Dr. Lee J. deLisle
Chair, Department of Health, Physical Education and Recreation

Research

My research interests have not followed the academic adage of "learning more and more about less and less". My pursuits follow my life experiences in that the people and events in my life cause me to seek to learn more about a particular topic. This leads me to inquiry, research and writing. My theological studies led to a dissertation on the effects of the Protestant Reformation on our perception and use of leisure. The abstract for the dissertation presents the basic tenets of this study. From this work an article entitled: Keys to the Kingdom or Devil's Playground addresses the interaction between organized religion and the leisure experience. Practical applications resulting from this research is included in the article Respecting Religious Traditions in Recreational Programming.
Through an Understanding the American Religious Community of the 21st Century. Leisure and Tolerance:an Historical Perspective challenges the reader to understand and diferentiate between the concepts of tolerance and diversity and how leisure activities can support desired sociological outcomes.

Teaching innovations are highlighted in two SCHOLE articles. Succesful Self-Management creates a student contract management scenario in a senior level management class. Focus on Leisure asks students to venture into the community to record leisure activities for many ages and all levels of abilities through a photographic study. Students are also encouraged to develop theories regarding the understanding that community members have concerning their own leisure behaviors. In both activities students are encouraged to share their findings using appropriate technology in the classroom.