Tornio Swimming Hall has taken a step towards better swimming education and succeeded in making learning to swim more interesting and efficient than ever before.
It all began with Hydrohex’s swimming education materials, which have proven to be a valuable resource for swimming instructors and students. The Sports Manager of Tornio Antti Härkönen shares how this innovation has transformed swimming education at the Tornio Swimming Hall.
Relief for a tight schedule
For swimming instructors, Hydrohex’s video-based educational materials have proven to be invaluable. They facilitate the delivery of swimming lessons, especially when the schedule is tight. With instructional videos shot underwater, instructors can demonstrate movements more clearly and in more detail than before, saving time and making teaching more efficient.
“The purpose of Hydrohex’s educational materials is to make demonstrating movements easier and provide continuous instructions. Instructors and teachers need time to observe and provide individual feedback, while students can examine the instructions on the screen.”
Beneficial for all groups
According to a Tornio swimming instructor, the educational materials can practically be used to support the education of all groups. The materials are suitable for students of all ages and skill levels, but they have proven to be excellent, especially with special-needs students. Learning with a visual example is more effective and motivating for many children. Additionally, for those who do not speak Finnish as their native language, following the instruction has been much easier than before.
Children love it
Swimming instructors have noticed that children learn faster when they have access to video instructions of underwater movements. Some children grasp the idea directly from the video, faster than from the instructor’s example. Children have given positive feedback on the educational materials, and they enjoy swimming lessons more than before.
EdTech aiding swim schools
Why do swimming instructors want to use video-based educational materials? One of the most important reasons is that the time for giving instructions during lessons is reduced, and instructors can focus more on individual guidance for students. Through technology, education becomes more precise and meticulous, benefiting all students.
“School swimming sessions are so limited that I want to make the most of the time and materials to support students’ learning.”
The beginning of a new era
At the beginning, swimming instructors had to get used to the new educational materials. Swimming teaching methods were well-established, and new innovations were rare. In the first few days, it took some time to select and switch to the correct videos, creating a waiting time for students. However, in just a couple of weeks, the new technology became integrated into the teaching process, and the benefits became apparent.
“Surely, as instructors embrace this even more, the quality of education will improve further. Now, you don’t really need to know the exercises yourself – even if an instructor has a weak imagination and poor preparation for a swimming class, they can rely on this.”
Future goals
The Tornio Swimming Hall quickly grasped the potential of virtual pool services. It all started with experimenting with virtual water aerobics and quickly evolved into a more prominent service for various user groups. Digitising swim school was seen as a logical step, and Antti Härkönen, the Sports Manager with a long career in physical education, immediately took the initiative.
“When we noticed that Hydrohex had skill exercises for children, I had the idea that it would be great if this tool could also be used in swimming education. That’s how it started for us.”
The Tornio Swimming Hall does not intend to stop with the achievements they’ve made. Their goal is to get school teachers to use Hydrohex educational materials and enable their own staff to participate in product development and material utilization. The aim is to continue improving the quality of swimming education and to be ahead of neighboring municipalities in innovative swimming education.
Read more about our swim school materials here.
