Module SPRT1321: Critical Skills for Sport and Exercise Sciences

Department: Sport and Exercise Sciences

SPRT1321: Critical Skills for Sport and Exercise Sciences

Prerequisites

• None.

Corequisites

• None.

Excluded Combination of Modules

• None.

Aims

• To increase students’ understanding of the value of studying sport and exercise from multi-disciplinary perspectives.
• To provide students with a background in academic conventions and expectations related to writing and communicating in the multi-disciplinary study of sport and exercise sciences.
• To develop students' abilities to work individually and to work collaboratively to undertake specific tasks and achieve wider academic goals.
• To increase students' awareness of their knowledge, skills, and abilities in relation to the academic study of sport and exercise sciences.
• To introduce students to the use of critical skills and techniques of investigation, analysis and research in the context of sport and exercise sciences.

Content

• The purpose of this module is to provide an introduction to the critical skills required in Higher Education and more specifically the multi-disciplinary study of sport and exercise sciences. The module will introduce students to the range of critical skills, competencies and ways of thinking required to succeed in both Higher Education that are also transferable to the workplace. Students will gain an opportunity to engage in self-reflection, action planning and reviewing and to develop their academic skill set. The module will incorporate a range of teaching and learning methods, including staff-led content, interactive group-based activities, and directed activities and study tasks using a blend of synchronous (‘live learning’) and asynchronous (‘on-demand learning’).

Learning Outcomes

• Upon successful completion of this module, students will be able to:
• Demonstrate an awareness of the critical skills required in Higher Education and more specifically the multi-disciplinary study of sport and exercise sciences.
• Demonstrate an appreciation of their existing skill set, learning styles, and future skill development needs for the multi-disciplinary study of sport and exercise sciences.
• Undertake self-reflection and identify strategies to improve critical skills and academic performance in the sport and exercise sciences.

• Identification of issues and problems within the context of sport and exercise.
• Written communication skills for the social and natural scientific study of sport and exercise.
• Numeracy skills for the social and natural scientific study of sport and exercise.
• Source, interpret and present evidence and data for the social and natural scientific study of sport and exercise.

• Upon successful completion of this module, students will have demonstrated competency in:
• Reflecting on accumulated knowledge, academic literature and data
• Constructing reasoned arguments
• Communication skills (verbal and written)
• Searching appropriate sources and data bases
• Referencing and bibliographic skills
• Following good academic practice and protocols
• Managing time effectively and working to deadlines
• Working independently
• Working collaboratively

Modes of Teaching, Learning and Assessment and how these contribute to the learning outcomes of the module

• This module will be delivered through medium-sized group workshops. A blend of synchronous (‘live learning’) and asynchronous (‘on-demand learning’) will be used. Students will be introduced to how to use video-telephony and online collaboration platforms (e.g. Zoom / Microsoft Teams), as well as DUO (Blackboard).
• Teaching and learning will be through a combination of staff-led content , interactive group activities, directed independent and group-based activities, and independent preparation and study tasks related to the development of academic critical skills and competencies, such as: writing (essays, reflections, lab reports); sourcing, presenting and referencing information and data; numeracy; verbal communication; group work; and independent learning.
• Summative assessment will be a series of assessed tasks and work that will comprise their Skills Portfolio to demonstrate the development and acquisition of critical skills and competencies.
• Formative assessment will allow students to develop, demonstrate and gain feedback on competencies in searching for and referencing academic literature.

Teaching Methods and Learning Hours

Summative Assessment

Formative Assessment:

Submission of a literature search strategy and formatted reference list (450 words).

■ Attendance at all activities marked with this symbol will be monitored. Students who fail to attend these activities, or to complete the summative or formative assessment specified above, will be subject to the procedures defined in the University's General Regulation V, and may be required to leave the University