The effects of a token economy on selected motor skills in physical education /

Adviser: Mary Lou Veal.Several sources supported the use of token economies in physical activity settings in order to improve social and skilled behaviors. However, a clear lack of empirical support for the use of token systems in physical education settings was evident. Therefore, the overall purpose of this dissertation was to examine the effectiveness of a token economy on selected motor skills in an elementary physical education setting. Manuscript one reviews the existing literature regarding token reinforcement and physical activity. This review provides the rationale and impetus for the research studies that follow. Manuscript two examines the effectiveness of a token economy on the successful jump rope practice trials performed by third grade physical education students. Results indicate that token reinforcement was effective to increase students' practice trials as well to improve the success rate of their practice. And, in manuscript three, a token system was introduced to target the overhand throw skill performance of second grade physical education students. Results from this study indicate that token reinforcement was effective in improving students' overhand throw. Additionally, this study provides evidence that second grade students can accurately conduct a peer process assessment of the overhand throw skill, indicating the feasibility of using peer assessments with lower elementary physical education students. Overall, the examinations conducted within this dissertation show that token economies can be effective in physical education and can, therefore, be a tool available for physical educators to implement in their classes.Ph.D

The Effects of Peer-Administered Token Reinforcement on Jump Rope Behaviors of Elementary Physical Education Students

Token economies have a long research and applied history within clinical settings and classroom education (Kazdin, 1982). However, despite reported successes in improving physical activity behaviors (Alstot, 2012), research examining token reinforcement implemented specifically in physical education is virtually nonexistent. Therefore, the purpose of the current study was to examine the effects of a peer-administered token economy on the jump rope behaviors of elementary physical education students. An alternating treatments design was used to assess the effects of the intervention. Participants were alternated between five baseline and five token economy sessions while response differentiation between the two phases was assessed. Results indicated that nine out of ten participants showed an increase in the number of successful jump rope practice trials during token reinforcement sessions as compared with baseline sessions. Based on the results of the study, it was concluded that peer-administered token economies can be useful tools for physical educators.</jats:p

Flipping Information Literacy Sessions: Applying a Fun-Flipped Classroom Approach to Cultivate Student Engagement and Planting IL Seeds of Knowledge

The landscape of information literacy (IL) instruction is a constantly growing and evolving environment. Finding ways to fit the necessary information for a course, assignment, or project into one IL session (one-shot) is always a struggle. The flipped classroom model is one way to tackle this issue. Flipped classrooms are a popular pedagogical model to increase time for active student engagement during limited synchronous teaching interactions. The model "flips" the traditional instruction model by moving the in-class passive lecture online for students to complete asynchronously before the synchronous class. Then in class, students engage in active learning exercises, peer-learning, and assignments. This model incorporates and builds upon active learning and hybrid course design scholarship and principles (EDUCASE). By using a flipped classroom, librarians can personalize their synchronous teaching time to better support diverse student experiences and learning needs. They also make the in-class IL sessions more engaging by allowing more time for active learning exercises. Moreover, by creating a lesson that incorporates fun, students have better information retention and are more comfortable approaching librarians for future help (Walker, 2006). This paper will discuss how Austin and Williams adapted the flipped classroom model into IL sessions at a small public four-year institution in Southern California. Their flipped classrooms paired pre-existing research modules with humorous active learning exercises to create a fun and informative learning environment.Austin, Breeann; Williams, Allison; and Eberhardt-Alstot, Megan, "Flipping Information Literacy Sessions: Applying a Fun-Flipped Classroom Approach to Cultivate Student Engagement and Planting IL Seeds of Knowledge" (2024). LOEX Conference Proceedings 2024. 17