile devices that facilitate the roles of the coach and his interdisciplinary group that
through technology demonstrates have better results in the data processing, evaluations, and
treatment of injuries of their athletes. The work allows managing evaluative information of different
sports disciplines about the level of physical, technical, and tactical preparation and other aspects of
sports preparation that access to identify characteristics of sports performance of the athlete. A
descriptive and application research approach was assumed that through a training plan allows to
capture and generate key information for the identification and characterization of the most
important aspects of the control and monitoring of the athlete as they are actors (individual,
institutional, corporate), that includes elements of personal data, results of physical, technical, tactical
tests and thus, having reliable data that allow us to predict results in different sports competitions As
results the specific requirements expressed in user stories were obtained and the strengths and
weaknesses of the athletes understudy taking into account that the social impact is to be able to use
sports development mechanisms that help the orientation and selection of sports talent found in the
different slums and neighborhoods of the region which will allow through sport a comprehensive
education and environmental care through a sports and pedagogical process that allows it to grow
economically not only in the sale of services that can be generated with the use of state of the art
technology but with the economic projection of what can be worth a high-performance athlete. In
conclusion, reliable information was obtained, for the realization and control of different training
plans generating inputs for decision-making in the approach of different possibilities seeking to solve
very particular aspects of the computerized and disciplinary management of sport, the use of
technology applied to sports training represents a significant advance in reducing costs, time and
processes in the training of athletes with a view to professional sports.