The Challenges and Realities of E-Learning during COVID-19: The Case of University Sport and Physical Education

Abstract

E-learning quickly became a crucial tool for universities and other higher education institutions during the global COVID-19 pandemic. The field of sport and physical education (PE) was no exception. However, though there is considerable growth in digital technologies in sport or physical education, we have very little evidence about the use and outcomes of these technologies. Thus, this study aims to document how e-learning technologies and pedagogical approaches were employed in the field of sport, the challenges and successes associated with these approaches, and potential avenues for improvement. To do so, a total of 27 responses were collected with two online qualitative surveys, one respectively for students (n = 15) and one for teachers (n = 12). Structured follow-up interviews with four students and one additional teacher were conducted to verify and deepen the responses. The findings show that interaction and variety were critical components of successful online learning. However, teachers reported difficulties motivating students, especially if no visual connection was present. Ultimately, even with innovation, variety, and interaction, sport and physical education’s practical and social nature does not fully translate to the online setting. Thus, we conclude by proposing potential avenues for practice and research to respond to the challenges documented here.

Translating knowledge into innovation capability: An exploratory study investigating the perceptions on distance learning in higher education during the COVID-19 pandemic - the case of Mexico

“…Regarding the case of sports and physical education, there is very little evidence on the use and outcomes of the application of digital technologies. Moustakas & Robrade (2022) presented a study to describe how e-learning technologies and pedagogical approaches were used in the sports field. According to their statistical analysis, the results showed that variety and interaction were critical factors of success in the learning-teaching process.…”

How universities have responded to E-learning as a result of Covid-19 challenges

“…Since 2019, Covid-19 has led to an increase in the use of e-learning. Several tools were used to conduct evaluations and written examinations [7][8][9]. Nevertheless, the reliability of these surveys as Big Data and mathematical models to improve predictions would be impacted by the savings in expenses, effort, and time that these online evaluations provide.…”

“…It was found that 71% of public school children in the United Kingdom received no or fewer than one online lesson per day, while in Germany, just 6% of students received online lessons every day and more than half had them no more than once a week. Some economists believe that students in the United States will return to school in 2020 with an average learning gain of 70% compared to a regular school year [7]. Only a 50 percent boost in arithmetic learning may be expected.…”

Learning Football for Good: The Development and Evaluation of the Football3 MOOC

“…The football3 MOOC follows in a growing but still limited line of online learning offers related to sport for development, including from the Swiss Academy for Development [24], the German Corporation for International Cooperation (GIZ) [25] and others [19,20]. However, sport remains an inherently physical, practical, and interactive area, and these features do not always easily translate to the online setting [26,27]. The social and sustainable development goals typically associated with SFD also add another layer of complexity.…”