Background

Widespread use of digital technology in society creates an opportunity to gain knowledge on how young people are affected in relation to areas such as motivation, learning and performance in school and sports. In this emergent field of research, there is a growing amount of empirical evidence demonstrating the benefits of using digital technology to improve the impact of different pedagogical approaches in physical education and performance in sports. Flipped learning, gamification, and exergames have shown to positively influence both student motivation, learning and performance. Nevertheless, there is a major need for research to better understand how digital technology implemented in pedagogical approaches can be beneficial on all educational levels. As digital technology use continues to grow, and youths' lives are more and more infiltrated by those technologies, it is of crucial importance that in physical education we benefit from those technologies. Also, physical education teacher education (PETE) and coach training is in need of mapping out directions for the future regarding the use of digital technology. This sector is experiencing rapid transformation in the wake of COVID19 and the collective turn towards hybrid and online learning in teacher education around the world. What does this mean for embodied programs such PETE and coach educations? With this in mind this international research group initiates and conducts a variety of research projects and actions, including having edited a special issue on digital technology in physical education in Frontiers in Education, and the hosting of an international symposium.

Strategy, vision, values, aims and actions (PDF)