In Minding Sport enrolled students participate in approved sport activities for which three (3) credits are awarded. Students become members of sporting groups, and these affiliations allow students to plan, practice and compete together, as well as benefit from all the personal and social development opportunities that accompany membership in a sports group at the UWI. This course allows students to participate at the practical level as assistant coaches, trainers etc., and they may also conduct surveys, enquiries or small research projects in sport.

A schedule for structured practice and organized play will be created at the start of the course. Students will set personal goals by completing pre-prepared forms. Accomplishment of their sport-related goals and practicum assignment will indicate that they have met the terms of their Learning Contract and are eligible for the award of sport co-curricular credits.

A culminating event will mark the end of the course and provides the opportunity for participants to reflect, recognize progress, celebrate and plan next steps. The records and collected data will validate students’ accomplishments and guide them to making a Sport lifestyle change that they plan to perpetuate.

Who is this programme for?

Minding Sport: Health and Wellness” is a course which offers UWI Open Campus students co-curricular credit for participating in sport activities and projects supervised by the Open Campus Academy of Sports (OCAS). Along with the co-curricular credit on offer, participation allows for personal growth, organizational experience and the opportunity to work and play alongside students from other programmes in a friendly and healthy OCAS approved environment. Students practicum reports of their experiences will contribute to enhancing team and organizational success and will be an important source of information on the performance standards of facilities, sports officials and programmes for OCAS. Each semester of the co-curricular activity allows students to develop skills and competencies in the sporting areas of their choice and in other roles of their choice: a referee, scorer coach, manager, team publicity director or team trainer. Students will also be able to keep record and utilize performance statistics.

No. of Credits : 3

Prerequisite : None

Programme Content Structure

• Creating  the Learning Contract for Minding Sport: Health and Wellness
• Sport selection and determination of student profiles (competence levels)
• Team selection and planning of practice and game schedule
• Record keeping and data collection and importance for evaluation
• Rules, strategies, customs, and courtesies which define chosen sport
• Factors of Sport Performance.
• Roles and functions of persons in sport and physical education centres
• Culminating event/authentic assessment

When will the programme start?

This offering of the programme begins in May 2019.

Mode of Delivery

Mode of delivery – Blended. The course will be delivered using a blend of synchronous (e.g. web conferencing) and asynchronous (e.g. discussion forum) tools and sport-based experiential / activity-based learning.  It will involve a high level of student-student engagement, reflecting tolerance for diverse opinions and creativity. Independent learning, as well as experiential and collaborative approaches will be used to balance between informed, reflective inquiry and supervised practicum experience.

Teaching methods and strategies will include:

• Discussion forums and debates
• Collaborative group work
• Practicum Assignment supervision
• Sport-based experiential / activity-based learning
• Reflective practice

Assessment Structure

• All Learning Contracts will be created at the beginning of course, and are to be completed on time as specified by the instructor.
• Observation is a form of formative assessment that is informally done early in the course to gauge students' progress. It allows the facilitator to identify and address challenges in the programme soon after it starts.  Observations will include, evidence of interest, knowledge of fundamentals of the game and attendance at practice.
• Students must attend at least three (3) practice sessions per week.
• Students will be expected to assist the coach in at least one (1) session per week.
• Students must complete chosen goals and practicum assignment.
• Students are expected to participate in discussions related to the benefits of sports and the various roles of persons working in an approved sports facility.