Emerging perspectives for APA & health professionals

This teaching modules aims to foster understanding of professional issues facing health and adapted physical activity (APA) practitioners within the European context. As a collaborative online interactive learning (COIL) unit, an emphasis is placed upon intercultural exchanges, shared learning, and the opportunities afforded by international collaboration. 

The plenary coursework considers how health and physical activity initiatives are developed and implemented within specific regulatory and policy frameworks. Reasoning occurs first at a national level before expanding to European Union (EU) and World Health Organization (WHO) policy environments. Particular attention is given to governance structures, professional regulation, and workforce development. The role of professional practice networks and associations in shaping standards, advocacy and professional identify is also considered.

Tutorial sessions are structured around two main activities. In the first activity, students from each participating institution present an overview on a selected aspect of physical activity service development within their national context to peers from partner institutions. In the second activity, mixed groups, ideally with students from the different partner institutions, collaborate to analyse a shared issue relative to the health and physical activity professionals from an international perspective. Topics may include professional recognition, continuing professional development standards, coordination between academic and professional sectors, integration of digital health technologies, or advocacy strategies at national and European levels.

By the end of the module, students should be able to:

·       Compare professional structures and regulatory frameworks for Adapted Physical Activity across European contexts

·       Understand the role of political and professional actors (e.g., WHO, EU institutions, national associations) in shaping health and physical activity policy

·       Analyse challenges and opportunities related to international collaboration in APA

·       Demonstrate intercultural communication and teamwork skills in a professional / academic setting

·       Propose small-scale, feasible international initiatives or collaborative actions in APA

---------------- SESSION 1 ----------------

REGIME STANDARD / DEROGATOIRE

-       Contrôle Continu

Evaluation based on 2 x small group presentations: 

1. A national-context presentation

2. A comparative international group presentation addressing a shared professional issue

Assessment criteria include analytical depth, clarity of communication, comparative reasoning, and quality of collaboration.

---------------- SESSION 2 ----------------

REGIME STANDARD / DEROGATOIRE

Oral evaluation - 20 minutes

Students must have completed, or be currently enrolled in, a third-year undergraduate programme in Adapted Physical Activity at a participating institution. This course will be taught exclusively in English.

·  Identify differences in health service organisation and professional regulation across national contexts

·  Analyse cultural, political, and structural challenges affecting health and physical activity professionals

·  Communicate and debate professional issues within an international and intercultural academic environment

·  Apply comparative reasoning to professional policy and service development questions

Références RNCP

RNCP38697BC01 - Mettre en oeuvre les usages avancés et spécialisés des outils numériques

RNCP38697BC03 - Mettre en oeuvre une communication spécialisée pour le transfert de connaissances

RNCP38697BC05 - Évaluer et analyser des programmes et des dispositifs d’APA-Santé mobilisés pour les publics à besoins spécifiques

RNCP38697BC07 - Gérer et coordonner des projets d'intervention en APA-Santé

RNCP38697BC08 - Manager, encadrer et former dans le cadre de projets en APA-Santé

RNCP38697BC09 - Inscrire les services en APA-Santé (dispositif, programme) au sein d’un écosystème spécifique

No single core textbook is prescribed. Targeted readings and policy documents will be provided depending on the thematic focus of each iteration of the module.

Online collaborative tools and platforms provided through the EDUC alliance will support the delivery of this COIL module.