Shiho Hiraku

Similar to many countries worldwide, the number of cases and severity of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) infection increased in Japan. Therefore, universities implemented remote learning to prevent the spread of infection. Based on the findings of Nishida et al. (2021), the present study examined the perceived benefits and physical activities of “On-Demand (OD) format” PE practical courses. Additionally, we focused on the stages of exercise behavior change contributing to the learning outcomes of OD format PE courses. A web-based survey was conducted on items such as the Perceived Benefits Scale in university First-Year PE classes (PBS-FYPE; Nishida et al., 2016), the Japanese version of the International Physical Activity Questionnaire-Short Version (IPAQ-SV; Murase et al., 2002), and the stages of exercise behavior change (Oka, 2003) among university students who took general PE courses in the spring semester of 2020. Based on the analysis of 2,687 participants, it was found that the scores of the PBS-FYPE were significantly lower in the OD format PE than in the Real Time (RT) format PE practical courses, except for “regular lifestyles.” Moreover, all physical activity indices were consistently lower in the OD format PE than in the RT format PE practical courses. Further, there was a significant difference in PBSFYPE scores between the Precontemplation and Contemplation stages and the men’s Preparation, Action, and Maintenance stages. These scores were higher in the later stages of exercise behavior change. Furthermore, the total amount of physical activity was significantly higher in the Preparation stage than in the Precontemplation and Contemplation stages, and in the Action stage than in the Preparation stage, for both men and women. Finally, the differences in learning outcomes according to the stage of exercise behavior change were discussed, and the limitations of this study and future issues were discussed. These results suggested an effective procedure for improving students’ low learning outcomes in OD format PE practical courses.

This study clarified the learning outcomes of physical education (PE) courses, particularly their perceived benefits and physical activity, based on the learning style and method immediately after the first wave of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) occurrence. Between July and August 2020, a web-based survey was conducted on 5,719 of university students majoring in subjects other than PE. The survey contents evaluated the students' basic attributes, such as whether or not they participated in sports club activities, the status of and satisfaction with PE courses, their scores in the Perceived Benefits in university First-Year Physical Education (PBS-FYPE: Nishida et al., 2016) classes and the Japanese version of the International Physical Activity Questionnaire-Short Version (IPAQ-SV: Murase et al., 2002), and their perceptions of PE learning. According to study results, the courses' satisfaction level was 2.92 of 5 grades, PBS score was 65% of the standard value, and "understanding the value of cooperative play" score was less than 50% of the standard value. The average of total physical activity in nonathletes were 37% and 28% lower for men and women, respectively, than the earlier research standards, and the median was well below the 23 METs·hour/week standard prescribed by the 2013 Japanese official physical activity guidelines for health promotion. Two-way analysis of variance revealed that the interaction between learning style and method was significant for the majority of the subscales of PBS-FYPE. In addition, some of the subscales showed significantly higher PBS scores in real-time interactive classes than in on-demand classes, and in both practical skills and lectures classes than in lectures-alone classes. Significantly higher physical activity was shown in both practical skills and lectures than lectures alone in real-time interactive classes, but not in on-demand classes. The text-mining analysis of free descriptions of PE courses revealed that online courses involved lessons on right exercise methods and provided opportunities for students to think about a healthy indoor lifestyle. In conclusion, the outcomes of the online PE courses conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic situation scored significantly low in student satisfaction, perceived benefits, and physical activity compared to the corresponding results obtained during the pre-COVID-19 period. Moreover, the study suggests that real-time interactive, rather than on-demand, and classes including both practical skills and lectures produce higher learning outcomes than lectures alone.

Background To prevent the spread of COVID-19, a state of emergency was proclaimed in Japan; in the first half of 2020, online classes were held at many universities. Physical education classes based on practical skills were also conducted remotely; however, the full circumstances of such teaching are unclear as are details of the achieved educational effects. Accordingly, the present study investigated the conditions and challenges with respect to physical education practical lessons as well as teachers’ working styles when online lessons were unavoidable. Our aim was to identify an appropriate teaching environment for university physical education in the post-COVID-19 era. Methods We conducted a Web questionnaire survey using Google Forms among 107 university physical education teachers in Japan. Results We found that 91.6% of the teachers taught all scheduled classes (including online classes). The figure for remote teaching was 78.5%; that for a mixture of remote and face-to-face teaching was 19.6%. With remote teaching, 41.5% conducted it in an on-demand format; 25.0% did so with a simultaneous interactive format; 22.6% adopted a material distribution/viewing format. Among the teachers, 82.3% responded that their working hours for classes increased compared with an average year; 31.8% stated that those hours more than tripled and 26.2% that they more than doubled. Regarding subjective assessment of the educational effect, understanding the value of cooperative play, improved communication skills, and adaptation to the school were significantly lower than other items (p< .05). Multiple regression analysis indicated that the reward scale could be explained by subjective assessment, work engagement, sense of coherence scale, and occupational stress (contribution rate, 42.1%; F=18.56; p< .001). Discussion Through online classes, it was difficult to achieve interpersonal communication skills and adaptation to the school; however, half of the teachers observed positive educational effects with respect to adopting a regular lifestyle, physical fitness and physical activity, and self-initiative and self-motivation. The more teachers perceived the reward effect, the more positively did they become aware of the educational effect of online physical education practical classes. It is necessary to reconsider the value of what should be taught in university physical education. Likewise, it is essential to create new types of physical education classes in the post-COVID-19 era by applying the methods adopted in online classes for active learning.

筆者らは大学体育の実技授業における授業効果として期待されるコミュニケーションスキルの向上を目的としたルーブリックを開発し、その概要と効果について昨年度の本学会で発表した。本研究ではそのコミュニケーションスキル・ルーブリックについて、評価尺度を4段階から5段階へ変更、ルーブリックの自由記述欄について、学生が評価項目をより意識して振り返ることができるような聞き方に変更するなどの改良を行い、その効果について5大学で調査を実施した。効果はコミュニケーションスキル尺度ENDCOREsを用いて検討・分析した。 その結果、自己統制、表現力、解読力、自己主張、他者受容、関係調整のいずれのコミュニケーションスキルも、ルーブリックを用いた授業の方がより高まる可能性が示唆された。

The present study aimed to investigate the effect of reward and stimulus modality of feedback stimuli on the stimulus-preceding negativity. A time estimation task was performed, and (a) the motivational level (reward and no-reward) and (b) the stimulus modality (auditory and visual) of feedback stimuli were manipulated. The results demonstrated that the stimulus-preceding negativity was larger in the reward than in the no-reward condition, especially at the right frontal and the left occipito-temporal areas. Moreover, the stimulus-preceding negativity prior to visual feedback stimuli was larger over the occipital areas than in the auditory condition. In contrast, at the prefrontal areas, the amplitude prior to auditory feedback stimuli was larger than in the visual condition. Our results revealed that the prefeedback stimulus-preceding negativity was independently influenced by stimulus modality and motivation.

The purpose of the present study was to investigate the effects of informational and motivational level of feedback stimuli on the stimulus-preceding negativity (SPN). In the time estimation task, in which a visual stimulus was presented 3 s after a voluntary movement, (a) the information level (high information and low information) and (b) the motivation level (reward and no-reward) for feedback stimuli were manipulated. Under the high-information condition, subjects received feedback information about (1) correctness (correct or incorrect), (2) direction of error (under- or overestimate), and (3) degree of accuracy (accurate or less accurate) of their time estimation. In the low-information condition, however, they received information about the correctness only. In the reward condition, they received a monetary reward for accurate time estimations but received nothing in the no-reward condition. The results demonstrated a significant interaction of information by motivation level, showing that the SPN amplitude under the reward/high-information was larger than that in the no-reward/high-information condition. The results are discussed in terms of emotional anticipation, taking into consideration the result of self-report that subjects felt to be more motivated when they received precise information.

Stimulus-preceding negativity (SPN) was recorded to investigate the effect of positive and negative emotion on the SPN preceding feedback stimuli. In the time-estimation task in which an acoustic stimulus was presented 3 s after a voluntary movement, (1) the negative valence (aversive band noise and pure tone) and (2) the positive valence (reward and no-reward) of feedback stimuli were manipulated. During noise conditions, participants received the band noise as a feedback stimulus except when their time estimations were accurate. They received a monetary reward for accurate time estimations under the reward conditions. The prefeedback SPN was larger under reward than no-reward conditions. In addition, the prefeedback SPN in the noise condition was larger compared with the pure tone condition. Our results appear to suggest that emotional anticipation is important in eliciting the prefeedback SPN.