Technology and Assessment



Technology and Assessment

Wednesday 4:45 P.M.

Verna Taylor

Test Assessment Identification

A. A test to measure a health-related component of fitness is the Harvard Step Test.

It is designed to measure aerobic endurance. This test can be used for most age groups if they are in good physical condition. The test only takes five minutes to administer. There is no need for expensive equipment. The test is not difficult to administer. The person just has to monitor the timer or watch the clock. This test can even be self-administered. No expertise is needed but I think it would be a plus if the person giving the test is CPR and AED certified. Space required is minimal because the person will only be stepping up and down on a platform. The equipment needed is a score card to record the results. In addition, the recovery chart to compare the results recorded. A box 20 inches in height, stop watch, metronome or cadence tape. A disadvantage of this test is a 20 inch step may be too high for shorter people. The height of the box may be difficult for people with back, knee, or hips problems. The availability of the test is good because of its simplicity and no need of expensive equipment. I use this test to assess students in my boot camp classes along with flexibility and strength assessment test. It makes them feel good to see the improvement in their fitness level after 8 weeks of training.

B. A test to measure a skill (motor) related component of fitness is the Test of Gross Motor Development.

The test is designed to measure loco motor skills and object control skills. The age group would be mostly children. Time requirement is about 15 minutes. You can save time by testing 2 students at the same time. Cost is not expensive and items are usually available. The equipment needed is commonly used in a motor skill program for example, a physical education class. The test is not difficult to administer. The person should read the test completely and become familiar with the directions, equipment and understand what is expected from the results. The person should have good communication skills, able to control the children not taking the test, be organized, and observant. The minimum amount of space needed is 10 feet and the maximum amount of space is 50 feet. The equipment needed: student record book, masking tape, chalk, traffic cones, 4-6 inch light weight ball, plastic bat, 8-10 inch playground ball, 6-8 inch plastic or slightly deflated playground ball, tennis ball. Disadvantage would be if there is only one administrator to test a large group of students. It may be hard to control the students not be tested. I would use this if I became a physical education teacher or I would use it for a children’s fitness class.

3. Test to measure cognitive or affective domain is the Life Style Test. tests/minitests/lifestyle_access.html

This test is designed to measure your physical, mental and emotional health. It will show if your lifestyle and daily habits are causing stress. The age group can be from a young teen to a senior citizen. This test can be self-administered or someone else can give you the test. The style is in the form of a questionnaire. The time would vary because the length of the test would determine the time. On this site the test are in three lengths. The mini test, in dept test, and the extended version. The test would be easy to administer and the person giving the test would need no expertise; however the person to interpret the test probably would need a background in psychology or sociology. This site interpreted the response of the test for the test taker, plus gave tips on how to improve areas that needed improvement. The cost would be determined by if you are going to a professional for assessment or if you take the test on your own. The availability of the test is abundant. There are several websites and self-help books available. I think this would be an excellent test to use when accessing a person before starting an exercise program. People have a thousand excuses of why they can’t stick to a diet or exercise program. This test would show them how to balance their life so they can find the time to exercise and enjoy it.

D. Assessment that is an example of a rubric, rating scale or checklist. The Risk Stratification Test.

The test provides risk assessment and screening for people that want to start an exercise program. It is extremely important for people who have several risks factors and it identifies who needs a program tailored to them because of age, disabilities or the need to be monitored more closely due to health issues. The results may show this individual may need a medical clearance before starting an exercise program. All age groups can be accessed with this test. The test will take as long as it takes the person to answer the questionnaire. The cost be low or high and the cost can vary because the test can be a self administered survey or complex diagnostic testing. The expertise of the person administering the test would depend on equipment used. Space required depends on the testing used. If it’s a questionnaire the person needs a writing instrument and a desk or clipboard to write on. If complex equipment is needed then space and special equipment will be needed. Most fitness facilities will have a basic questionnaire to give clients, but not all fitness facilities will have complex, expensive diagnostic equipment. Aerobic classes I teach where I am independent contractor, I administer a survey to the students. It tells me any previous injuries, medical conditions, and I request a doctors note from anyone over the age of 35 who has not be active.

WEBSITES

Home Gym Versus Buying a Gym Membership

A person can reap the same benefits working out at home as they would if they joined a gym. There are advantages to working out at home. It can save you money in the long run. You would be able to work out when ever you wanted and you would not have deal with the crowd during peak times. Unfortunately, most people don’t have the discipline to work out on their own. Even when people buy a gym membership they don’t use it consistently. I found several websites that can help you set up a circuit of exercises, where to buy equipment and to learn about nutrition.

Website 1:

This website gives a definition of circuit training, gives key points on setting the circuit up, and the equipment needed. It gives information on the layout and examples of a beginner and advanced circuit. It gives examples of several variations of a circuit plan. If you join the members area you will have access to over 1200 different exercises and 175 training programs. A person will never become bored with so many choices. I would use the following information from the site, the glossary has definitions from A-Z and it is described in layman terminology. I would use the information on nutrition, explaining what a circuit is and its benefits. I would include an example of the beginner and advanced circuit. I would include 4 examples of different types of circuits.

Website 2:

This website had information not just on circuit training. It included performance tests, information on sport injuries, and access to links for other sports. I would use this site to tailor a home workout for athletes. I would include how they can test their own performance to track their fitness level and I would include a sample warm up and cool down technique.

Website 3:

This website has a series of exercises to follow, plus pictures to give you a visual example. It has information for not just the gym rat, but for seniors and beginners. The on-line workout center has exercises in categories by body part or you can get ideas for a total body workout. In my paper I would explain how easy it is to get ideas for working out home, how use videos, music and software to add to the variety of the workout plan.

Website 4:

This is an excellent website for sport/ fitness professionals and for someone looking for equipment. The site gives you a description of the equipment and an explanation of its use. You can order from on-line or from a magazine. This site would be helpful to me by giving me a source to include in the paper for people to know they can find what they need. Department stores like Dick’s and Sports Authority do not have the large variety. I would point out when you order on line, its cheaper and you don’t pay tax. This information would back up my argument of economy in having a gym at home.

Website 5:

This site has articles on setting up home gyms, home gym equipment, exercises, fitness articles, fitness calculators, and information on nutrition. I would use the information on the pros and cons of a home gym versus a gym. I would use information on how to choose a gym if you decide that working out at home is not for you. I would use the information on how to design a gym at home.

Current Information on Technology in Health and Exercise Science

Chapter 8: The Art of Reinvention

Technology has changed the way things are done in the work force and in business. This chapter talks about how you better to get with the program or you will continue to live in the dinosaur age and be left behind. Technology advances us to be more efficient and productive. Some of us tend to fight it, but once we get a taste of how much easier things are done with the new technology we ask ourselves, why did we take so long to get on board to the new technology.

This chapter talks about how technology has changed the way companies do business and how technology eliminates jobs and make new jobs for the people who understand and know how to make the technology work to benefit the company. It talks about 3 changes that affect information and communication technology. These 3 changes are business process reengineering (BPR), electronic data interchange (EDI) and team structure. Goldberg talks about how technology eliminates jobs to bring more profit to the organization. The BPR is a technique used to break down the activities involved unimportant processes and determine the process of each step.(131) The book uses a case study of an insurance company. The use of technology allowed the company to downsized, and save millions of dollars. Because with technology, they don’t need all the people, all the paper, or locations. All they need are the ones to push the buttons to merge the information needed to one hub. The next change was EDI and the supply chain. This allowed companies to transfer business documents from computer to computer which eliminated several steps in delivering a product to the customer. (136) This improvement go rid of a lot back office jobs, reduced the number of distribution centers and eliminated the use of trucking service. (137) The internet took over the jobs of these people and eliminated the need for the centers to work out of. The third change is team work. It talked about how Total Quality Management (TQM) was development by W. Edwards Deming an American . However, it did not go over well in the United States. He introduced it to the Japanese and later became accepted by America. Motorola and 3M improved by using the TQM techniques. Team work is good but if you don’t have team players it can become a disaster. It also discusses the growth in marketing of products and services on-line that have emerged on the web.

This book gave me the insight needed to maybe one day open my own business on-line. It made me look at the skills I have now and how can I enhance them to make myself more marketable. It made me realize that I must strive to keep learning. This class has already taught me things I did not know how to do. I am proud of my web page and will continue to improve it. I selected this book mainly because of the title. I was full of anxiety when I started this class in September. The author talks about how technology will keep going forward. People who are not keeping up will just be left behind. A person can not be afraid of the technology. They will find that that living in the world of technology is fun and makes things so much easier. I can remember typing on a manual typewriter and when you heard the bell, you moved the carriage to the left. The nightmare of using the eraser through 6 pages of carbon paper.

Work Cited

Goldberg,Beverly. Overcoming High-Tech Anxiety: Thriving in a Wired World. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Publishers, 1999. 131-151.

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