As a society, we are becoming increasingly connected with technology (Casey & Jones, 2011) and rely on using it for feedback purposes in a variety of situations. In the education scene, technology is being introduced to Physical Education (PE) classes more frequently as the information computer technology (ICT) is becoming more advanced and adding meaning to feedback given from instructors. As expected, these methods of technology come with both positives and negatives when implementing them in a PE setting. ICT can affect feedback negatively by confusing students, or it can enhance feedback through assisting students to understand observations given by the teacher with greater clarity. These concepts are explained further in this article.
In PE classes technology is being used to enhance the students' learning through providing constructive feedback to students regarding their motor skills and fitness levels (Darden, 1999). Technology has been identified to work effectively with augmented feedback from PE instructors as it reinforces the behaviours and favourable movements performed (Leight, Banville & Polifko, 2009). No longer is verbal feedback considered to be sufficient on its own, but rather it is viewed as a method of feedback that is far more effective when combined with an ICT method such as video recording (Romack & Valatine, 2005). Rather than students attempting to comprehend teachers' feedback in PE, they can be supplied with a visual aid so they can pin point the actions or responses that the teacher is referring to that need improvement. When providing observations to students through video feedback it is vital that the educator considers the needs of the students and other variables that could cause them to become disengaged or unmotivated to improve themselves (Romack et al, 2005). Through this the teacher must ensure the pedagogical strategies they use that encompass ICT are appropriate for not only their students but also the setting they will be used in (Juniu, 2011). When utilised effectively, technology can become beneficial in providing ways in which students can demonstrate their progress (O'Donoghue, 2010) and improvement over time, but if used incorrectly it can become a waste of time and money (Trout, 2013).
ICT, when used effectively, can have many advantages such as encouraging motivation and effort from students in PE (Romack et al., 2005). This occurs through students receiving more effective feedback, for example, watching a video of themselves executing a motor skill. This clearly highlights the key improvements they need to make which can encourage the student to put effort towards refining their movements as they can evidently see what they need to improve on. Perhaps technologies most favourable impact on PE is the idea that it is an individualised approach to student learning (O'Donoghue et al., 2010). It allows a personalised approach for each student as it can help identify individual improvements or areas of focus that need attention rather than a teacher making the assumption that the entire class is on the same ability level. Through this, students can pace themselves and have greater control over their learning experience, and have the option to choose which motor skills they wish to focus on the most (O'Donoghue et al., 2010). When receiving peer or teacher feedback students can use technology to enhance the evaluations they are given on their motor skills through videotaping themselves (Mohnsen & Thompson, 1997). Videotaping advantages the students as it allows them to slow or speed up the motion time of the video (Mohnsen et al., 1997) which can assist in providing effective feedback that can be easily understood through movements being broken down and analysed with greater precision. Video feedback has also been proven to enhance the learning of motor skills compared to other methods such as teacher demonstrations or simple verbal feedback (Romack et al., 2005). ICT assists feedback through making it more meaningful than these other methods used in isolation as it clearly illuminates students' progress and can be used to further interpret a teacher's verbal feedback. Technology, if used effectively, can have a positive impact on PE classes, but if used ineffectively it can become a waste of time and money.
Evidently, technology does have a place in PE but at times its purpose can be lost when it is used incorrectly. Amongst the research conducted regarding this topic of discussion, it has, at times, been proven that if ICT methods are not understood properly by the teacher they can become a waste of time and become purposeless (Palao, Hastie, Guerrero Cruz & Ortega, 2015). If the teacher is incompetent in using the technology then class time can be wasted on attempts to determine the intended purpose of the ICT being used. Many teachers have also confessed to being confused at times as to how to apply technology into other classes, meaning it is not the easiest pedagogy to adapt to and use in PE (Casey et al., 2011). This can also be interpreted as teachers struggling to integrate technology into their classes and use it in a way that will be meaningful and understandable to students when they are giving feedback (Mohnsen, 2012). An example of this is the various skill levels of students within PE classes which may become a barrier to using technology if the method does not suit all students fitness levels and abilities, as the feedback received will be meaningless. If a student who lacks confidence is told to video themselves performing a motor skill and allow their peers to give them feedback, this may turn the student off participating and rather than view the feedback as constructive, they may view it as offensive. The financial situation of the school also plays a major role of deciding technology's place in PE. Schools are constantly exposed to the latest sports technology to give their students feedback on performance and prepare them to be 'athletes'. Despite the fact that the ICT may be too complex for the students to understand, it can also become costly keeping up with the latest trends in sport feedback ICT (Casey et al., 2011). Another hurdle is the common idea in schools that PE is time for students to have a break from educative classes. Schools with this belief may refuse to fund any ICT sport equipment to enhance the teacher's feedback to students (Eberline, Andrew & Richards, 2013) as they may believe feedback is unnecessary in this class as it is a time for 'fun', lacking educative purposes. In summation, technology has the potential to give feedback received from peers and instructors greater meaning and purpose, but if used incorrectly it can have negative effects on the communication of feedback amongst students and their teachers in PE.