Modern approaches to optimizing physical education for students in the context of digitalization

the aim of the study is to develop and test an innovative methodology for physical education of students based on the integration of digital technologies in the context of the digital transformation of education. The experiment, conducted during the 2022–2023 academic year, involved 120 first- and second-year students of MIREA – Russian Technological University, divided into control and experimental groups. The study utilized Xiaomi Mi Band 6 fitness trackers for monitoring heart rate and physical activity, the Strava mobile application with gamification features, and standardized tests of the All-Russian Physical Culture and Sports Complex “Ready for Labor and Defense” (RLD). The research methodology included an 8-month pedagogical experiment, a Likert 5-point scale questionnaire to assess motivation, and statistical data processing using Student’s t-test and correlation analysis in SPSS 26. The results demonstrated a statistically significant 64% increase in weekly physical activity in the experimental group (p < 0.05), a 34% rise in motivation, and a 21% improvement in endurance standards (1,000-meter run). A 28% reduction in class absenteeism was observed due to the automated activity tracking system. The practical significance of the work lies in the development of a three-stage algorithm for integrating IoT devices into university educational programs, including the adaptation of technical infrastructure, instructor training, and the incorporation of digital metrics into the assessment system. The findings can be applied to modernize the discipline “Physical Education” in accordance with the requirements of the Federal State Educational Standard (FSES 3++) and the national “Education” project.

physical education, digital technologies, activity monitoring, students, gamification, health preservation