Effects of Concurrent Exercise Modality on the Acquisition of Academic Information Allie M. Hassenger & Katelyn P. Liebe – Department of Exercise Science, Pacific University Faculty Advisor: Brian H. Jackson, Ph.D. It has been suggested that one of the reasons obesity has become an epidemic in America is that citizens are less physically active on a daily basis. From the classroom… to the workplace… to time spent in front of the television, our society spends a lot of time being sedentary. It is time to look for creative ways to be more physically active. It is well-known that physical activity is a “miracle drug” that can produce a number of benefits to the human body (e.g., strength, endurance, weight loss). However, recent research has suggested that physical activity can lead to not only improved physical functioning, but increased cognitive functioning as well (e.g., Marisi & Travlos, 1995; Tomporowski, 2002). Most of this research has examined the long-term cognitive benefits of physical activity, and very little is known about the “concurrent” effects. How effective is our cognitive functioning while we are being physically active? The idea of physical activity in a classroom setting has been implemented often in the form of exercise (i.e., stability) balls. In one particular classroom, teachers reported that students had better concentration, test scores, and postures when they sat on exercise balls (Wyatt, 2009). Researchers at Pacific University have been examining the effects of concurrent physical activity on cognitive behavior with mixed results. However, up to this point, the tested physical activity has all occurred within the same modality (i.e., pedaling a stationary bike). The purpose of the current study is to determine whether college students can effectively learn and retain academic content while being physically active in a classroom setting. In addition, we hope to determine whether learning is affected by the type (and intensity) of the activity being performed. We hope to recruit 60 college-aged participants. The proposed project will be completed during the academic year. Background Methods Participants will be asked to view a series of eight academic lectures (videos) over a period of two weeks, and retain the information as well as possible. Participants will view the lecture in one of six assigned learning conditions: Sitting: 1. Stationary (e.g., sitting on a chair, as in a classroom situation) 2. Stabilizing (e.g., sitting on an exercise ball) 3. Active (e.g., pedaling a stationary bike at a pace/ level of their choosing) Standing: 4. Stationary (e.g., standing on a solid surface) 5. Stabilizing (e.g., standing on the curved side of a Bosu ball) 6. Active (e.g., walking on a treadmill at a pace/ speed of their choosing) Session 1: Pre-Questionnaire (demographics, behaviors, PAR-Q, etc.) Pre-test to assess knowledge of lecture material Assess physical fitness level (resting HR, blood pressure, sub-maximal step-test) Session 2-7: (occurring every other day; simulating a college class): Lecture series via Yale University’s iTunes U content Retention test, auditory and visual, given half-way through each lecture Short quiz on the information presented in that lecture Session 8: Participants will simulate a normal classroom setting while taking a final exam, seated in a chair at a desk Consist of approximately 50 multiple choice questions *Participants will wear a heart rate monitor and accelerometer throughout each session in order to quantify physical activity levels. Selected References Wyatt, K (2009). No chairs: Students ‘get the wiggles out’ on exercise balls. USA Today, posted Marisi, D., & Travlos, A. (1995). Information processing and concentration as a function of fitness level and exercise-induced activation to exhaustion. Perception and Motor Skills, 80, Tomporowski, P. (2002). Effects of acute bouts of exercise on cognition. Acta Psychologica, 112(3), If you would like to learn more about our experiment, please contact us: Allie Hassenger: Katelyn Liebe: All groups will be compared on content retention (test scores), physical activity levels (HR & accelerometer data) and perceptions of comfort in the learning process. A 2x3 (Modality: Sitting/Standing x Level: Sedentary/Stabilizing/Active) ANOVA will be performed to determine effects and interactions. Data Analyses Hypotheses Purpose It is hypothesized that there will be a difference between the sitting and standing modalities in terms of academic performance. Within those modalities, the more active conditions (i.e. pedaling on a bike or walking on a treadmill) are expected to result in greater retention of content. Ultimately, we believe that our research will indicate that walking on a treadmill will be the best option out of all the six tested modalities. This is because it will produce the HR most in range as well as the least postural sway, thus not taking away from the learning aspect of our experiment.