Y.A. Karvunis¹
Associate Professor M.B. Lozhkina¹
Dr. Med., Professor L.V. Kapilevich^1
1National Research Tomsk State University, Tomsk

Corresponding author: juliakarvounis@gmail.com

Abstract

Objective of the study was to analyze benefits of modern electronic training elements for the supplementary educational system, with the children’s and youth sports tourism service taken for the case study.

Methods and structure of the study. The first stage of the study in April-May 2020 was designed to update the academic curriculum and implement distance learning elements, and provide a special electronic training basics course for the school physical education teachers to make them fit for the new service format. We sampled for the study the 9-18 year-old students (n=72) from six children’s and youth sports tourism departments of the supplementary education children’s and youth schools in the Tomsk Oblast; and the supplementary education school teachers (n=8) supported by the National Research Tomsk State University faculty members (n=3).

The second stage of the study was run in September through December 2020 and designed to implement the electronic training elements and other relevant distance learning tools in the departmental curricula. The electronic training service offered the simplest communication tools including those provided by the popular social networks and messengers. The learning materials and electronic training tasks were combined into modules using the open online Google Classroom toolkit, with its individual progress tests.

The third stage was scheduled for January-February 2021 to make a comparative analysis of the students’ progress in every competence module.

Results and conclusion. The study data and analyses generally showed benefits of modern electronic training elements for the supplementary children’s and youth sports tourism supplementary education service, particularly in the Local History, Ecology and Life Safety competence module where the distance learning tools were found to effectively facilitate progress due to special motivations. The distance learning formats with a wide variety of modern electronic training tools, however, were tested little beneficial for practical tourist skills and competitive performance in the sports tourism events.

Keywords: sports tourism, children’s and youth sports tourism, electronic training, supplementary education.

Background. Nowadays many sectors of the national economy have to cope with the modern challenges dominated by the Covid-19 pandemic that since 2020 that forced the educational system to make an unexpected transition to online education formats, close virtually every educational establishment, and instantly convert every service and event into online formats having almost no time to adapt the valid academic curriculum [1]. It should be mentioned that the general, vocational and advanced educational systems have been more or less successful in the transition, whilst the supplementary educational system on the whole and its sports educational services in particular have reported serious transitional problems [2].

Objective of the study was to analyze benefits of modern electronic training elements for the supplementary education system, with the children’s and youth sports tourism service taken for the case study.

Methods and structure of the study. The first stage of the study in April-May 2020 was designed to update the academic curriculum and implement distance learning elements, and provide a special electronic training basics course for the school physical education teachers to make them fit for the new service format. We sampled for the study the 9-18-year-old students (n=72) from six children’s and youth sports tourism departments of the supplementary education children’s and youth schools in the Tomsk Oblast; and the supplementary education school teachers (n=8) supported by the National Research Tomsk State University faculty members (n=3).

The second stage of the study was run in September through December 2020 and designed to implement the electronic training elements and other relevant distance learning tools in the departmental curricula. The electronic training service offered the simplest communication tools including those provided by the popular social networks and messengers. The learning materials and electronic training tasks were combined into modules using the open online Google Classroom toolkit, with its individual progress tests.

Theoretical materials in every competence module under the academic curriculum were delivered in presentations, texts and videos; with the interactive communication, online training tools and tasks designed mostly in gaming formats using learningapps.org, classflow.com, linoit.com, flippity.net, h5p.org and other relevant resources. The project team developed audio guides and quests on the izi.travel platform to encourage the students’ outdoor physical activity within at least the WHO recommended limits with the parallel training tasks – so as to meet the requirements of the academic curriculum to the practical elements of the training service. The social networks and virtual whiteboard tools were used to facilitate teamwork of the students, with a special priority to rewards and other motivational electronic training / gaming elements to encourage progress in both the theoretical and practical (active physical) domains. We also analyzed the students’ progresses and accomplishments in the traditional regional competitions that were for the first time run on a distance basis.

The third stage was scheduled for January-February 2021 to make a comparative analysis of the students’ progress in every competence module. The theoretical knowledge of the sample was tested by the pre- versus post-experimental tests, and practical skills were tested in the weekend group hikes in winter time [4] on a 100-point scale. The sample was split up into the following age groups as required by the children’s and youth sports tourism standards: 9-11 years old group (prioritizing the cognitive and practical motivations); 12-13-year-old group (practical and cognitive motivations); 14-15-year-old group (emotional and practical motivations); and the 16-18 years old group (emotional and cognitive motivations) [3]. Gender grouping was omitted in this study.

Results and discussion. The electronic training service benefits for the children’s and youth sports tourism supplementary education curricula were rated in the following competence modules: Local History; Ecology; Life Safety; Teamwork; Tourism Technology and Sports Fitness; Physical Fitness; and the Research and Creativity (see Table 1 hereunder). The distance learning format was found particularly beneficial for the Local History competence module as it significantly improved knowledge of the regional specifics and the key tourist attractions and recreational resources. The interactive maps and the age-specific electronic data on the local history facilitated the groups making an average progress of 20.5 points in the competence module – and this was the highest progress among the competence modules, with the highest success (24 points) in the competence module made by the 9-11-year-old group. We found the group Local History training being the most beneficial when the online learning is designed in a gaming manner to keep up the children’s motivations and interest.

The group progresses were also tested significant in the following competence modules: Ecology (14 points), Life Safety (13.7 points), Teamwork (14 points) and Research and Creativity (11.5 points). We combined in the Ecology competence module a range of the environmental protection and local recreational resource related competences. The Life Safety competence module included the life safety knowledge and skills necessary for tourists, plus the first aid skills. The special interactive electronic training materials and group tasks were found successful in motivating the students for studies of the environmental safety and tourist life safety issues, and this was the reason for the group progress in the competence module knowledge and skills. The Teamwork competence module included interpersonal communication, cooperation and tourist group teamwork competences. And the Research and Creativity competence module included the research, project design and creativity related competences and practical skills. Of special benefits for these competences training were the special online learning formats with the joint research projects and creative missions.

It should be mentioned, however, that the groups have made virtually no significant progress in the Physical Fitness competence module as the total group growth was tested to average only 1.8 points. In the Tourism Technology and Sports Training competence module, the groups showed even regress of 16 points on average – due to, as we believe, the distance learning tools being not efficient enough in training special sports tourist competencies and skills including the tent-setting, backpacking, campfire making, orienteering and other knowledge and skills required for the modern sports and health tourism. The 14-15-year-old group scored the highest regress of 18 points in this competence module, and the regress was verified by the poorer competitive performance of the group in the traditional children’s and youth sports tourism events, as compared with the pre-pandemic periods.

Conclusion. The study data and analyses generally showed benefits of the modern electronic training elements for the supplementary children’s and youth sports tourism supplementary educational service, particularly in the Local History, Ecology and Life Safety competence module where the distance learning tools were found to effectively facilitate progress due to special motivations. The distance learning formats with a wide variety of modern electronic training tools, however, were tested little beneficial for practical tourist skills and competitive performance in the sports tourism events.

Table 1. Group pre- versus post-experimental competences/ skills tests, points