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“Introduction to Sport and Exercise Psychology was designed to meet specific student needs either individually or within a program and is designed to transfer to other colleges and universities. KCC participates in the Illinois Articulation Initiative (IAI), a statewide transfer agreement for general education courses. All colleges and universities participating in the IAI agree to accept a collective “package” of IAI general education courses; transfer of courses separately is not guaranteed. For more information about IAI, go to their website at www.itransfer.org and IAI. For the transferability of courses to specific four-year institutions, go to u.select.”
Faculty Contact Information
As needed, by appointment
Dr. Betsy Keigher
bkeigher@kcc.edu OR email me through Canvas
Physical Education
Course Information
At the end of this course, students will be able to:
- Discuss the basic concepts of kinesiology and physical activity and understand the subdisciplines, which include physical education, biomechanics, motor behavior, exercise physiology, as well as the sociology and psychology of sport and exercise.
- Explore the many careers and fields of study in Kinesiology, identify the education and certification requirements, and articulate between different objectives and skills necessary for success in each.
- Practice reading, writing, and developing opinions about current research in the field of Kinesiology.
- Explore the professional organizations, as well as the governing bodies, in the field of Kinesiology.
- Identify issues confronting professionals in the field of Kinesiology today.
- Demonstrate an understanding of the field of Kinesiology in and through philosophy and position statements, research of both historical and current issues in the field, input from guest speakers, a professional interview, and a career pathway project.
- Introduction to Exercise Science
- Body Systems
- Exercise Physiology
- Clinical Exercise Physiology
- Exercise and Sports Nutrition and Energy Balance, Diet and Weight Control
- Athletic Training and Sports Medicine
- Exercise and Sport Psychology
- Biomechanics and Motor Behavior
- Equipment and Assessment in Exercise Science
- Careers and Issues in Exercise Science
Textbook(s): Knudson, D.V., Brusseau, T.A. (Eds.). (2026). Introduction to Kinesiology: Studying Physical Activity (Seventh Edition). Champaign IL: Human Kinetics.
Important websites: Shapeamerica.org (formally AAHPERD); American Kinesiology Association (americankinesiology.org); American College of Sports Medicine (acsm.org); American Psychological Association (APA.org)
Supplemental Materials
You are responsible for supplemental material, provided by the teacher, posted in weekly folders on Canvas. This material may be included in testing.
Online assignments and projects will include:
• Reaction papers and assignments - 10-20 points each – students will be asked to reflect on various areas/issues within the field of Kinesiology. After reading scholarly articles or reliable information online about topics in the field, you will either write a reaction paper that describes your perspectives on the topic; or, answer a series of questions requiring analytical and critical thinking. These assignments will enable you to demonstrate an understanding of the multidisciplinary nature of the field.
• Discussion forums – 5-10 points each – this offers a weekly platform to discuss topics as a group, such as textbook content, current events, job outlook, and research in the field.
• Interview of a professional in the field – 40 points - After identifying the career/field of study in Kinesiology in which you are most interested, you must research professionals working in your field of interest, near or far, and reach out to them for an interview. Assignment sheet and rubric are in Canvas.
- Identify a professional in your field of interest and create 10 interview questions -15 points – due Sept. 13
- Complete interview with reflection – 25 points – due Nov. 15
• Career Path Portfolio – 10-30 points – this a multi-part assignment divided thoughout the semester – this project requires students to research the career in which s/he is interested. And the tasks include: identification of programs at several schools; research of the field academically and professionally; research information about job outlook, salary, experience necessary; and locate news related, and/or research articles pertaining to the field.
• Individual Project - Current Issue in Kinesiology – 70 points - students will select and research a current issue related to physical activity and movement. Using scholarly research, students will explain how to address the issue from one of several areas of kinesiology (e.g., motor learning, sport psychology, exercise physiology, biomechanics – see book chapters for topics of interest to you). An assignment sheet and rubric are posted in Canvas – read it closely!
- Some topics to consider include: childhood obesity, global or US obesity, cardiovascular health and exercise, paying college athletes, athlete steroid use, athletes and Covid, specific weight training/exercise programs (something new or radical, perhaps!), etc. I am very flexible regarding topic choice, as I want you to each find something you are truly interested in and learning more about. I will approve all topics prior to starting work on your project. See the detailed assignment sheet and rubric, so don’t worry – you will know exactly what to do.
- At least ONE scholarly research article – from the library database – is required, in addition to any other sources. Research article publication date must be within 5 years.
- You may create your presentation in any medium: Google Slides, Prezi, PowerPoint, Canva, etc. o Three topic ideas (with your #1 topic choice indicated with an *) due Sept. 20
- Working outline AND a research article due Oct. 18.
Final project due Nov. 30.
Exams - There are four online exams worth 50 points each (exams will cover Units 1-4). They are more of a culminating assignment over each unit with use of materials and a lot of time (a week) - so there is no stress! (see course calendar below for dates).
Health Careers
Dean, Brad Wood; 815-802-8815; M107; bwood@kcc.edu; Division Office – W102; 815-802-8800
Course Policies
- First and foremost, it is essential that you speak with, or email, me if you ever have any questions or concerns – I am here to help! Let me know if there is anything going on in your life that is preventing you from completing work. I am willing to work with you BUT you MUST reach out to me – and it can’t be in the last week of class.
- Students are responsible for information contained in the textbook, assignments, and supplemental materials (i.e additional notes provided by instructor, articles, audio recordings, and websites). Materials are provided that both enhance what is in the text and introduce concepts not in the text. Since we do not meet face to face, it is imperative that you read and listen to all assigned materials. It is expected that by completing the reading assignments, you will not only be successful in the course, but be able to participate actively.
- If you have any issues or questions regarding Canvas, it is highly encouraged that you visit the Student Passport to Canvas “class” that is on your Canvas dashboard. You can work through the benchmarks and earn badges! It is an easy way to learn how to navigate Canvas. You can always search the Canvas ‘Help’ menu (bottom left hand corner in Canvas), which provides answers to most all questions you might have. You may also contact ITS helpdesk – all information regarding ITS – is located in the “Getting Started” Module.
- Assignments should be completed and turned in on the date and time assigned. Assignments/exams are due online by 11:59PM on the designated due date. Late work will not be accepted. a. Exams are always due on Sundays (unless otherwise indicated) b. Assignments are due on Sundays c. Discussion forums have varying due dates. If there is an initial AND peer response required, your initial post is due by Friday, and your peer response is due Sunday. If you only have one response (no peer response required) the due date is Sunday.
- Contingency plan in case of unforeseen technological problems. Lost or accidently deleted files will not be an acceptable excuse for not turning in something. Students are responsible for providing their own access to the internet and problems with internet access are not an acceptable excuse for failing to submit work by the due date – since this course is primarily online, you must ensure internet access. If you experience a technical issue, please notify me ASAP and seek technical support from ITS Helpdesk – contact listed below.
- Exams are required in this course. You must take the exam during the time period they are available – if you fail to do so, you will receive a grade of "zero" on the exam.
- If there is a system wide outage that affects completion of exams, assignments or discussion forums, I will post an announcement addressing the issue. However, if you have an individual technical issue during an exam or upon submittal of an assignment, you need to contact me IMMEDIATELY so I know when you encountered the issue and I will deal with each on a case by case basis.
Since Canvas is our course medium for announcements, assignments, discussion forums, exams, lecture notes, grading, and supplemental information postings, you must be comfortable with the System. You are expected to check Canvas daily for announcements or emails. Canvas is used to communicate in the course so you must become a daily visitor. Otherwise, you could miss pertinent information for which you are responsible. Please contact me if you need assistance.
a. I will reply to most emails within 24 to 48 hours during the work week. I respond much quicker usually! I will check for urgent messages on the weekends.
b. Grade Access - You can access your grades online, enabling you to know your grade at any given time. If you see a discrepancy in what the grade shows and what you believe your grade should be, please let me know immediately so it can be investigated.
Remember basic Netiquette guidelines (adapted from The Core Rules of Netiquette by Virginia Shea):
a. The golden rule your parents and your kindergarten teacher taught you was pretty simple: Do unto others as you'd have others do unto you. In cyberspace, we state this in an even more basic manner: Remember the human. Be kind in your comments and responses and remember your classmates are people with feelings.
b. You will be judged by the quality of your writing so be attentive to spelling and grammar. Pay attention to the content of your writing and that your thoughts are clear and logical. Share what you know, but if you discuss anything that is not your own idea, you must list the resource. I do not want to see posts that look like texts. You must write in complete sentences!
c. Be pleasant and polite. Don't use offensive language, and don't be confrontational for the sake of confrontation.
d. If someone makes a mistake -- whether it's a spelling error or an unnecessarily long answer -- be kind about it. If it's a minor error, you may not need to say anything. Even if you feel strongly about it, think twice before reacting. If you do decide to inform someone of a mistake, point it out politely, and preferably by private email rather than in public.
- ADA Policy: As stated in the KCC Students with Disabilities Handbook: Kankakee Community College shall provide that no otherwise qualified person with a disability shall, solely by reason of disability, be excluded from the participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity engaged in by the college as required by Section 504 of the rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with disability Act of 1990.
Use of AI Tools: This course permits you to use artificial intelligence (AI) tools, such as chatbots, text generators, paraphrasers, summarizers, or solvers, to get guidance on assignments, as long as you do so in an ethical and responsible manner. Essentially, you can think of these tools as ways to help you learn but not to entirely create work for assignments like discussion board posts, essays, presentation slides, and so on. AI is more like your tutor or TA, not a replacement for your independent thinking. This means that you must:
• Not use AI tools to replace your own thinking or analysis or to avoid engaging with the course content.
• Cite or explain any AI tools you use. Provide the name of the AI tool, the date of access, the URL of the interface, and the specific prompt or query you used to generate the output.
Cite any AI tools you use properly, following APA citation (see below):
OpenAI. (2024). ChatGPT (Mar 14 version) [Large language model]. https://chat.openai.com/chat
• Be transparent and honest about how you used the AI tool and how it contributed to your assignment. Explain what you learned from the AI tool, how you verified its accuracy and reliability, how you integrated its output with your own work, and how you acknowledged its limitations and biases. • You are accountable for any mistakes or errors made by the AI tool. Always check and edit the output before submitting your work. If you discover any inaccuracies or inconsistencies in the output after submission, notify the instructor immediately and correct them as soon as possible.
• Using AI tools in an unethical or irresponsible manner, such as copying or paraphrasing the output without citation or transparency, using the output as your own work without verification or integration, or using the output to misrepresent your knowledge or skills, is considered a form of academic dishonesty and will result in a zero grade for the assignment and possible disciplinary action. If you have any questions about what constitutes ethical and responsible use of AI tools, please consult with the instructor before submitting your work. Exams must be completed independently, with no AI, and, I will indicate on other assignments if AI is not allowed. Regarding your project, you may use AI as a tool to help you with your work, but NOT to create the presentation.
- Academic Integrity Policy and Code: Students are reminded that cheating and plagiarism will not be tolerated. Plagiarism is defined in section 16.2 of the Code of Conduct: “Representing the words or ideas of another as one’s own. Plagiarism includes claiming credit for assignments completed by someone else.” Any student detected of cheating or engaging in plagiarism on any exam or paper, or participating in any other form of academic dishonesty, will receive the appropriate sanctions which can include a failing grade (“F”) for the course. Please see the academic integrity policy in the KCC catalog as well as on the web. http://www.kcc.edu/students/academics/Pages/regulations.aspx
All students are expected to behave in a reasonable, responsible and professional manner during this course. Remember that part of your academic preparation involves learning to think and behave like a professional. Your individual behavior and performance reflects on you, as well as, the entire Kankakee Community College community.
Tentative Course Calendar – dates and items are subject to change
*Each unit after Chapter 1 will take approximately 2-4 weeks to complete, depending on content. Exam dates are TENTATIVE – if I change the dates (ONLY by making them later), I will notify the class with plenty of time.
Unit 1 - Aug. 17 – Sept. 6 (3 weeks) Chapters 1 & 2 • Introduction to Kinesiology • Spheres of Physical Activity | Exam 1* - Sept. 7 - 13 *exams are always available for one week, from Monday to Sunday. *Identify a professional to interview and 10 interview questions - due Sept. 13 |
Unit 2 – Sept. 7 - Sept. 20 (2 weeks) Chapters 3 & 4 • Physical Activity Experiences, including Subjective Experiences • Philosophy of Physical Activity |
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Unit 3 – Sept. 21 – Oct. 11 (3 weeks) Chapters 5, 6, 8 • History of Physical Activity • Sociology of Physical Activity • Sport and Exercise Psychology | Exam 3 – Oct. 12 - 18 *Outline and research article for “Issues in Kinesiology” Project due Oct. 18 |
Unit 4 – Oct. 12 – Nov. 1 (3 weeks) Exam 4 – Nov. 2 - 8 Chapters 7, 9-10 • Motor Behavior • Biomechanics of Physical Activity • Physiology of Physical Activity |
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Unit 5 – Nov. 2 – Dec. 10 (4 weeks) – Thanksgiving week excluded (no obligations that week besides finishing your presentation) Chapters 11-16 • Practicing a Profession in Physical Activity | NO Exam over Unit 5 and NO final exam *Interview of a professional due Nov. 15 *Presentations due (Issues in Kinesiology) – Nov. 30 |
College Policies, Resources and Supports
For information related to the Student Code of Conduct Policy, Withdrawal Policy, Email Policy, and Non- Attendance/Non-Participation Policy, please review the college’s Code of Campus Affairs and Regulations webpage, which can be found at catalog.kcc.edu under the Academic Regulations & Conduct Guide.
KCC offers various academic and personal resources for all students. Many services are offered virtually, as well as in person. Please visit Student Resources - Kankakee Community College to access student resources services such as:
- Clubs and organizations
- Counseling and referral services
- Office of disability services
- Student complaint policy
- Transfer services
- Tutoring services, etc.
The materials on this course are only for the use of students enrolled in this course for purposes associated with this course. Further information regarding KCC's copyright policy is available at https://kcc.libguides.com/copyright.
|Course syllabus/calendar is subject to change.