Backwards by Design Assessment Project

Currently, KIN 321 Sociology of Sport is the only sociocultural class in the kinesiology program and perhaps, one of the only sociology courses that kinesiology students will ever take. It is quite common that a sport sociology course is the first (and unfortunately only) upper class course that forces the students to critically analyze the underpinnings and values of the sport institution in which many are working so hard to promote. Since the class is approached from a conflict theorist approach (i.e., what I like to call the nitpick theory) and often challenges long held beliefs, a key threshold concept in the course is to analyze sport and sport institutions from a critical perspective. I have found a cumulative assignment that requires observation a key component to help develop the learning of the critical analysis threshold concept. The observation and conceptual analysis of different level sporting events is meant to help kinesiology students grasp the institutional problems of sport. I have used this assignment for years in a semester system; however, the Backwards by Design (BBD) workshop inspired me to zero in and emphasize the development of this threshold concept by updating this observation assignment. Thus, the purpose of my BBD project was to review and revise this assignment to 1) highlight the conceptual underpinnings of the observations to enhance student learning and writing, 2) reintroduce a small group assignment requirement in the course, which is fitting in a sociology course, and 3) make the assignment more manageable to grade in the quarter system.