HOW EFFICIENT ARE THE WEB BASED LEARNING METHODS IN ANTI-DOPING EDUCATION OF ROMANIAN ATHLETES?

Abstract

Anti-doping education is among the most important tasks of the specialized organizations in this area. A while ago the emphasis was placed on testing actions aimed to identify if the athletes use forbidden substances. Nowadays, the national anti-doping agencies, independently or in partnership with different organizations of the formal (preuniversity or university level) or non-formal education system, have expanded their methods and means designed for anti-doping education. Web-based learning methods in anti-doping education is a new trend in this educational field specific to performance sport. The obvious advantages of these methods convinced the anti-doping organizations to develop and to use on-line tools. Some of the most relevant e-learning platforms are ADel (Alpha, Coach true, Sport Physician Kit On line, Ado Kick Start, Parents' Guide to Support Clean Sport), edu.anad.ro (Romanian Anti-Doping Agency), e-Learning Germany (National Agency from Germany), e-Learning England (AntiDoping Agency from England), iLiftClean Education Platform (Weight Lifting International Federation). The paper intends to emphasize the awareness level of the anti-doping training programs based on web learning methods among Romanian athletes. For this purpose, we organised a survey based on a questionnaire, with the following variables: level of knowledge among athletes about the on-line educational anti-doping tools, the frequency of accessing these tools, the level of efficiency perceived by the athletes who use them, the advantages and disadvantages perceived by the athletes. The research was applied to 150 athletes, aged from 15 to18 and practicing different sports (track and field, artistic gymnastics, handball, swimming, judo, wrestling, volleyball, ice-hockey, ice-skating, cross country skiing, alpine skiing, escalade, snowboard), who accepted to participate in this survey. The conclusions of the paper emphasize some characteristics of the anti-doping education among Romanian athletes and allow us to recommend possible measures to improve the anti-doping educational actions of the Romanian Anti-doping Agency.