EXSC313 - Aquatics and Athletics

Year

Credit points

Campus offering

Prerequisites

Teaching organisation

Unit rationale, description and aim

The ability to plan, teach and reflect upon aquatic and athletic movement experiences, and how they might be used to provide core learning experiences, is important in the education and promotion of physical activity. The aim of the unit is to develop in students an understanding of the role and purpose of participating in a range of aquatics and athletic activities to encourage and promote life-long physical activity. Students will participate and actively engage in aquatic and athletic movement skills and the knowledge related to these sports. Students will be able to apply the safety requirements and issues around water activities, athletic equipment and school carnivals. The unit also focuses on an appreciation of social justice, an understanding of equity and a respect for the human being.

Learning outcomes

To successfully complete this unit you will be able to demonstrate you have achieved the learning outcomes (LO) detailed in the below table.

Each outcome is informed by a number of graduate capabilities (GC) to ensure your work in this, and every unit, is part of a larger goal of graduating from ACU with the attributes of insight, empathy, imagination and impact.

Explore the graduate capabilities.

On successful completion of this unit, students should be able to:

LO1 - Plan and design a variety of teaching and learning activities that develop skills and knowledge in the area of aquatics and water safety for future practice (GA1,GA5, GA8, GA9, GA10)  

LO2 - Evaluate and reflect upon effective teaching and learning experiences that facilitate the progression and development of track and field skills in athletics (GA1, GA5, GA7, GA8, GA9)  

LO3 - Demonstrate basic athletic and aquatic skills (GA1,GA5,)  

LO4 - Explain and apply fundamental scientific principles of exercise and progressive movement patterns to facilitate learning and performance in aquatics and athletics (GA4,GA8)  

Graduate attributes

GA1 - demonstrate respect for the dignity of each individual and for human diversity 

GA4 - think critically and reflectively 

GA5 - demonstrate values, knowledge, skills and attitudes appropriate to the discipline and/or profession 

GA7 - work both autonomously and collaboratively 

GA8 - locate, organise, analyse, synthesise and evaluate information 

GA9 - demonstrate effective communication in oral and written English language and visual media 

GA10 - utilise information and communication and other relevant technologies effectively.

Content

Topics will include: 

AQUATICS  

• Water familiarisation and principles of movement in water  
• Fundamentals of competitive strokes  
• Aquatic safety and survival skills  
• Organising safe and competitive activities in aquatics  
• Considerations in teaching aquatics  

 ATHLETICS  

• Brief history and organisational structure of athletics.    
• Organising safe and competitive activities in athletics.   
• Fundamentals of athletics events: sprints, hurdles, relays, jumps and throws  
• Basic coaching principles for athletics  

Learning and teaching strategy and rationale

Student centred teaching and learning strategies will be the focus in the unit based on the constructivism theory and reflective practice. These strategies encourage independent and life long learning, where students take responsibility for their learning. The learning tasks are authentic (engage in tasks that are real), reflective (deep learning) and collaborative (engaging and working with peers). Student centred strategies include reflective writing, critical thinking activities , co-operative/ collaborative learning, incorporating ICT and peer/independent learning. These strategies link directly to the assessment tasks, as the assessments are a teaching and learning strategy in itself. These strategies have been chosen to give students opportunities to actively engage with the content and to provide variety within the tutorial and assessment tasks. The knowledge and skills acquired can be applied and are relevant to what is required in real world situations for future profession/practice/workplace. 

Assessment strategy and rationale

Employers today seek more than knowledge from students, they want them to transfer learning to real situations, problem solve and have higher order thinking skills. Authentic assessment provides students with these skills, because the tasks are real, meaningful, require judgment and innovation and are related to one’s workplace, personal and social life. Students learn in different ways, professionally we need to explore and provide opportunities so they perform to their very best, feel worthwhile, empowered and enjoy learning. In order to best enable students to achieve unit learning outcomes and develop graduate attributes, standards-based assessment is utilised, consistent with University assessment requirements. A range of assessment strategies are used including:  

Constructivism strategy (Assesment 1) Water Safety Booklet 

Students will construct new meaning (build on prior knowledge) and make sense of what they are learning, why they are learning this and how this learning is applied.   

This assessment type will prepare students and be applied in real life situations/contexts (school, coaching) and in their future practice/profession. 

Water Safety Booklet 

Students will be required to create a Water Safety Work Booklet for Year 7 students to complete in their PDHPE theory lessons. The booklet should reinforce concepts taught in the practical component and cover other concepts of water safety.   

Students are encouraged to create their own ideas or modify an existing one.  

Assessing Learning Outcome 1  

Water Safety Booklet 

Assignments will be marked based on the following criteria;  

rationale, originality/creativity and variety of activities, relevant and age appropriate, within page limit, overall presentation and references.  

Collaborative Learning strategy (Assessment 2)Teaching Presentation Learning Outcome 2 

The concept of collaborative learning, students work in small groups for the purpose of achieving the learning outcome by engaging together in a task. This involves shared learning with opportunities for critical thinking, oral communication, listening, planning , interaction and responsibility for ones own learning. 

This assessment type will prepare students and be applied in real life situations/contexts (school, coaching) and in their future practice/profession. 

Presentation skills are part of todays workplace practice. They are real world skills required for students to succed in their future careers – communication, planning, asking questions, explaining, creative thinking, organizing information, confidence etc. 

Teaching Presentation 

To develop and assess student’s skills in researching, preparing and teaching athletic skills in a ‘class’ or coaching environment.  

In groups conduct a 15 minute skill session with the class for a specific athletic skill or skill component for an allocated athletic event. In addition to the practical instruction, a one-sided single A4 page, outlining the lesson aim/specific skill, target audience, key coaching points, specific activities and/or drills, details on class organisation and any relevant safety points is to be submitted in conjunction with the presentation 

Self assessment strategy (Assessment 2) Teaching Presentation Learning Outcome 2 

Engages students in the learning process to reflect on their own work. Provides opportunities to evaluate, critical thinking,responsibility for learning and encourages reflective practice. 

Students will be required to individually critically evaluate the effectiveness of their Teaching Presentation considering the success and effectiveness of the overall session and separate tasks including; what worked well, what didn’t work well, how well received were the activities by the ‘students’ you were teaching and what would you change or do differently next time. 

Assessing Learning Outcome 2  

Teaching Presentation 

Students will be assessed based on both their practical presentation and one-page handout content and marked based on the following criteria;  

Aim and key coaching criteria 

Professionalism and presentation 

Class organisation and involvement 

Key coaching points emphasized 

Creativity and originality 

Apropriateness of activity to students  

Progression and continuity of tasks.  

Safety requirements 

Collaboration of presenters 

Self Assessment 

Marks will be allocated based on students’ ability to critically self evaluate their presentation including; effective and less-effective skills/drills, perceived student outcomes/learning, potential areas for improvement and effectiveness of presentation delivery. 

Active Learning Strategy - Activity Engagement 

Active learning is a process whereby students engage in activities  that promote analysis, synthesis and evaluation of class content. Cooperative learning, problem-based learning, direct instruction are some approaches that promote active learning. (University of Michigan). 

Activity Engagement   

All students will be required to demonstrate their ongoing engagement and competency of the major skills covered during tutorials for the aquatics and athletics component of the unit.  

Students will be required to demonstrate a level of involvement and skill in survival skills, major strokes, rescues, water safety and relays. 

Students will be required to demonstrate a level of involvement and skill in sprints, jumps, throws, hurdles and relays. 

The purpose is to assess the practical engagement and competencies of students for the main practical components covered during tutorials. 

The activity engagement assessment is designed to facilitate students’ aquatics and athletic skills learning, understanding and ability to demonstrate related skills for future learners.   

Assessing Learning Outcome 3  

Activity Engagement 

Student’s ability to adequately attempt and perform the major skills and techniques covered will be assessed.  

Marks will be allocated on the overall participation and competency in the skills presented. Students will be categorized above average, average, below average or non-participant and receive marks accordingly. 

Written examination (Assessment 3) Learning Outcome 4 

Requires students to demonstrate their understanding of course content. 

The written final examination is a traditional form of assessment (still catering for a variety of learning styles) to evaluate content knowledge and application. 

Assessing Learning Outcome 4 

Written examination – understanding, knowledge and application of course content. 

Overview of assessments

Representative texts and references

Athletics

Athletics Australia (2008). Athletics Australia Website from htttp://www.athletics.com.au.  

Rice, T. (ed.) (1999). Track and Field Coaching Manual (6th ed.). Ashmore City, QLD: Australian Track and Field Coaches Association  

The International Association of Athletics Federations (2008). International Association of Athletics Federations Website from htttp://www.iaaf.org.  

USA Track and Field (2005). USA Track and Field Coaching Manual (1st ed.). Champaign, Il: Human Kinetics.  

Aquatics

Australian Council for the Teaching of Swimming and Water Safety (2008). Teaching Swimming and Water Safety (2nd ed.). Chatswood: Mosby Elsevier.  

Lees, T. (2007). Water fun. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics  

The Royal Life Saving Society of Australia. (2006). Swim and Survive aquapak. Royal Life Saving Society, Australia.  

Thomas, D. (2005). Swimming: Steps to Success (3rd ed.). Champaign, Il: Human Kinetics  

Hannula, D. (2003). Coaching Swimming Successfully (2nd ed.). Champaign, Il: Human Kinetics