The efficiency of modularization in physical education discipline within higher education institutions

Physical education in higher education institutions, mandatory for undergraduate students (Cycle I), serves as a component for developing general skills and competencies (code G). Its objective is to cultivate abilities such as learning, researching, analyzing, and effective oral and written communication, including the use of information technologies, within the context of professional preparation and diverse cultural settings [Curriculum Framework for University Education, 2015]. Achieving this objective through the physical education discipline requires educators within the university to adopt new content approaches and modern educational strategies. These approaches should simultaneously cultivate students' motor, physical, and aesthetic aptitudes. Numerous researchers, both nationally and internationally, who have recently studied the issue of university physical education propose new approaches to the discipline. These include physical education based on individual interests, involvement in sports sections and extracurricular activities, and the application of binary methodology in physical education. These approaches also aim to motivate students towards independent and systematic engagement in physical activities. Recent studies on university physical education, conducted at the Moldova State University, have highlighted several factors that impede the modernization of the discipline. Apart from economic, managerial, and infrastructural challenges, issues related to educational processes persist. These encompass curriculum design, the implementation of current teaching methods that align with the university discipline, and the evaluation process reflecting both general and specific competencies developed over a semester and the entire course. The research aims to enhance the teaching-learning-assessment process of university physical education by modularizing the discipline and the curriculum. This modularization focuses on developing both general and specific competencies in students engaged in the educational process. The following research methods were employed: analysis of studies related to university physical education, examination of documents governing the educational process in the discipline, curriculum design, and the application of modular curriculum to first-year students at Moldova State University. The modular curriculum for physical education at Moldova State University, approved by the Department of Physical Education and the Faculty Council, serves as a continuation of modules studied in general education. A module represents a unit of integrated functionality that provides learning experiences (theoretical and practical) to achieve educational goals [Vasiliev, M., 2014. Modular Instruction - Didactic Technology Focused on Skill Development]. The choice of modules/sports trials lies with the academic group, which selects a module from the curriculum each semester, resulting in 4 modules over 4 semesters. In the educational process, the implementation of the modular curriculum for physical education in the 2022-2023 academic year for first-year undergraduate students was initiated. The effectiveness of content application through modules was analyzed within the Literature Faculty student groups, who opted to study the badminton module. The content of the badminton module encompasses general knowledge of physical education and sports, specific knowledge of badminton rules and gameplay, and motor skills specific to badminton. The teaching-learning-assessment process for the module, conducted over 30 hours (15 hours of direct contact and 15 hours of individual student work), focused on educational aspects such as the application of constructivist and interactive methods centered on students, inter- and transdisciplinary study of general and specific module content, and the use of principles like individualization, differentiation, and personalization in practical content learning. The final assessment, achieving the "pass" grade at the end of the semester, which reflects the level of competencies developed by students who studied the badminton module, is based on points accumulated from two mandatory course assessments and individual student work (a minimum of 5 points for an assessment activity). Of the two mandatory assessments, considered formative evaluations, one was conducted midway through the module using the "moodle" educational platform. Students completed a classic, digitized test covering general knowledge of physical education and specific knowledge of the badminton module. The second assessment, a practical one, conducted at the end of the semester/module, involved evaluating motor skills (psychomotor competencies) specific to badminton gameplay, developed during practical sessions. Individual activity assessment was conducted through students presenting individual projects chosen from the curriculum (functional assessment of bodily systems; individual motor development/education program; analysis of movement structure in a specific technical element of the module; personal motor agenda for extracurricular motor activities; dietary program). The application of modular content in physical education (the badminton module) among the five academic groups within the Literature Faculty yielded a 92.4% "pass" rate. Among students, 92.7% scored over 5 points in evaluating general and specific module knowledge (cognitive competencies), 92.5% scored more than or equal to 5 points in the specific badminton practical assessment (psychomotor competencies), and 92.4% successfully presented individual projects. The outcomes of modular discipline instruction in Moldova State University and the analysis of students who participated in the badminton module indicate that modular content ensures a systematic, staged acquisition of functional knowledge/competencies in physical education and sports. Module contents are presented to students in directed complexes, and their acquisition aligns with projected objectives. Modular content allows educators to adhere to principles of individualization and differentiation, aiding student monitoring by providing recommendations and instructions to enhance learning strategies. Modular instruction in physical education encourages individual work, self-organization, and self-monitoring, thereby fostering independent motor activity in line with individual capacities.