Browsing by Author "Mäkelä, Heidi"

According to studies, physical exercise has a strong connection with learning and condition of human brain, and it has been linked with academic performance. Most of the studying in university is done while sitting down and very little active teaching methods are being used. The purpose of this master’s thesis is to study what type of students take part in a course that requires indoor cycling. The purpose of this master’s thesis is also to study the experiences of students practicing studying methods with physical activity in the course of neuroscience. This study examines the effects of indoor cycling on alertness, motivation and learning of the students and also the suitability of the method on individuals. The study was carried out as a qualitative case study and the research material was collected during autumn 2018. The research sample included six students from Open University of Helsinki. The study did not include the relevance of age and prior exercise background, albeit the information was asked in a background information form filled by the participants in the beginning of the course. The background information form was filled by 17 participants. Six participants were interviewed using semi-structured interviews and the research material was analyzed using a content analysis. The research results show that students with different ages participated in the course. The participants’ backgrounds regarding exercise were also diverse. The study also demonstrates teaching methods requiring physical activity increases the alertness, motivation and learning of almost all the students. The method is principally perceived as well suited and conducive to learning. Part of the participants felt the course content was so interesting that the method most likely had a positive effect on alertness and motivation.