Research Perspectives in Kinesiology, Health Promotion, & Recreation
Instructor: Andrew Colombo-Dougovito, Ph.D, CAPE Pron: Ko-lom-bow – Dug-o-vee-toe
Comprehensive practical approach to conducting physical activity programs for individuals with disabilities. Course is delivered in an online format and includes legal entitlement and relevant procedures that conform with state and federal legislative mandates. Procedures on integrating individuals with disabilities, as well as procedures for assessment, programming and facilitation of learning are presented. Instruction and activities will revolve around understanding the movement needs of a variety of disabilities and how to best modify programs to meet those needs. In addition to online-based lectures and discussions, students will gain hand-on experiences working with a child(ren) with disabilities; this allows for both a theoretical and practical understanding of the concepts presented in class.
In this course:
- You will consider your intentions for the semester and learn a potentially useful technological skill;
- You will demonstrate an understanding of material presented in each online modules & recorded lectures by completing a multiple-choice quiz after reviewing the module’s content;
- You will be able to (1) reflect on and evaluate your practical experiences (i.e., in class practicum and off campus), (2) relate your experiences with the academic topics covered in class, (3) articulate the importance of civic responsibility, and (4) evaluate your contribution to the community;
- You will be able to create a developmentally-appropriate activity within the lesson, appropriate for teaching a child with/without a disability;
- You will be able to (1) qualitatively analyze a person’s movement, and (2) provide an evaluation of their motor performance
- You will think critically of about your future profession and how you might apply the knowledge presented in class; and
- You will use the knowledge gained through this course, as well as your own additional research, to create a unique product.
- Block, M. E. (2016). A Teacher’s Guide to Adapted Physical Education (4th ed.). Baltimore, MD: Brookes Publishing Co.
Additional required readings will be available on Canvas.
Course FAQs and Instructions:
How should I refer to people with disabilities in class?
- You are expected to refer to people with disabilities using person-first terminology in assignments and class discussions. For example, sentences should read “people with disabilities” rather than “disabled people”, or “individuals who use wheelchairs” rather than “wheelchair-bound people”. “People with disabilities” is preferred to “people with handicaps” in every assignment. There are circumstances for which this is not appropriate, these will be discussed throughout the semester; however, as students, the default is to use person-first language. Failure to follow these guidelines will result in the deduction of points on the assignment (see rubrics).
How can I get the best grade possible?
- You are strongly encouraged to download your notes, take notes during the recorded lectures, complete all readings, exams, and assignments, and actively engage in class discussions.
- You should attempt to complete each module on Canvas during the week that it is assigned so that you do not become overwhelmed near the end of the semester. I recognize that these are not typical times, so if you fall behind, please let me know ASAP.
- To prepare for the exams, use the online modules, your notes, the readings and the recorded lectures, as exam questions may come from any one of these sources.
- You must follow the instructions outlined in each assignment’s grading rubric. If you have any questions, please message me as early as possible.
- Refer to the schedule regarding assignments. If you are unable to turn in an assignment on time, it is your responsibility to talk with me. Not doing so may result in a loss of points. Please talk to me as soon as you are know there will be an issue, and I work with you to reschedule any assignments or exams.
- You should check your grade book in Canvas weekly and contact me with questions. Do NOT wait until the end of the semester to ask questions.
- You are expected to use Canvas to access class materials. It is your responsibility to make sure you are receiving emails from Canvas, familiarize yourself with and regularly check Canvas as I will often post messages and instructions – failure to follow these instructions may result in the loss of credit.
How can I communicate with you?
- You can communicate with me through my faculty address (email@example.com) or through Canvas messaging. When sending emails make sure you do not use ‘texting’ language and abbreviations. Instead, maintain a professional manner, insert your name, etc. If you send an unprofessional or disrespectful email, you may be asked to try again before you receive a response. You are representing yourself professionally through your papers and communication with me, and you may need a reference in the future. Please allow 48 hours for an email response; do not expect a response the night before an assignment is due. I do check email over the weekend, but not as often; emails received over the weekend will be responded to promptly on Monday morning.
- Be proactive and contact me early. I also have virtual drop-in office hours (see above); if you can’t make those times, email me and we can meet at an alternative time.
What happens if I plagiarize?
- It is expected that all submitted work is your own. You must not submit work that has been copied and pasted as this is considered plagiarism—this extends to lesson plans; even if it is only a single piece. If you plagiarize an assignment you will receive an F for that assignment and an academic integrity report will be filed with the University. If you have previous reports on file, UNT’s Academic Integrity Officer will determine repercussions.
- This expectation of academic integrity extends to exams and projects, as well. All submitted work should be your own.
- All class recordings are the intellectual property of the university or instructor and are reserved for use only by students in this class and only for educational purposes. You may not post or otherwise share the recordings outside the class, or outside the Canvas Learning Management System, in any form. Failing to follow this restriction is also a violation of the UNT Code of Student Conduct and could lead to disciplinary action.
Do I need to worry about attendance?
- As with any class, remote or in-person, attendance is a key part of this class. Our class will cover the theoretical concepts of teaching and apply this knowledge in the gym. Although our course is fully online, it is expected that you login to Canvas and view the content for each module.
- I do not mandate any specific amount of time be spend view course material or that you be online any specific days, it is your responsibility to engage with the content as much as necessary for you and to complete assignments when required.
- While I will not be monitoring how much time or when you are logged in to Canvas, I will be monitoring your progress with the course materials. If you fail to login or submit an assignment for two consecutive modules, I will check in with you and may file an EagleAlert.
What if COVID-19 impact’s my attendance?
- While attendance is expected as outlined above, it is important for all of us to be mindful of the health and safety of everyone in our community, especially given concerns about COVID-19. Please contact me if you are unable to attend class because you are ill, or unable to attend class due to a related issue regarding COVID-19. It is important that you communicate as soon as you are able, so that I can work with you to ensure appropriate accommodations and adjust deadlines accordingly.
- If you are experiencing any symptoms of COVID-19 please seek medical attention from the Student Health and Wellness Center (940-565-2333 or askSHWC@unt.edu) or your health care provider PRIOR to coming to campus. UNT also requires you to contact the UNT COVID Hotline at 844-366-5892 or COVID@unt.edu for guidance on actions to take due to symptoms, pending or positive test results, or potential exposure. While attendance is an important part of succeeding in this class, your own health, and those of others in the community, is more important.
What about late assignments?
- The deadlines set in this class are to ensure that you stay on track with course content and items don’t get backlogged so much that you feel overwhelmed later in the semester. With that said, I will accept work submitted to Canvas after the deadline up to a week after the deadline for full credit. Work submitted to canvas after 1 week past the deadline will be accepted until the end of the semester but graded out of a B (85%).
- All assignments offer multiple attempts to “submit” the appropriate document; I will grade the most recently submitted document.
- I will work diligently to grade your work and return a grade to you within 14 days of the assignment deadline. I will assign a zero (0) to any assignment that has not been submitted at the time I have entered the grades for others; if you submit your work after this zero has been awarded, then I will grade your assignment and reaward the new grade in Canvas.
- The "S*** Happens" Policy.Life happens and sometimes it hits you hard—it certainly seems to be harder than normal now. For this class, you are afforded one late assignment for the semester to help with this. If something happens and you need an extension for an assignment, please email me at firstname.lastname@example.org at least 24 hours prior to the deadline. You only need to tell me that you invoke your “S*** Happens Extension” and you will be given a 1 week extension (meaning your assignment could be turned in for full credit up to two-weeks after the original deadline). No questions asked; you do not need to tell me a reason for this situation. Once you use up your 1 “excused” late submission, all other late or missed assignments will be graded out of a B (85%). This may not be used for exams, quizzes, or “self-checks”; if you have a scheduling conflict with any of the aforementioned assignments, please talk with Dr. Colombo-Dougovito as early as possible prior to the scheduled assessment.
What happens if I have internet issues around an assignment deadline?
- The University is committed to providing a reliable online course system to all users. However, in the event of any unexpected server outage or any unusual technical difficulty which prevents you from completing a time sensitive assessment activity, I will extend the time windows and provide an appropriate accommodation based on the situation. You should immediately report any problems to me (the instructor) and contact the UNT Student Help Desk: email@example.com or 940.565.2324 and obtain a ticket number. I and the UNT Student Help Desk will work with you to resolve any issues as quickly as we can.
Will any extra credit or bonus points be offered?
- No individual extra credit will be available, so please do not ask. Any extra credit opportunities offered throughout the semester are at the discretion of the instructor and will be offered equally to all students.
What are your responsibilities, Dr. C-D?
- Good question! I have gathered all the materials for our semester and will be working to make sure that the content is available for you promptly.
- I have developed the module content and uploaded the recorded lectures, so that you can access them and can clearly engage with the important topics of the class—if anything is not working for you (and it’s not an IT thing), please let me know.
- I’ll be available each week during office hours to meet with you. This can be to answer broad questions or just to chat about an issue you might be facing. I very much enjoy getting to know everyone during the semester, and COVID makes that difficult; so, I hope each of you can drop in at least once throughout the semester.
- I will also work to have graded work back to you as quickly as I can. There are many of you in this class so certain graded work might take me longer than usually; however, I will try to have your work graded within 2 weeks of the deadline. For many of your assignments (such as the quizzes or exams), your grades will be returned to you immediately.
- I also pride myself in being responsive to questions of students. Typically, I will reply within 48 hours or sooner—though, if it is over the weekend, I will likely not respond until Monday morning (I need a break occasionally, too). I typically try to be more responsive around deadline but do not expect an email to be returned between 8 pm and 6 am.
- I also pledge to give fair notice about any changes regarding the course. I try not to make changes, however, sometimes they are necessary—I will let you know about it and why.
This course uses criterion-referenced grading. That is, grades are determined by performance as compared to standards for each assignment, not based on performance of other students in the class. Criteria for each assignment can be found on the course Canvas site. You can learn more about each assignment by selecting it in the below table.
Grades will be determined by the following weights:
- 179 - 200 pts = A
- 159 - 178 pts = B
- 139 - 158 pts = C
- 119 - 138 pts = D
- less than 118 pts = F
Late work will be accepted up to 1-week after the deadline with no penalty. Assignments turned in later than 1 week will be graded out of a B (85%). However, life happens sometimes; therefore, each student has one (1) “S*** Happens” exemption. If for whatever reason, you do not feel like you can complete an assignment by the due date, email Dr. Colombo-Dougovito at least 24 hours prior to the deadline and you will be given a 1-week extension. No questions asked; you do not need to tell me a reason for this situation. Once you use up your 1 allowed late submission, all other late or missed assignments will be graded out of a B (85%). This may not be used for the final project.
Course FAQs & University Policies
A Note for This Class During the Pandemic:
The COVID-19 pandemic has made regular life difficult for most people. Balancing daily expectation with work commitments and graduate studies is difficult. I know many of you are balancing more than graduate school. While I will be supplying the best course possible for you during this semester, nothing can replace (completely) the benefits of face-to-face instruction. Additionally, though the deadlines present in this class are meant to be the benefit of you (the student) to ensure work is completed efficiently and does not overburden you, I recognize the uniqueness of present time. If there ever becomes a time when you are overwhelmed, please notify me and we will discuss a plan to ensure that you are as successful as possible.
Academic Integrity Standards and Consequences:
According to UNT Policy 06.003, Student Academic Integrity, academic dishonesty occurs when students engage in behaviors including, but not limited to cheating, fabrication, facilitating academic dishonesty, forgery, plagiarism, and sabotage. A finding of academic dishonesty may result in a range of academic penalties or sanctions ranging from admonition to expulsion from the University. Any suspected case of Academic Dishonesty will be handled in accordance with the University Policy and procedures. Possible academic penalties range from a verbal or written admonition to a grade of “F” in the course. Further sanctions may apply to incidents involving major violations. You will find the policy and procedures at: http://vpaa.unt.edu/academic-integrity.htm.
Acceptable Student Behavior:
Student behavior that interferes with an instructor’s ability to conduct a class or other students’ opportunity to learn is unacceptable and disruptive and will not be tolerated in any instructional forum at UNT. Students engaging in unacceptable behavior will be directed to leave the classroom and the instructor may refer the student to the Dean of Students to consider whether the student’s conduct violated the Code of Student Conduct. The university’s expectations for student conduct apply to all instructional forums, including university and electronic classroom, labs, discussion groups, field trips, etc. The Code of Student Conduct can be found at www.deanofstudents.unt.edu
ADA Accommodation Statement:
UNT makes reasonable academic accommodation for students with disabilities. Students seeking accommodation must first register with the Office of Disability Accommodation (ODA) to verify their eligibility. If a disability is verified, the ODA will provide a student with an accommodation letter to be delivered to faculty to begin a private discussion regarding one’s specific course needs. Students may request accommodations at any time, however, ODA notices of accommodation should be provided as early as possible in the semester to avoid any delay in implementation. Note that students must obtain a new letter of accommodation for every semester and must meet with each faculty member prior to implementation in each class. For additional information see the ODA website at disability.unt.edu.
American with Disabilities Act Compliance:
The University of North Texas is on record as being committed to both the spirit and letter of federal equal opportunity legislation; reference Public Law 92-112 – The Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended. With the passage of new federal legislation 15entitled Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), pursuant to section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, there is renewed focus on providing this population with the same opportunities enjoyed by all citizens. The designated liaison for the department is Dr. Andrew Colombo-Dougovito, Physical Education Building, Room 210-A, 940-565-3403. Copies of the Department of Kinesiology, Health Promotion and Recreation ADA Compliance Document are available in the Chair’s Office, Physical Education Building, Room 209. Copies of the College of Education ADA Compliance Document are available in the Dean’s Office, Matthews Hall 214. The student has the responsibility of informing the course instructor of any disabling conditions that will require modifications to avoid discrimination.
Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) Information:
Students have the right to expect their grades will be kept confidential. There are a few things, because of the size and/or nature of this class, the instructor must advise you of regarding collection and distribution of test results, quiz scores, homework assignments, roll sheets, projects, etc. During this class it may be necessary for you to pass your assignments forward to the instructor or it may be necessary for the instructor to call your name and then return your completed assignment to you by passing it across the room. The instructor, under the reasonable assumption guidelines, assumes students are collecting only their own materials. Every attempt will be made to keep your information confidential. Neither your course grades nor grades for any assignment will be posted in a way that could result in your being identified by other students or faculty members.
Student Evaluation Administration Dates:
Student feedback is important and an essential part of participation in this course. The student evaluation of instruction is a requirement for all organized classes at UNT. The survey will be made available during weeks 13, 14 and 15 of the long semesters to provide students with an opportunity to evaluate how this course is taught. Students will receive an email from "UNT SPOT Course Evaluations via IASystem Notification" (firstname.lastname@example.org) with the survey link. Students should look for the email in their UNT email inbox. Simply click on the link and complete the survey. Once students complete the survey they will receive a confirmation email that the survey has been submitted. For additional information, please visit the SPOT website at www.spot.unt.edu or email email@example.com.
Note: Extra credit will be offered for the completion of the evaluations; this will be discussed in class. I do read through these evaluations each semester and incorporate feedback from students into the upcoming semester. I greatly appreciate you taking the time to offer insightful feedback.
Course Safety Procedures
Students enrolled in KINE 3550 are required to use proper safety procedures and guidelines as outlined in UNT Policy 06.038 Safety in Instructional Activities. While working in laboratory sessions (during Activity Days), students are expected and required to identify and use proper safety guidelines in all activities requiring lifting, climbing, walking on slippery surfaces, using equipment and tools, handling chemical solutions and hot and cold products. Students should be aware that the UNT is not liable for injuries incurred while students are participating in class activities. All students are encouraged to secure adequate insurance coverage in the event of accidental injury. Students who do not have insurance coverage should consider obtaining Student Health Insurance. Brochures for student insurance are available in the UNT Student Health and Wellness Center. Students who are injured during class activities may seek medical attention at the Student Health and Wellness Center at rates that are reduced compared to other medical facilities. If students have an insurance plan other than Student Health Insurance at UNT, they should be sure that the plan covers treatment at this facility. If students choose not to go to the UNT Student Health and Wellness Center, they may be transported to an emergency room at a local hospital. Students are responsible for expenses incurred there.
Sexual Assault Prevention:
UNT is committed to providing a safe learning environment free of all forms of sexual misconduct. Federal laws and UNT policies prohibit discrimination on the basis of sex as well as sexual misconduct. If you or someone you know is experiencing sexual harassment, relationship violence, stalking and/or sexual assault, there are campus resources available to provide support and assistance. The Survivor Advocates can be reached at SurvivorAdvocate@unt.edu or by calling the Dean of Students Office at 940-565- 2648. If you feel you are in immediate danger, please call 911 or the police immediately. If you are experiencing any form of harassment, violence or assault, please know that you can report it to me. You should be aware that I am a mandatory reporter, which means that I am required to report these instances to the university’s Title IX coordinator or Deputy Title IX Coordinator to investigate.
Emergency Notification & Procedures:
UNT uses a system called Eagle Alert to quickly notify students with critical information in the event of an emergency (i.e., severe weather, campus closing, and health and public safety emergencies like chemical spills, fires, or violence). In the event of a university closure, please refer to Blackboard for contingency plans for covering course materials.
Notice for F-1 Visa-holding Students taking this Course
To comply with immigration regulations, an F-1 visa holder within the United States may need to engage in an on-campus experiential component for this course. This component (which must be approved in advance by the instructor) can include activities such as taking an on-campus exam, participating in an on-campus lecture or lab activity, or other on-campus experience integral to the completion of this course.
If such an on-campus activity is required, it is the student’s responsibility to do the following:
- Submit a written request to the instructor for an on-campus experiential component within one week of the start of the course.
- Ensure that the activity on campus takes place and the instructor documents it in writing with a notice sent to the International Student and Scholar Services Office. ISSS has a form available that you may use for this purpose.
Academic Support & Student Services
UNT provides mental health resources to students to help ensure there are numerous outlets to turn to that wholeheartedly care for and are there for students in need, regardless of the nature of an issue or its severity. Listed below are several resources on campus that can support your academic success and mental well-being:
- Student Health and Wellness Center (https://studentaffairs.unt.edu/student-health-and-wellness-center)
- Counseling and Testing Services (https://studentaffairs.unt.edu/counseling-and-testing-services)
- UNT Care Team (https://studentaffairs.unt.edu/care)
- UNT Psychiatric Services (https://studentaffairs.unt.edu/student-health-and-wellness-center/services/psychiatry)
- Individual Counseling (https://studentaffairs.unt.edu/counseling-and-testing-services/services/individual-counseling)
A chosen name is a name that a person goes by that may or may not match their legal name. If you have a chosen name that is different from your legal name and would like that to be used in class, please let the instructor know. Below is a list of resources for updating your chosen name at UNT.
Pronouns (she/her, they/them, he/him, etc.) are a public way for people to address you, much like your name, and can be shared with a name when making an introduction, both virtually and in-person. Just as we ask and don’t assume someone’s name, we should also ask and not assume someone’s pronouns.
You can add your pronouns to your Canvas account so that they follow your name when posting to discussion boards, submitting assignments, etc.
Below is a list of additional resources regarding pronouns and their usage:
Additional Student Support Services
- Registrar (https://registrar.unt.edu/registration)
- Financial Aid (https://financialaid.unt.edu/)
- Student Legal Services (https://studentaffairs.unt.edu/student-legal-services)
- Career Center (https://studentaffairs.unt.edu/career-center)
- Multicultural Center (https://edo.unt.edu/multicultural-center)
- Counseling and Testing Services (https://studentaffairs.unt.edu/counseling-and-testing-services)
- Pride Alliance (https://edo.unt.edu/pridealliance)
- UNT Food Pantry (https://deanofstudents.unt.edu/resources/food-pantry)