Masters Degrees (Sports and Exercise Medicine)
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Browsing Masters Degrees (Sports and Exercise Medicine) by Author "Bloemhoff, H. J."
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Item Open Access Die impak van toubaanprogramme op groepseffektiwiteit(University of the Free State, 1998-11) Herselman, Elizma; Bloemhoff, H. J.; Bester, C. L.English: Little is said in the literature regarding the impact of ropes course programmes in South Africa on the effectiveness of the groups that participate in them. With this powerful experiential learning tool at disposal, it is necessary to give participants in this adventure activity clear proof regarding the impact of ropes course programmes on the personal development of the individual and the effectiveness of the group. A ropes course programme has the potential to improve the functioning of groups and simultaneously the productivity of the organisation in which the group finds itself. A hypothesis was formulated on the grounds of this statement, namely that participation in ropes course programmes in group context stimulates certain components of group effectiveness which further lead to the personal development of the individual within the group. Increased productivity in the corporate market demands the functioning of an effective group. In order to establish the effectiveness of the group, certain variables, that are responsible for this effectiveness, were identified in the literature. A variety of programmes are used to enrich, motivate and build a group into an effective group. A tendency of the nineties is adventure-related team building through experiential learning. Adventure-related experiential learning uses the metaphorical transfer between the adventurous experience and the workplace of the individual. For the purpose of this study ropes course programmes as a medium of adventure-related experiential learning were investigated in order to determine what their impact is on the participants as a group and as individuals. As part of the prior investigation questionnaires were sent to the managers of corporations that had already had groups participate in ropes course programmes. This information provided basic guidelines regarding the expectations of the companies and the motivation for participation. As part of the research 150 respondents who had participated in ropes course programmes were involved in the study. Respondents were expected to complete a "before" and "after" questionnaire in order to make a comparative study between the "before" and "after" measurements possible. During the prior investigation respondents listed the various aspects regarding the current state of the group's effectiveness qualities of the group and the individual in terms of the strong and weak points of the group. The respondents were requested to list their expectations with regard to the programme and identify areas the group would like to improve. Respondents rated the individual and group aspects on the five-point Likert scale according to the standing of these aspects prior the participation in the programme. In the follow-up questionnaire the most positive and negative effects derived by respondents from their participation were identified. The variables that determined effectiveness during the prior investigation were again given to participants for rating in order to determine whether their participation had any impact on the variables of group effectiveness. It appears from the results that the expectations of participants with regard to the programme closely correlated with the positive effects they derived from it. The significance between the variables' mean difference shows that 81.3% of the group variables show a highly significant difference (p<0.01) and 18.8% of the group variables a significant difference (p<0.05). Regarding the individual variables 9l.0% showed a highly significant difference (p<0.01) and the remaining 9.0% a significant difference (p<0.05). These variables that were identified in the literature are being directly addressed by participation in ropes course programmes. On these grounds it can be concluded that the significant difference indicates that the effectiveness of groups is increased by participation in ropes course programmes and the formulated hypotheses can be acceptedItem Open Access Student reflections on the attainment of competencies in a community service-learning module in Human Movement Science(University of the Free State, 2010-10) Coetzee, Brenda Audrey; Bloemhoff, H. J.; Naude, L.The mission of the University of the Free State (UFS, 2010) is the pursuit of scholarship as embodied in the creation, integration, application and transmission of knowledge. This pursuit is acknowledged by promoting, among other things, community service and the development of the total student as part of the University’s academic culture. One of the reasons for having students participate in community service-learning (CSL) modules is that these modules address two components of the University’s mission: community service and the development of the total student. This links with the required transformation stipulated in the White Paper on the Transformation of Higher Education of 1997 (SA, 1997: 7–8). Many claims have been made as to the benefits students derive from participation in CSL modules (Astin & Sax, 1998; Bringle & Hatcher, 1996; Furco, 2002). These benefits can be divided into personal, interpersonal, academic and social benefits. Personal benefits include self-efficacy, self-knowledge, personal development (Simons & Cleary, 2006) as well as improved leadership skills, relationship skills and the definition of personal strengths and weaknesses (Mouton & Wildschut, 2005). Interpersonal benefits include interpersonal development, problem-solving skills (Simons & Cleary, 2006), working more effectively with others (Furco, 2002), awareness of cultural differences and awareness of cultural stereotypes (Mouton & Wildschut, 2005). Academic benefits include academic development, a better appreciation of academic work (Furco, 2002), the application of theory that improves skills such as critical observation, analysis and application (Winfield, 2005), as well as an increased understanding of the theoretical aspects (Erasmus & Jaftha, 2005). Social benefits include involvement in the community (Furco, 2002) and an increased awareness of community life and challenges (Erasmus & Jaftha, 2005). The literature highlights the diverse benefits of participating in CSL modules. However, the question arises whether the benefits derived are related to the competencies required by a person entering the recreation industry. The purpose of the study was to determine which competencies, if any, as seen from the students’ perspective, increased by participating in the CSL module offered by the Department of Exercise and Sports Sciences at the University of the Free State. The research was undertaken from a phenomenological viewpoint. Through a literature and job analysis study the competencies required in the recreation industry were identified. It was then determined what competencies students thought they would be able to gain by doing the module. Then the competencies that students perceived to have gained during the CSL module were obtained through student reflections. This data was then compared to the literature and job analysis information to determine how the perceived competencies gained by students through the CSL module relate to the competencies needed by a recreation specialist. Multimethod strategies of data collection were used. A literature study and a web search were undertaken to determine the required competencies. The nominal group technique (NGT) was used to determine students’ perceptions of competencies required. Structured and unstructured reflection and the NGT of interviewing were employed to determine the perceived gain of competencies. With regard to the competencies identified (through literature, job descriptions and student perceptions) that would be required in the recreation industry, results showed that students did indeed feel that their competencies increased. Four main themes were identified: communication, management skills, group dynamics and cultural diversity and self-evaluation. The findings indicate that CSL should be considered by lecturers in recreation as a pedagogical tool to impart competencies that are difficult, if not impossible, to teach to students in the normal classroom setup. When selecting CSL as an educational mode during the planning and conceptualisation of the module, it should be ensured that the module is designed in such a way that it imparts specific competencies that are required in the recreation industry.