University of Tasmania, Australia

Dr. Pedersen received his Ph.D. in Human Performance from Indiana University (USA) in 2003. He then began his professional career at New Mexico State University (USA) where he created the schools first adapted physical education professional training program suited to teach pre-service physical education teachers how to accommodate the movement needs of those with developmental disabilities. In the summer of 2007, Dr. Pedersen's knowledge in the area of quantitative research design afforded him an opportunity to teach a graduate level statistics course at Beijing Normal University (China). Dr. Pedersen joined the Faculty of Education at the University of Tasmania in 2009 as a Human Movement Lecturer, specializing in analysing the motor behaviour of individuals of all abilities. From 2010-2012, Dr Pedersen coordinated the Faculty of Education honours program.

Dr. Pedersen has two primary areas of research inquiry:

1. Utilizing passive prompting e-health solutions to address the health hazard of prolonged occupational sitting time in desk-based workers (for more information view the Project PAUSE accordion).
2. The development/maintenance of midline crossing behaviour in children of all abilities (for more information view the Project CrossMove accordion).

To view a list of Dr. Pedersen's scholarship in these areas click on his WARP Research Activity link.

Workplaces are increasingly acknowledged as having a crucial role to play in the health and wellbeing of working adults. Studies have shown that there is a detrimental association between prolonged occupational sitting time and employee health. Thus, one way of improving the health and wellbeing for employees’ who spend large amounts of time sitting because of their occupations is to promote an increase in their movement during the workday.

Through Project PAUSE (Physical Activity Using Short-burst Exercise) UTAS Faculty of Education researchers Scott Pedersen and Dean Cooley created Exertime, a passive prompting software application that regularly encourages employees to break long bouts of sitting by engaging in some form of short-burst physical activity during work hours.

Project PAUSE began in 2009 as a research project between the UTAS Faculty of Education and the Tasmania Department of Police and Emergency Management and was funded by the Tasmanian Government Healthy@Work grant scheme. Learn more about how the Exertime philosophy was developed through this collaboration.

Currently the Exertime software is being redeveloped for a new iteration of the Project PAUSE study to begin in early 2013. We are broadening our sample to include more workplaces across Tasmania. The new research project will examine direct and indirect health and wellbeing indicators and outcomes relevant to both individual and organisational perspectives.

If you or your employer would like to join the Project PAUSE team first go to the Exertime webpage to learn more about the research study. From here you can register your interest so we may contact you and discuss how Exertime can be tailor-made to improve the health and wellbeing culture at your workplace.

The ability to plan movements that cross the midline of the body as efficiently as movements to ipsilateral space has been considered by many in the field as a developmental motor milestone. Children that have difficulty negotiating this type of behaviour may experience limited success when participating in physical activity and sport. Dr. Pedersen’s research addresses this issue and its implications for teachers, coaches, and parents.

Project CrossMove is a quantitative research investigation exploring this developmental motor behaviour in children of all abilities. In this project we are examining the benefits of using traditional and simulated exercise interventions to improve the efficiency of midline crossing reaching movements in children between the ages of 7 and 13.

Using traditional ball-bouncing games, juggling, and popular simulated exercise gaming systems, like those provided by the Nintendo Wii, this project aims to compare the efficacy of exercises that emphasise midline-crossing movements against those that do not. Outcomes from this project may help to inform school teachers and sport coaches how to plan and implement more developmentally appropriate physical education lessons and training programs.

Potential postgraduate students and honours students interested in conducting research in this area, or any related areas in the field of motor control, are encouraged to contact Dr. Pedersen (phone: + 61 3 6324 3554 or email: Scott.Pedersen@utas.edu.au) to discuss participation in these or future projects.

Dr. Pedersen is a nationally (USA) certified adapted physical educator who has taught in a range of educational settings from preschool inclusive physical education to segregated adult sheltered workshop fitness programs. Through these varied experiences Dr. Pedersen has shaped his teaching philosophy for empowering individuals of all abilities to enjoy lifetime physical activity participation.

Dr. Pedersen's teaching philosophy is predicated on four principles:

• That all children deserve developmentally-appropriate physical education instruction;
• That community-based physical activity and lifelong learning should be the framework for physical education curricula design;
• That an inclusive physical education class is a supportive, yet challenging environment for all of its students; and
• Practitioners need high-quality training and sustained support to achieve this vision.

• ESP233 Motor Learning
• ESP307 Adapted Physical Activity
• ESP318 Introduction to Research Methods
• ESP330 Advanced Motor Learning
• EPF410 Honours Project Planning and Development
• EPF420 Honours Dissertation

To bridge the gap between university and community Dr. Pedersen has developed a range of consultancy services to disseminate his research and teaching knowledge. Click on the accordions below to view the two teaching workshops aimed at assisting teachers and coaches in designing developmentally-appropriate inclusive physical education for students of all abilities, or view the Exertime Research Consultancy accordion to view more information on how your workplace can utilise an innovative e-health and wellbeing program to improve your workplace health culture.

The teaching workshops were designed to be delivered at your school or training centre. First, we will begin in the classroom or conference room to discuss theoretical concerns of teaching adapted physical education. Then, we will move to the gymnasium to engage in practical applications of developmentally-appropriate physical activity so participants can practice the games and strategies. Certain aspects of this content can be customized toward specific disabilities or teaching/coaching scenarios. At the conclusion of each workshop participants will have an opportunity to ask for help with their specific teaching scenarios. In addition, workshop participants will gain a lifelong colleague to help problem solve scenarios that arise in the future.

The Exertime Research Consultancy begins by customising the Exertime program to your specific workplace environment. Thus, the initial meeting will need to take place at your worksite and it should involve an Occupational Health and Safety or Human Resources manager, an Information Technologies officer, and a member of your workplace's senior management team.

To learn more about these services please contact Dr. Pedersen by phone: + 61 3 6324 3554 or email: Scott.Pedersen@utas.edu.au

This introductory workshop is designed to teach physical educators/coaches the “tricks of the trade” when adapting physical education for their students/athletes. Program participants will learn strategies of how to increase the number of successful opportunities available to students/athletes during physical education. Practitioners that utilize these techniques may help to increase the likelihood that more students/athletes will become lifelong physical activity participants. More specifically, program participants will learn to design innovative lead-up games that promote community-based physical activity. Activities that will be highlighted include bowling, frisbee, bouldering, and tennis.

This succeeding workshop will challenge program participants to implement a disability sport unit within their current inclusive physical education curriculum. The workshop coordinator will demonstrate how the inclusion of disability sport activities can help students with disabilities realize that their disability does not prevent them from becoming lifelong physical activity participants. At the same time students without disabilities will be challenged physically and mentally to adapt to these new games and strategies; while learning through physical education to become empathetic, and not sympathetic, towards individuals with disabilities. More specifically, program participants will learn to champion a disability awareness movement throughout the school by introducing disability sport in the physical education curriculum. Games and activities will be demonstrated based on the following disability sports: goalball, sit volleyball, and a variety of wheelchair sports.

Exertime is a workplace e-health and wellbeing program that encourages employees to break long bouts of sitting by engaging in short-burst physical activity during work hours. Exertime is designed to prompt individuals with suggestions for low-impact activities that takes between one to two minutes to complete, and is suitable to be completed at a desk or around the office. Activities range in difficulty to cater for everyone’s level of fitness and do not require you to purchase any additional assistance items to complete the activities. To read more about this innovative workplace e-health and wellbeing initiative please view the Exertime webpage.

Currently, the Exertime program is only offered through a research consultancy model with the UTAS Faculty of Education. Since the project is in its infancy, this is the best approach to collect much needed data to determine the efficacy of the program. Through the research consultancy model, Exertime developers are offering FREE quarterly reports to any organisation that would like to begin using the program. Register your interest on the Exertime webpage so the Exertime developers can contact you to begin customising the software to fit your organisation's needs.

Employees or employers who have specific questions about using the Exertime software to initiate or complement a workplace health and wellbeing program should contact Dr. Pedersen by phone: + 61 3 6324 3554 or email: Scott.Pedersen@utas.edu.au