PE 101 curriculum changes include new activities

The university Department of Physical Education revises the course curriculum with the goal to increase student enjoyment and foster an active lifestyle.

ISU students signing up for PE 101 this fall will be the first to experience curriculum changes.  Kathy Ginter, PE 101 Coordinator, said the course’s lab portion opportunities have grown from three sections to six sections.  Students have the choice to choose three out of six activities: weight training, water workout, court games, games, fitness/cardio and walk/jog/fitness.  Once students make their selections they do the activity for five weeks before rotating to the next.

Bridget Campbell, graduate assistant and one of the instructors for the PE 101 lab, said that the court games and games sections are not sports like basketball, but instead incorporate different activities students probably would not know.

“[We play] games they know little about so each student has an equal opportunity to try and test it out,” Michael Roberts,  an ISU graduate assistant said. 

Graduate assistants instruct students through the lab exercises.  There are 11 graduate students instructing the PE 101 lab and under the new curriculum, students will be with three different graduate students within a given semester.

“We sure couldn’t have made all of the changes we’ve made so quickly without them,” Ginter said.

Roberts said that the student response to the curriculum changes are positive.  At the beginning of sign-ups, Robert s said that students rushed to sign up for the activities of their choice.

The changes were made based on information gathered by the department while under Ginter who is currently in her second year as coordinator.  Ginter added that another factor was ensuring the graduate assistants employed to run different class sections were adequately prepared.

Campbell said that part of the preparation include getting lifeguard certification for the swim classes.  

Roberts said that the changes implemented appear to be going over well with students as many rushed to sign-up for their preferred activity.  

The PE 101 program is a course focused on “a healthy and safe lifestyle.”  The program is divided into two components: lecture and lab.

“In the lab, the goal is to get people up and moving,” Ginter said. “No one left is on their behind.”

Ginter added that maintaining a healthy lifestyle requires individuals to have a proper diet and nutrition.  With approximately 50 percent of the nation’s population being between 18 and 24, Ginter said that by educating college students on health awareness, the overall state of the nation’s health could be impacted.

Many of the graduate assistants who lead the PE 101 session leads active lifestyles.  Fife said that living an active lifestyle helps her relate to her students more in the classroom.

“During class, we actually participate. They see us carrying out the exact same task,” Roberts said.