Rethinking the Second and Third Year of Study: “Verknüpfungsveranstaltungen” as a Driver of Theory Integration into Practice

Abstract

Integrating theoretical knowledge into practice is a key competence for sport science students (e.g., dvs, 2016). To systematically foster this, the Institute of Sport Science at the University of Bern redesigned all Bachelor’s courses as part of the 2024 study programme reform. In the first year, for example, students attend the course “Perspektiven der Sportwissenschaft”, in which theoretical foundations from weekly lectures are linked to tasks and practical applications in one of the Institute’s sport practice fields (Klostermann & Schärli, this session). Building on this first-year format, this presentation illustrates how the integration of theory and practice is continued and expanded in the second and third years of the Bachelor’s programme through the “sportpraktisch-methodischen Verknüpfungsveranstaltungen”.

In these courses, in contrast to the first year, practice forms the starting point, while the systematic connection to different theoretical courses is central. Students can choose from our seven practical subject areas: Game sports, Athletics, Gymnastics, Fitness, Dance, Swimming and Outdoor sports, each linked with one or two theoretical courses from disciplines like Sport Psychology or Motor Control and Learning. For example, the course Invasion Games establishes a connection to the sport psychology lecture “Sportpsychologisches Training in Theorie und Praxis” by using flag football to demonstrate how shared knowledge and, in turn, enhanced team cognition can be developed through targeted variations in practice formats and learning settings (Blaser & Seiler, 2019). Similarly, the course Learning and Teaching in Dance links to the lecture “Sportbiomechanik und Sportmotorik” by addressing the acquisition and optimisation of different dance skills and by exploring ways of integrating evidence-based instruction and feedback into dance-teaching settings (Hossner & Künzell, 2022).

These newly developed courses combine practical content with a strong theoretical foundation and are assessed through theoretical examinations. The primary aim is therefore not the demonstration of specific skills in the respective sports, but to show a thorough understanding of the underlying theory in practice-related topics. For example, in an oral examination, students must reflect upon the theoretical principles of team cognition and illustrate them by using examples from the respective sports. Alternatively, students are required to transfer the acquired knowledge to another invasion game and submit the result in the form of a video or a short written report.

This presentation introduces the “Verknüpfungsveranstaltung” Invasion Games. We will outline the course content, the theoretical links, and the didactic and methodical considerations, as well as experiences and evaluation results from the first implementation of this course. Finally, these aspects will be discussed in the context of the overall reform of the Bachelor’s programme.

References

Blaser M., & Seiler, R (2019). Shared Knowledge and Verbal Communication in Football: Changes in Team Cognition Through Collective Training. Frontiers Psychol. 10:77. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2019.00077

Deutsche Vereinigung für Sportwissenschaft (dvs) (2016). „Theorie und Praxis der Sportarten und Bewegungsfelder“. Positionspapier der Deutschen Vereinigung für Sportwissen-schaft. Abgerufen von: https://www.sportwissenschaft.de/fileadmin/pdf/Positionspapier/dvs-Positionspapier_ThPrSpa_14.12.2016.pdf

Hossner, E. J., & Künzell, S. (2022). Einführung in die Bewegungswissenschaft. Limpert.