Online Health-Related Fitness Courses: A Wolf in Sheep's Clothing or a Solution to Some Common Problems?

At the institutional level, distance education addresses problems such as teacher shortages, limited course offerings, dropouts, charter school competition, poor teacher quality, and the lack of physical space (Russo, 2001). It will also enable researchers and practitioners to examine student-to-student and student-to-professor interactions, track student satisfaction, and assess teacher quality. In addition to changes in knowledge, attitudes, and physical activity behavior, researchers interested in testing the effectiveness of online classes may also want to consider measuring physical fitness, self-efficacy, and other strategies or behaviors related to long-term increases in physical activity.