Students from WSU and two other Northwest universities shared their kinesiology (science of human movement) research projects with students from three schools in New Zealand. They made presentations via videoconferencing at the fourth annual Inter-Pacific Student Research Symposium.
Geoff Wood, head of the department of health at New Zealand’s Rosmini College and former WSU instructor, and Larry Bruya, professor in the department of kinesiology at WSU, four years ago came up with the idea of a conference as a way for students to share work projects completed as part of their coursework.
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New Zealand student Dany Rassam makes a presentation. |
On the WSU campus, the symposium took place in FSHN T101. Four large television screens allowed students to watch other presenters, PowerPoint presentations and audience members.
Between the two countries, more than 140 students participated. There were about 20 presentations, including a joint project by WSU and Rosmini College. These students studied health and fitness in fourth graders in their respective countries.
At WSU, kinesiology students worked in collaboration with Dan Peterson, the physical education teacher at Sunnyside Elementary School in Pullman, to study the fitness, flexibility, sport skills and eating habits of fourth graders.
Other topics included: “To Exercise or Not to Exercise: That is the Question,” motives for dieting of men and women, and a comparison of force between stationary and instep soccer kicks.
Not only was the New Zealand research interesting, said WSU student Shaun Neil, but it was encouraging to see colleagues on the other side of the globe working on similar issues.
“I think it’s great to be able to interact with someone on the other side of the world and from a different perspective to learn something new,” agreed Rosmini College student Dany Rassam.
