Course Description
This course covers the Games Approach to teaching and coaching sports, which involves the use of game related activities to stimulate and motivate learning. In this course, students will learn creative, innovative, and exciting ways to teach and coach, and will design and implement learning activities that are enjoyable, challenging, inspiring, and cognitively and physically demanding. The twin goals of improvement and personal satisfaction are emphasized jointly throughout the course.
Course Content
1. Games approach theoretical concepts:
- Process and product orientation
- Teaching games for understanding
- Play-discuss-practice-play model
- Traditional models and the role of the games approach
- Modifying traditional approaches with the games approach
- Applying the games approach in a variety of settings:
- Teaching
- CoachingRecreation leadership
- Sport skills
- Development camps
- Playground
2. Games approach principles:
- Planning for effective play
- Developing the sport sense
- Skill development
- Tactical development
- Decision making and cognitive factors
- Integration of mental skills into play
- Applying games approach principles in other settings
- Categories of the games approach:
- Defining and shaping psychomotor behaviour
- Providing focus and attentional skills in games and activities
- Performance enhancement through the games approach
3. Variables within the games approach:
- Modifying and changing variables to suit individual and group needs
- Session plan models
- Scoring systems
- Rules and methods of ensuring the focus on process and execution
- Designing activities to promote flow and a focus in the moment
- Methods to enhance cognitive processes
- Integration of decision training principles
- Developing court sense or field sense (competition sense, game sense)
4. Pedagogical factors:
- Modification of traditional methods:
- Task approach
- Social approach
- Guided discovery
- Learning progressions
- Whole part whole and variations
- Goal orientation
- Planning and preparation
- Quality and quantity of meaningful practice
- Progression
- Direct and indirect methods
- Positive specific feedback
- Questioning and guiding
- Error detection and correction
- Transferring responsibility from teacher/coach to student
- Individualization
- Group goal setting and planning
- Pacing
- Learning and performance differences
5. Specific applications:
- Invasive sports
- Non invasive sports
- Divided court games
- Interactive court games
- Striking games
- Target events
- Racing events
- Artistic events
- Combative sports
- Fitness activities
6. Inclusion factors:
- Integration of students with varying abilities
- Adaptations
- Modifications
7. Planning
- Activities
- Warm-ups and cool downs
- Groups or series of activities
- Sessions
- Units and microcycles
8. Role of the teacher and coach
- Leader
- Feedback
- Motivation
- Enjoyment
- Fair play
Learning Activities
- Lecture
- Discussion groups
- Practical application
- Field observation and/or video observation
- Self-study via print or online materials
- Reading assignments
- Online discussion groups
- Experiential Learning
Means of Assessment
Evaluation will be carried out in accordance with the Douglas College Evaluation Policy. The instructor will present a written course outline with specific evauation criteria at the beginning of the semester.
Evaluation will be based on:
| Practical applications |
20-30% |
| Resource project |
15-25% |
| Midterm and final examinations |
10-25% |
| Preparation and participation |
10-20% |
| Practical leadership |
20-30% |
| |
100% |
Learning Outcomes
Upon completion of this course, the successful student will be able to:
- Design games activities for learning, enjoyment and performance.
- Apply games activities for learning, enjoyment and performance to practices, classes and competitions.
- Teach and coach both technical and tactical skills by using the games approach.
- Integrate physical and mental skills development, and personal and social responsibility through the use of the games approach.
- Lead activities that include participants of all abilities through the use of the games approach.
Textbook Materials
Consult the Douglas College Bookstore for the latest required textbooks and materials. A list of recommended textbooks and materials is provided on the instructor's course outline which is available to students at the beginning of each semester.
Example textbooks and materials may include:
- Mitchell, S.A., Oslin, J.L., & Griffin, L.L. (latest edition). Teaching sport concepts and skills: A tactical games approach for ages 7 to 18. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics.
- Metzler, M.W. (latest edition). Instructional Models for Physical Education. Scottsdale, AZ: Holcomb Hathaways, Publishers, Inc.
- Course Pack (3399)