Module Specifications..
Current Academic Year 2024 - 2025
Please note that this information is subject to change.
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Description Students will focus on potential innovations for enhancement of performance in the performance sport domain. By exploring the potential for interdisciplinary research, students consider the twin challenges of interdisciplinary interaction and individual differences in identifying, deploying, and exploiting potential gains. The module will explore organisational and cultural constraints and opportunities that underpin the potential for innovation in sport performance, specifically the literature concerning leadership and systems in sport and performance, practice design in sport performance and measurement issues. Students will also explore the evidence base underpinning motivational, cognitive and behavioural processes underpinning performance and innovation in their domain. Normally anticipating the topic for final thesis module, in this module students develop a critical consideration of the ‘pros, cons and challenges’ of a specific innovation in their sporting context. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Learning Outcomes 1. Identify, critically evaluate and synthesise one or more potential innovations which would enhance performance in their chosen domain 2. Consider and appraise potential roadblocks, limiters and/or delimiters to the potential impact of innovations targeting enhanced performance in their domain, and evaluate ways in which these may be mediated or overcome 3. Critically examine the ways in which this/these innovation/s may be evaluated, both theoretically and empirically, together with potential optional pathways for subsequent refinement 4. Critique and evaluate measurement issues in their performance domain as a means of supporting the efficacy of any potential innovation 5. Explain and appraise organisational and cultural constraints on sport performance 6. Consider and critique specific motivational, behavioural and cognitive influences on sport performance innovations 7. Appraise the potential for interdisciplinary research on performance innovation within their performance domain | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
All module information is indicative and subject to change. For further information,students are advised to refer to the University's Marks and Standards and Programme Specific Regulations at: http://www.dcu.ie/registry/examinations/index.shtml |
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Indicative Content and Learning Activities
Innovations in Elite PerformanceThis module develops students in the principles and methods underpinning the design, development, deployment, evaluation and refinement of performance innovation. Building on the crucial skills of internal critical reflection and external open debate, the module offers a ‘supported pathway’ in the intellectual development of methods for performance enhancement. Students will develop their own ‘knowledge web’ pertaining to the areas of interest, following a specific path through the extant literature on both generic innovation and their own specific idea, coupled with an experience-based knowledge of important components of their own domain. Students will be encouraged to identify a range of issues appropriate to their own interests in the research process. Creativity and diversity in topics will be explored to encourage student contribution in an appropriate and relevant manner. Students will be expected to read widely on the issues of research, subject specialisations and become familiar with the research potential of the University library and online resources. Students will need to become adept with Internet search and on-line information sources of interest to their own domain.Organisational and cultural constraints in sport performanceStudents will systematically review the study of organisational culture in sport and how it applies to their context. In doing so, students will explore the various ways that the sport literature has conceptualised organisational culture, definitions of organisational culture and methods used to study this concept. Against a call for expertise in culture change in sport (Fletcher & Arnold, 2011), students will examine the need for evidence based guidelines and ecologically valid, practically meaningful knowledge as the basis for culture change. Recognising leadership as one of the most significant factors in sport, this module will explore the research underpinning leadership in sport, who effective leaders are, their intentions and behaviours, and the context in which they operate.Capturing elite performanceWhile the call for interdisciplinary studies has been loud and clear in sport performance, the number of interdisciplinary publications in sport sciences is rather limited as is the interdisciplinary nature of some applied practice. In this module, students will focus on this issue and discuss the advantages of interdisciplinary research for understanding sport performance. Students will focus on the issue of interdisciplinarity and illustrate how the ecological approaches can be used to drive elite performers and support performers in complex environments. Students will explore the strengths and limitations of measurement issues in their performance domain as a means of supporting the efficacy of any potential innovation.Planning for PerformanceStudents will focus on the behaviours and cognitive processes required to achieve high level performance in sport. Students will examine the motivational, cognitive and behavioural processes underpinning performance and how these apply to change and innovation in their domain. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Indicative Reading List
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Other Resources None | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Programme or List of Programmes
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