A091: Digital Era

The 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China emphasized the importance of advancing educational digitization. In this context, ideological and political education in university sports courses faces both new opportunities and challenges. "Introduction to Sports," a foundational course for sports majors, plays a critical role in helping students systematically understand the knowledge system of sports science. Integrating ideological and political elements into this course not only enriches its content but also aligns with the broader goal of fostering moral education. However, research in this area remains exploratory, with insufficient evaluation systems and a need for deeper theoretical and practical exploration. This study focuses on 172 students enrolled in the "Introduction to Sports" course at East China Normal University from September 2023 to January 2024. By identifying ideological and political elements within the course and evaluating their teaching effectiveness, the research aims to propose effective strategies for enhancing ideological education in sports courses, offering theoretical and practical insights for universities. Method: The study combines literature review, questionnaire surveys, and statistical analysis. A self-designed questionnaire was used to assess students' perceptions of the ideological and political elements in the course. The analysis identified seven key dimensions of ideological and political elements in the course: system identity, patriotic sentiment, rule awareness, professional ideals, comprehensive abilities, sports spirit, and healthy living. Students showed a preference for innovative and dynamic teaching methods that incorporate current affairs. The evaluation revealed significant improvements in students' understanding of sports spirit, patriotic sentiment, comprehensive abilities, and healthy living. However, their awareness of system identity, rule awareness, and professional ideals requires further development to achieve a well-rounded ideological and political education. The findings highlight the role of digital technology in diversifying the application of ideological and political education. Students generally support integrating ideological elements into course content and demonstrate a reasonable level of understanding. Moving forward, university instructors should adopt innovative teaching methods and diverse activities to enhance student engagement. This study provides valuable theoretical and practical insights for improving the "Introduction to Sports" course and optimizing teaching effectiveness.