Course Description
The purpose of this class is to better familiarize the student with nature of scholarly inquiry in the broad field of kinesiology. Emphasis will be placed on the following topics: 1) understanding the historical roots of kinesiology and current state of affairs in the field, 2) levels of analyses and the potential benefits of integrative inquiry, 3) the nature of holistic versus reductionistic approaches, 4) the distinction between open and closed systems and how patterns of behavior emerge in each, 5) the dynamical systems approach and how it differs from classical scientific enterprise, and 6) the appreciation of both empirical and phenomenological approaches to scientific inquiry into movement, skill, exercise and health. Throughout the course, a number of target articles and text readings will be assigned and discussed in class. Students will be responsible for presenting summaries of related papers that they have read. Studying for quizzes and participating in group discussions in class will be the primary means by which an understanding of the material will be obtained. It is anticipated that the readings and discussions will be relevant for students in all areas of kinesiology, including biomechanics, exercise physiology, motor learning and motor control, motor development, sport and exercise psychology, and socio-cultural kinesiology.

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