Q & A with Kinesiology Professor: Sean Pruitt

Students often wonder what their first term will be like when they start their exercise science degree online. Kinesiology I, for most students, is where their journey will begin. Kinesiology I lays the foundation for much of what students will learn throughout their exercise science studies.

Sean Pruitt, Kinesiology I professor, answered some of our questions to give students an idea of what they’ll learn in their first term and what to expect when learning online.

Q: What will I learn in Kinesiology I?
A: In Kinesiology I, students explore upper body musculoskeletal anatomy, master human movement terminology, and perform movement analyses.

Q: What’s the difference in learning Kinesiology online vs. traditional?
A: Mastering musculoskeletal anatomy has always come down to studying structures.  In a traditional environment you may have access to cadavers; whereas, in an online environment you rely much more heavily on text and videos to identify structures.

Q: How will Kinesiology I prepare me for the remainder of the program?
A: Kinesiology I will provide you will the tools to describe human movement in a professional manner, the skills to analyze human movement, and a solid foundation in identifying applicable research.  Kinesiology I also prepares students to learn and interact in an online classroom environment.

Q: What made you interested in teaching Kinesiology I?
A: As a student I found human anatomy to be a boring subject plagued with route memorization.  I wanted to create a more interactive environment that overcame some of the rote memorization and instead focused on exploration and application while still allowing students to master anatomical content.  Through our movement analysis assignments, students get to explore content in a practical way instead of studying flashcards.

Q: What do you hope students take away from Kinesiology I?
A: I hope students emerge from Kinesiology I comfortable and capable in an online learning environment.  I expect them to emerge feeling competent in describing movement and identifying musculoskeletal structures of the upper body.

Q: What do students need to know to be successful in studying Kinesiology I?
A: Take your time and do not let yourself get overwhelmed.  All the structures and movements can seem overwhelming at first, but if you break it down and are patient you will find yourself progressing at a steady pace.  You will have more success if you focus on analyzing movements rather than memorizing structures.  Most students are surprised at how much they master by the end of week eight.

Q: What advice do you have for students learning online for the first time?
A: Never be afraid to reach out to your instructor.  We are here to not only help you master content, but to help you succeed in an online learning environment.  You will find that your instructors have a much quicker response time than traditional instructors do.

While assignments are often due at the end of the week, they are designed to help you progress throughout the week.  If you leave everything to the last minute, you may find yourself overwhelmed.  You will find that if you spread content and activities out over the course of a week instead of a few days the entire course will become more manageable and you will retain more content.

Q: What’s your favorite thing to teach about Kinesiology?
A: Seeing students grow as the semester progress.  Often students enter without the skills and knowledge to accurately describe human movement, but by the end of the course they are doing a superb job!

 

Want to learn more about kinesiology? Don’t miss our article, “What is Kinesiology?”

 

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Concordia University – Chicago has been educating students for over 150 years and when you enroll in our online programs you earn the same campus quality degree. Ready to advance your career in health and fitness with a degree in Exercise Science? Contact one of our Admissions Advisors to learn more.