This activity does not refer to other activities that have added a physical component, but rather activities that are primarily kinesthetic in action and learning. This is probably the least used online activity.
Appropriate Content Areas
Primarily used in dance, theater, and physical education/kinesiology, and therapy.
Goals and Objectives
The primary goal of a kinesthetic activity is to increase a participant’s skill at performing a given action. Other objectives common in traditional settings include enhancement of sportsmanship, team leadership skills, and an increase in strength, agility, and dexterity.
Prerequisites
Student must possess the physical ability to perform the task. In some cases, additional equipment may be necessary to document the activity.
Materials and Resources
The instructor provides instructions. The student may be required to purchase equipment such as clothing, exercise gear, and possibly additional electronic equipment to document activity.
Guiding Questions for this Lesson
How well can the student learn and subsequently perform a given action?
Lesson Outline and Procedure
Students are provided guidance, often in the form of narrated video, on how to perform a given action. Appropriate time is given for the students to view the video and internalize the information. Students then practice the given activity until proficient. Activities become progressively more difficult as earlier activities are mastered. Some form of assessment is then used to verify student mastery or skill.
Teaching Strategies
- It is best to stick to individual activities in the online use of this activity, as students are not necessarily in contact and able to perform group coordinated physical activities.
- Improvement can be just as important as final performance, especially in terms of student motivation.
Accommodations
What accommodations may be needed for students with disabilities or other special needs? In some cases, students with certain physical disabilities will simply not be capable of performing certain actions. Rather than marginalize, an online course can allow for accommodations such as alternative activities or the performance of activities with the help of a physical aid or human helper.
Timeline
This can vary widely by the form that the activity takes. A particular activity may be set to take anywhere from 1 minute to 1 hour, however, the activity will often include repetitions over a longer period of time with progressive difficulty gains.
Ideas for Lesson Evaluation and Teacher Reflection
How did the students like the lesson? End of semester evaluations should ask about the usefulness and learning accomplished through such activities.
How was student learning verified? Assessments can include video documentation of activity performance as well as a performance test in a face-to-face meeting at the end of the session.