HSE311 Applied Sport Science 1 Applied Sport Science Assignment Instructions Purpose The purpose of this assignment is to learn about the ways in which Sport Science can be applied toenhance the performance of athletesin an individual sport. You will learn by finding and reading a small number of research articles by summarising what you have learned and by explaining this to you class mates. You will also learn from your classmates who will share with you what they found about the application of sport science. A secondary purpose of the assignment is learn how to communicate science. Consequently, the format of the assignment, the presentation of a poster, duplicates the way in which research is shared by researchers at conferences. Process 1. In the seminar in week 7, you will be asked to choose a topic for this assignment. The topic consists of two parts; a. The type of applied sport science (i.e. physiology, biomechanics, skill acquisition, psychology, etc.) and b. The sport (e.g. marathon, golf, etc.). The goal of this process is for students in a seminar group to choose a variety of different topics. 2. The next task is to search for information about your assignment topic. The best source of information is research articles in Sport Science journals a. Which website will you use to search for articles? b. What keywords will you use in your search? c. When you find an article, do you know how to download the complete article? Please avoid using websites as a source of information. Text books are acceptable. 3. How many articles do you need? a. The poster that you will create must include a results section where you provide an example of an application of sport science. It is acceptable to present one example from one journal article. It is also possible to summarise the results of several articles, in the way that it has been done in the sample poster. b. Other than the results section, you will need several references to support the information that you provide in the background section of the poster. 4. How much do you need to know about your topic? a. You need to have read enough research articles to make a decision about what information needs to be summarised in your poster. You also need to know enough about your topic to be able to explain it in the poster and in your presentation. Also, bear in mind that your tutor and classmates will want to ask you questions about your topic after your presentation. The Assignment The assignment has two components; the poster and the oral presentation of the poster. 1) The Poster a) The first component of this assignment is a poster that communicates what you have learnt about your topic. Begin by looking at the poster template and the example/s provided on CloudDeakin. i) Your poster should conform with the following guidelines (1) Title: At the top of your poster you should indicate the poster title, your names and affiliation (University). The font size of the title should be large (2) Introduction: The introduction sets the scene for the reader to understand what the poster is about. This section should include information on the sport you have selected, any major terms and the key concepts you will be discussing. There is no need to provide basic information about the sport that most people already know. This section should conclude with a clearly communicated research aim. (3) Methods: This section should explain how you searched for information about your topic. (4) Results: Clearly and concisely present the key findings that emerged from your reading and analysis of your sources. Ensure that you have explained these to the extent where the viewer is able to answer your research question. Do not include videos or animations. It is recommended, but not essential, that you include a chart, flowchart or diagram that you can refer to in your presentation. (5) Conclusions: Clearly highlight the main findings and report how this contributes to the knowledge within the context of your chosen sport. (6) References: Reference all information appropriately using a numbered style (Vancouver). ii) Overall, the poster should contain 600-800 words. Please maintain a font size of 16 points or larger (the reference list font can be smaller). iii) This poster must be submitted to the CloudDeakindropbox by 4pm on Friday, 12th May. 2) The Presentation a) The second component of the assignment is to present what you know about your topic to your classmates. You will do this in your prac class, with your poster displayed behind you, on an electronic display. You should talk about the information that is in your poster and add relevant information. Feel free to refer to any images or charts in your poster to explain or describe information. i) Your presentation should conform with the following guidelines (1) Your presentation should be no more than 6 minutes (2) You should speak clearly, so that everyone can hear and understand what you are saying (3) You should endeavour to explain the importance of your topic and the evidence to support the information you present. (4) You should be prepared to answer questions about your topic for 2-3 minutes after your presentation ii) This assessment (presentation) will occur in your prac class in weeks 10 or 11. iii) Please read the marking scheme on CloudDeakin so that you understand how your poster and presentation will be assessed. Don’ts • Don’t create a poster that simply describes an aspect of a sport (e.g. the biomechanics of rowing). The purpose of this assignment is to explain how sport science can be applied TO ENHANCE PERFORMANCE IN SPORT (e.g. how ice baths improve recovery and performance in cyclists). • Don’t summarise too many topics in a superficial way (it is better to provide more detail in one or two topics). • Don’t use small font sizes that are un-readable in a classroom setting. • Don’t waste space on the poster or time in the presentation explaining the basic features of your sport, that you audience already knows (e.g. “…tennis is a racquet sport played on court with a round ball. Players hit the ball to each other...) • Don’t read your poster when you present it, your audience can already read it. • Don’t read from notes or cue cards for the entire duration of your presentation, without looking at your audience. • Don’t waste too much time on the introduction and methods, at the expense of explaining your results and conclusions properly.