Units

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Sample subject outline - Semester 2 2012

Note: Subject outlines often change before the semester begins. Below is a sample outline.

Rationale

An ever-increasing range of quantitative information about human performance is available, whether in sport
(training data, individual motion and kinematics, competition results), occupational and ergonomic data from
the workplace, or from research studies. Extracting key information from this data to support decision-making
is an increasingly important process, whether in optimising training, talent identification, or tracking
performance in sport; in informing clinical and rehabilitation decisions following injury, or in more specialised
settings in exercise and movement science research.

Aims

The unit provides you with a set of analytical and software tools for analysing human performance that can
be applied flexibly to many different settings. In combination with concepts from biomechanics, exercise
physiology, motor control and learning and functional anatomy, these techniques will allow you to track,
reduce, analyse and report key aspects of human performance efficiently, and customise them for specific
sports, occupational tasks or research activities.

Objectives

On successful completion of this unit, you should be able to:
1. Identify key performance variables for a broad range of activities in sport, the workplace, and
selected research topics together with their sources and formats
2. Describe the ability to import, re-format and organise data using widely available spreadsheet
software
3. Use a set of simple programming skills to extend standard spreadsheet functions and customise
analyses
4. Select and implement appropriate methods of displaying and reporting key aspects of performance
in a way that can support informed decision-making
5. Implement a method for obtaining, tracking, analysing and presenting significant summary
information on a real human performance data set

Content

The following topics will be included in the unit:
¿ Identifying relevant components of performance;
¿ Types of performance data: observational, self-reported, equipment-based; size, structure and format of data-sets
¿ Spreadsheet techniques: importing and organising data, data quality checks, commonly used algorithms for event detection and data summaries;
¿ Integrating data, images and text;
¿ Automating the reporting of performance: dynamic graphs and tables, microcharts and dashboards;
¿ Distributing and presenting data: conventional and web-based methods.

Approaches to Teaching and Learning

This is a tutorial and laboratory-based unit with a strong emphasis on learning and practicing performance
analysis techniques. In tutorials you will be presented with practical problems related to an aspect of human
performance, working in groups to identify which variables are crucial and how best to obtain relevant data,
and applying principles from earlier units. Laboratory classes will focus on learning and implementing various
analysis techniques using widely available software packages.

Assessment

Summative assessment consists of 3 items as outlined below.

Assessment name: Presentation (Oral)
Description: In small groups students will prepare and deliver an oral presentation on a sample human
performance problem. The presentation will outline alternative measures that represent the
most important performance variables for that problem, explaining and justifying the choice
of variables, including the advantages and disadvantages of each, relationships between
them, and factors involved in their collection and analysis.
Length: Presentation: 10 minutes, Questions: 10 minutes
Relates to objectives: 1-2
Weight: 25%
Internal or external: Internal
Group or individual: Group
Due date: Week 4-6

Assessment name: Analysis techniques
Description: Students will be evaluated on their ability to implement a prescribed set of techniques to import, check, organise, format, analyse and present selected human performance data sets. Length: 1 hour
Relates to objectives: 3-5
Weight: 35%
Internal or external: Internal
Group or individual: Individual
Due date: Week 9

Assessment name: Performance analysis project
Description: Students will identify and select a real human performance data set from sport, the
workplace, or a research setting, which must be approved by the tutor. Students will use the
techniques they have learned to develop a software approach that tracks and analyses the
data, as well as a method to report key aspects of performance in an original and informative
way. The project culminates in a demonstration of the analysis and its outcomes.
Length: Presentation: 15 minutes. In addition to demonstrating the project in class, students will
also submit a fully annotated, working electronic copy of their analysis package together with
a sample data set.
Relates to objectives: 1-5
Weight: 40%
Internal or external: Internal
Group or individual: Individual
Due date: Week 12-13

Academic Honesty

QUT is committed to maintaining high academic standards to protect the value of its qualifications. To assist you in assuring the academic integrity of your assessment you are encouraged to make use of the support materials and services available to help you consider and check your assessment items. Important information about the university's approach to academic integrity of assessment is on your unit Blackboard site.

A breach of academic integrity is regarded as Student Misconduct and can lead to the imposition of penalties.

Resource materials

In addition to online materials, the following sources are recommended:
Jacobsen, R (2007). Microsoft Excel 2007 Visual Basic for Applications Step by Step. Seattle: Microsoft.
O'Donoghue, P. (2010). Research Methods for Sports Performance Analysis, Routledge.

Risk assessment statement

There are no out of the ordinary risks associated with this unit.

Disclaimer - Offer of some units is subject to viability, and information in these Unit Outlines is subject to change prior to commencement of semester.

Last modified: 18-Oct-2012