Using Technology to Motivate Kids to be Physically Active
Study looks at heart rate monitors as motivational tool
Many kids today are under-active and overweight. Technology – in particular video games and computers – is partly to blame.
An assistant professor at the University of Alberta hopes to find out whether technology can also be part of the solution by helping motivate kids to become more physically active.
“The state of today’s children is that they are inactive, generally speaking,” says David Chorney, of U of A’s Faculty of Education. “And those who are active, aren’t active enough to get physical benefits. If we don’t help kids in the phys-ed classes become more physically active, we’re not doing everything we can for them.”
Dr. Chorney will be telling Congress 2009 about his plans for a study later this year of children in Grades 7, 8 and 9. The kids will get heart rate monitors, and will be followed over three years to see whether those monitors help motivate them to become more physically active.
Dr. Chorney says kids today are “hard-wired” for technology. But he said there’s no data – yet – to show whether technology can be used as a motivational tool for phys-ed. Getting kids motivated early in phys-ed classes is critical, he said, because by the time they reach their mid-teens, many aren’t taking phys-ed classes anymore.
“Technology is here to stay, but in phys-ed it’s relatively new. It’s been the slowest area to respond to technology,” he said. “If technology is the hook to get them motivated, that’s great!”
Many kids today are under-active and overweight. Technology – in particular video games and computers – is partly to blame.
An assistant professor at the University of Alberta hopes to find out whether technology can also be part of the solution by helping motivate kids to become more physically active.
“The state of today’s children is that they are inactive, generally speaking,” says David Chorney, of U of A’s Faculty of Education. “And those who are active, aren’t active enough to get physical benefits. If we don’t help kids in the phys-ed classes become more physically active, we’re not doing everything we can for them.”Dr. Chorney will be telling Congress 2009 about his plans for a study later this year of children in Grades 7, 8 and 9. The kids will get heart rate monitors, and will be followed over three years to see whether those monitors help motivate them to become more physically active.
Dr. Chorney says kids today are “hard-wired” for technology. But he said there’s no data – yet – to show whether technology can be used as a motivational tool for phys-ed. Getting kids motivated early in phys-ed classes is critical, he said, because by the time they reach their mid-teens, many aren’t taking phys-ed classes anymore.
“Technology is here to stay, but in phys-ed it’s relatively new. It’s been the slowest area to respond to technology,” he said. “If technology is the hook to get them motivated, that’s great!”
