Learning about science at 91制片厂 has moved from just a lab to include other environments including a softball field and a wrestling dojo.
To entice non-science majors to become more interested in science courses, professors came up with a new concept to combine the subjects of science and sport through experiential learning experiences outside the classroom. Thus, the development of Maryville鈥檚 Science of Sports class.
鈥淪tudents in Science of Sports always tell us that the 鈥榝ield trip鈥� where we learn the science literally on the field or in the dojo is the best part of the class,鈥� says Candace Chambers, professor of chemistry. 鈥淩ather than taking a traditional class like Introduction to Biology or Introduction to Physics as a general education science course to fulfill core university requirements, in this class, students learn a wide variety of disciplines of science as they apply to a topic (sports) that many of us enjoy.鈥�
And, it鈥檚 been a hit with students. According to a survey Chambers hands out at the end of the year, a vast majority of students mention the class was interesting and informative.
One student writes: 鈥淚t is very interesting and it is not difficult to follow along. I think anyone would enjoy taking this class.鈥�
Another student writes: 鈥淭his is a beneficial class for people in my major, Sport Business Management, to take because the course takes the interesting scientific aspects of sports and explains them thoroughly.鈥�
The experiential learning aspect is what drew Hope Miller, who is majoring in English and Secondary Education, to the class.
鈥淚nstead of just seeing it on a PowerPoint or reading an article about it, we got to understand how it works through our own action or watching another person do the action up close,鈥� says Miller, an outfielder on Maryville鈥檚 softball team. 鈥淔or me, it makes me look deeper into some sports than before and the difficulty level. The way I analyze my swing and how I throw the ball has a lot to do with physics, and I never noticed I was doing it until now.鈥�
Ethan Sherertz also appreciates the class because of the interactive projects students work on during the semester.
鈥淭his class differs from other science classes because it is much, much more interactive,鈥� says Sherertz. 鈥淎lso, the topic matter directly pertains to the interests of the students in the class. As opposed to feeling like the class was an obligation, I felt like the class was exceptionally enjoyable.鈥�
Chambers says the concept of the class originated in 2010 when she joined Maryville and the faculty began a process of creating a suite of experiential learning classes in the field of science.
Before long these classes became more common and Science in Sports became the third in the series. Nutrition and Energy and Our World are similar, interdisciplinary science courses, according to Chambers.
鈥淪omeday, I鈥檇 love to develop a food- or beverage-based class, like Coffee or Ice Cream,鈥� says Chambers. 鈥淭here are actually textbooks available to learn science through these topics.聽However, it鈥檚 the experiential learning piece of all of these courses that is a big part of what makes them so awesome.鈥�
As of now, projects the students work on in class change each semester depending on interests with some projects being repeated.
鈥淎ll of the students select a course project and work, in groups, and with their faculty mentor to conduct the study during the semester,鈥� says Chambers.聽鈥淲e don鈥檛 know what next year鈥檚 projects will be until we meet the students.鈥�
Projects for the class have included: Psychology of Color in Sports, Are Receiver Gloves Helpful, Does Protein Powder Affect Performance and/or Recovery Time, Does Rotation of Fastball Affect Velocity and the Relationship Between Diet and Rate of Weight Loss for Wrestlers.