It is critical that principles of laboratory-based studies with implications for academic performance be tested in naturalistic learning environments to gauge their feasibility. In a study by Fenesi, B., Lucibello, K., Kim, J. A., & Heisz, J. J. (2018), research participants were assigned to an aerobic exercise, video game playing, or lecture as usual group while watching a single, videotaped on-line lecture. Participants in the exercise group were more likely to be on task towards the end of the lecture and performed significantly better on a multiple choice exam compared to the other groups. In the current article, the laboratory approach by Fenesi et al. is adapted to establish the feasibility of integrating student-led exercise breaks during a 80 min in-person lecture in a large university setting. Practical guidelines for implementation are provided. The approach was implemented at The Ohio State University for the duration of the semester in three courses: two upper level Health Psychology undergraduate courses with enrollments of 93 and 73 students and a combined undergraduate/graduate course in Cognitive Aging with 13 undergraduate and 7 graduate students. Overall, based on anonymous qualitative feedback from students and peer evaluators, the exercise breaks were reported to be a strength of the course and a positive experience. The current approach establishes the feasibility of integrating exercise breaks in a large, in-person university lecture environment for the duration of a semester.
Sweat so you don’t forget: Establishing the feasibility of exercise breaks during university lectures
