ERIC Number: EJ762488
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2007-Apr
Pages: 6
Abstractor: ERIC
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0192-592X
EISSN: N/A
Gaming: Eat Breakfast, Drink Milk, Play Xbox
O'Hanlon, Charlene
T.H.E. Journal, v34 n4 p34-39 Apr 2007
Plagued by one of the most overweight populaces in the country, the state of West Virginia was looking for a solution to its obesity problem that would appeal to the school-age crowd. It turned to Linda Carson, a professor at West Virginia University's School of Physical Education. Carson recalled witnessing kids lining up in an arcade to play a fiercely kinetic video game called Dance Dance Revolution (DDR), and she suggested it as a possible remedy. So in the spring of 2004, the state partnered with the university on a research project to measure the effectiveness of DDR on combating childhood obesity. The state started with a clinical, at-home study of 50 children--all of whom had a body mass index above the 85th percentile, which is the threshold for being considered overweight. The initial results of the study were overwhelming. Pre- and post-testing showed, among other things, better arterial response to increased blood flow, an increase in aerobic capacity, and no weight gain. In addition, all the participants were more willing to try new activities and invite friends over to play, and were more confident in participating in physical education classes. After seeing the data, West Virginia's department of education got involved and decided to implement a pilot program on 20 middle school campuses in the fall of 2004 to gauge DDR's acceptance within the general student population. The results of the pilot were similarly compelling. So impressed was the state that it mandated DDR be integrated in the physical education programs of all of its middle and junior high schools, with plans to expand it into the high schools and eventually the elementary schools. This article discusses the benefits of incorporating video games such as DDR into physical education curriculum.
Descriptors: Junior High Schools, High Schools, Video Games, Play, Pilot Projects, Obesity, Physical Education, Program Effectiveness, Student Attitudes, Dance, Academic Achievement
1105 Media, Inc. Available from: T.H.E. Journal Magazine. P.O. Box 2170, Skokie, IL 60076. Tel: 866-293-3194; Tel: 866-886-3036; Fax: 847-763-9564; e-mail: THEJournal@1105service.com; Web site: http://www.thejournal.com/
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: High Schools; Junior High Schools
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Virginia; West Virginia
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A