Digital revolution in physical education: News from Mühlheim!

Digital revolution in physical education: News from Mühlheim!

On July 8, 2025, a seminar day on the topic of “Digital tools for school sports” took place at the German Sport University Cologne. At this seminar, which was part of the bachelor's degree in sports teaching, the students were able to try out the integration of digital technologies into sports lessons. The school visit to the Rheingymnasium Mühlheim, where grades 8 and 9 were actively involved, provided a practical framework for innovative teaching concepts.

Participating students had the opportunity to use various modern technologies, including motion capture and virtual reality (VR). These innovations not only serve to make physical education lessons more interesting, but also to check the didactic foundation of digital media in the exercise offerings. The students used the makerless motion capture system “Captury_ET”, which enabled the visualization of movement sequences in real time.

Diverse digital applications

Another highlight was the tablet-based “Tabata training”, which was combined with a quiz for cognitive activation. Furthermore, the game “Just Dance” was used in an appealing disco atmosphere to promote the joy of movement. In addition, the “Puzzle Dance” was used, in which creative ideas for further developing dance movements were collected.

To explore the possibilities of VR technology, the students experienced rhythmic-coordination training with the popular game Beat Saber. Not only did this provide fantastic access to digital movement activity, but it also encouraged students to actively engage with new technologies.

Reflection and didactic questions

The prospective sports teachers also critically examined the potential and limitations of digital technologies in teaching. Questions about the didactic integration of new media, their benefits for motivation and movement learning as well as the feedback processes were discussed intensively. Findings from the ComeSport and ComeNet3 research projects were incorporated into the seminar topics, which served as an example of research-led teaching.

The use of digital media in physical education is by no means new, as the publication “Digital media in physical education – ideas, suggestions, examples, criticism, perspectives” by R. Dober from 2024 shows. Dober examines the current situation, trends and perspectives for school sports and addresses how digital devices such as tablets, notebooks and smartphones can play a role in sports lessons. The use of media is becoming increasingly established in everyday school sports.

The video series in particular, which highlights various aspects of digital media in sport, offers valuable insights into the reality of modern physical education. These media units are particularly relevant in the context of the current discussions about digitalization in the education sector. The digitalization initiatives that started at the sports university and beyond emphasize the need to rethink existing teaching methods and adapt them to the realities of the digital world.

The seminar led by Univ.-Prof. Dr. Claudia Steinberg, supported by Dr. Christian Büning and Stephani Howahl, is a further step towards modern training for sports teachers. Doctoral candidate Rachel Wittschier also contributed to the content, which can further promote the connection between theory and practice in the field of education.

More information about digital media in physical education can be found in the article by sportlehr.de as well as in the offerings of the German Sport University Cologne.

In summary, the integration of digital technologies in physical education not only contributes to increasing motivation, but also opens important discussions about the value and challenges of digital education.