Mel E. Finkenberg

Using Digital Cameras to Assess Motor Learning

One major part of education reform in many states is the integration of new assessment techniques and technology into the classroom. While both areas are essential, many physical education teachers struggle with them due to time and financial limitations. For example, some physical education programs use videotape feedback to help students better comprehend and assess their motorskill performances (e.g., see Jambor & Weekes, 1995).While videotape has many benefits, it can be burdensome for both teachers and students (Bergen, 2000). Setting up tripods, finding someone to operate the camera, and rolling out a television to watch the footage can take up a lot of time, assuming that you even have all of the equipment. An alternative to videotaping is still-photography. Photographs have been used in numerous settings to help enhance motor-skill acquisition. Many golf, tennis, and snowskiing journals and physical education books rely heavily on photography, taking for granted that the information it relays will be invaluable to readers (Singer, 1980); after all, some evidence has indicated that visual feedback is the most critical to motor learning (Adams, 1977; Rickli & Smith, 1980; Siltanen-Hansen, 1997). Recent technological advances have produced cheap, lightweight, easy-to-use digital cameras that can download still images to your computer. Many schools have invested in one or more such cameras and have