Multimedia Environment and Gender, in Motor-Rhythmic Performance of a Dance Routine with Ball, Accompanied by an Adjusted Music Composition

Abstract

The principal objective of this study is the effect of using of an online-multimedia environment and that of gender on learning and performing a motor-rhythmic routine with a ball followed by a customized music composition towards students of DPESS. Seventy six (76) sophomore students took place in the examination (43 men and 33 women), randomly divided into two groups consisting of an equal number of students. The examinees attended university courses of rhythmic gymnastics regarding the routine with the ball, for four weeks. Along with the physical practice of the routine in the classroom, the experimental group could make use of an online-multimedia environment, which consisted of videos, images and audio of the routine for extra feedback, whereas the control group could only practice physically. The routine contained 31 main body movements (swings, turns, balances, jumps, etc.) along with handling a ball (rolls, throws, bounces, etc.). Each student attempted performing the motor-rhythmic routine with music both at the beginning and the end of the interventions. Every performance was videotaped so as to evaluate each individual movement and rhythmic skill. According to the results of the final evaluation both groups improved significantly, compared to the first performance both in movement and rhythm. In more detail, the paired-samples t-tests showed that there was a significant difference between the pre-test and post-test in the motor and rhythmic performance. In addition, the results of the independent-samples t-tests showed that the difference in the improvement of the motor and rhythmic performance was not significantly important towards the group and gender. To sum up, the students advance in their performance of the motor-rhythmic routine with a ball, in movement and rhythm, having had no significant effect from the use of an online-multimedia environment or from their gender. Thus the physical practice alone seems to be equally effective towards the improvement of the motor and rhythmic performance. Furthermore, the rhythmic performance of the students seemed to lack improvement compared to the motor performance, according to the results. Therefore, there may be a possibility that teaching basic motor skills is more effective by inducting the motor component first and then adding the rhythmic elements. Such a teaching process could impact future research.