User Engagement: Engage Them then Educate Them

My husband recently presented at The World Congress Annual Leadership Summit on Mobile Health (mHealth) in a workshop titled "Consumer Engagement Through New Media - Mobile, Video Gaming and Virtual Worlds”. The more I have learned about this workshop, the more I have realized another way to understand active gaming in physical education. Have you heard of the term consumer engagement (CE)? The presenters in this workshop discussed the importance of CE in the 21st century in terms of getting consumers engaged (in a product or brand) in order to sustain, maintain, and retain them ultimately enhancing a business. My husband said, “Really that’s what it sounds like active gaming should be in physical education – but more like user engagement. Engage the kids then educate them.” Coming from a business mind and someone that still thinks dodge ball (the big red ball that eliminated the same kids each game) was the greatest game ever in physical education; I was hesitant to admit that he was absolutely correct. User Engagement….engaging the users or what we consider to be our students first! Then educate them about living a healthy lifestyle. After all, in the academic classroom teachers must triumph in engaging the students attention in areas such as math, science, or history in order for the students to perform successfully.

In a previous blog the importance of entertaining individuals during exercise, exertainment, was discussed. Additionally, the concept of children wanting to play and have fun being their top priority was discussed. If children do not enjoy the task, they will not continue doing it. Make it fun, and they are likely to continue the task. Children love technology, especially video games. They are appealing, motivating, and most importantly, engaging! Active gaming is a great tool for physical education teachers to use in order to engage the users (students) then educate them. Once students are active and realize exercise is enjoyable, physical education teachers can then teach students the value and importance of exercise as well as develop the necessary skills and confidence needed to maintain an active and healthy lifestyle into adulthood.

Active gaming "user engagement" – I like it. Engage them then educate them. Sounds like successful 21st century teaching and learning!

The Case for Exergaming (Active Gaming): Systems by Wii and Others Force Players to Break a sweat

I found the below recently published article "The Case for Exergaming (Active Gaming): Systems by Wii and Others Force Players to Break a sweat" to be a nice read from the Chicago Tribune. The article discusses active video games as well as the support from the American Academy of Pedriatrics for using active video games to encourage physical activity among youth:

"Whew-hew," yells Lorelei Mansfield, throwing her arms in the air. Her breath is audible and the smell of sweat is in the air — par for the course for a boxer dealing some serious rough justice.

Then she puts down the controller and heads to the kitchen for some fruit snacks.

Today's video games have very little to do with that Atari system boxed up somewhere in the garage. For nearly three decades, the only physical sign of someone having played video games was a thumb cramp. Now, the virtual reality of many games requires players to punch, throw and swing. And that, according to some studies, is helping keep video game players in better physical shape than in decades past.

The American Academy of Pediatrics this year said the magic words gamers have dreamed about for decades: Playing video games actually can be considered exercise. That especially applies to Wii Sports and Konami's Dance Dance Revolution, in which users go through the motions to make their virtual counterparts perform. Boxing, martial arts, basketball, archery, bowling, table tennis and more can be simulated in one's own living room. The key is to stand up and participate in what's being called "exergaming."

"Exergaming is beneficial because it keeps (kids) in a culture of movement as opposed to a culture of (inactivity)," Dr. Michael Rich, the director of the Center for Media and Children's Health at Children's Hospital in Boston, tells the American Academy of Pediatrics newsmagazine.

A study published in the journal Pediatrics showed that participation in intense games such as Wii Boxing or Dance Dance Revolution was comparable to moderate-intensity walking. But another article in the same issue said that though exergaming uses significantly more energy than sitting around pushing buttons, those games don't provide as much benefit as participating in actual sports.

In other words, gaming nerds aren't totally off the hook.

"Unless you do resistance-type exercise, you won't gain a lot of strength," says Dr. Robert Dimeff, sports medicine director at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. "To get cardiovascular benefits, you'd need to get your heart rate and blood pressure up."

Getting beat by an 8-year-old at Wii boxing will get the blood pressure up, all right.

A firsthand look at five kids, ages 5-12, playing Wii Sports and Wii Sports Resort, shows that the games generate a lot of action among players.

Yelling, bickering and controller tug-of-war are optional.

"I think that (action games) are more fun because they're active," says Tony Romano, 12, of Clayton, Calif. "It feels more real when you're standing and playing. You feel like you need to win."

The kids really get worked up playing Swordplay, where the on-screen weapon looks like it's made of wood (probably to cut out the gore caused by a blade). It requires players — whose avatars stand atop a round platform in a large stadium — to defend, strike, parry and basically beat their opponent until they fall into the water below (far enough to allow pre-splashdown gloating). The harder the swing, the more powerful the attack, which gets the blood pumping.

Ron Rogers of Brentwood, Calif., only lets his kids play Wii on weekends. But when they do, he can tell the difference between the active and nonactive games.

"They end up all sweaty and red in the face from all the jumping and twisting and punching they do while playing," he says. "They're jumping the whole time and moving their arms about. We always say it makes us feel better about them playing video games because they get such a good workout."

The workout, of course, depends on the level of commitment. Mickey DeLorenzo, a 25-year-old Philadelphia man, began a semifamous fitness regime in December 2006, playing Wii for 30 minutes a day for six weeks."

Chicago Tribune

A few important take home messages:

1. As with any physical activity, active games are only as beneficial as the intended use of the games. As the above quote mentions, "the workout...depends on the level of commitment."

2. This article focuses on Nintendo Wii and Dance Dance Revolution. There are many more active games available that produce similar and/or different health benefits. Resistance training (muscular strength improvement)can be developed with a variety of active games.

3. Active games have the potential to replace sedentary screen time because of the whole body immersion that children enjoy: "I think that (action games) are more fun because they're active," says Tony Romano, 12, of Clayton, Calif. "It feels more real when you're standing and playing..."

Why not let tell them to "get up and go get your game on"...

A Lesson in Physical Education for Active Gaming

An article by Examiner.com interviewing Mark Manross, the Executive Director of PE Central, was recently released discussing the active gaming section of the PE Central website. See what Mark had to say about the new section:


A Lesson in Physical Education for Active Gaming

The newest trend in fitness is getting kids moving in their own homes by engaging them in healthy play. The trend, that gained most of it's momentum from Nintendo Wii, is called Active Gaming, or exergaming, and is now increasingly being used in schools.

This month the award winning website "PE Central" has launched a new section to help guide and advise physical education teachers in the increasing use of Active Gaming in school. Examiner caught up with the Executive Director of PE Central and former phsycial education teacher himself, Mark Manross.

Mark was awarded the Presidential Citation from the National Association for Sport and Physical Education (NASPE) in 2004 and in the following year one of the most prestigious awards given by NASPE, the Joy of Effort Award, for his work with PE Central. Mark explains the rationale behind adding this technology genre into his premier website resource.

EXAMINER: What is the purpose of PE Central and why was it started?
Mark: The purpose of PE Central is to provide the latest information about contemporary physical education programs for children and youth. We wanted a place for K-12 physical education teachers to get and exchange lesson ideas and other information that was pertinent to professional physical educators. The site began 14 years ago.

EXAMINER: Where do you get your lesson ideas from, are they free for teachers?
Mark: Lesson ideas are submitted and shared by visitors (bulk of which are practicing K-12 physical education teachers) to our site. They are then reviewed by our Managing Editors and Advisory boards who are all volunteers. If an idea is chosen for publication on the site the authors name and
affiliation is listed on the idea and they receive a $50.00 gift certificate from our sponsor, S&S Worldwide.

EXAMINER: What or who first drew your attention to Active Gaming (AG)?

Mark: Dr. George Graham, our company President and Co-founder began studying these types of activities at Penn State and he shared his interest with us. Then we heard that the state of West Virginia gave many DDR's to teachers and we began hearing more and more about this type of educational activity. Lisa Hansen, a professor at the University of South Florida, then contacted us about doing a section. Lisa represented this technology in NAPSE PIPELine with Active Gaming and Interactive Fitness workshops and we are proud that it has debuted and that Lisa is taking care of the section.

EXAMINER: Why do you think it is important to have a section on PE Central dedicated to AG?

Mark: Mainly because it is so new and so many teachers are now starting to embrace the concept and the technology. We want to share quality educational practices with the teachers who wish to include this in their physical education programs and we think this is going to grow in the future.

EXAMINER: Who will benefit from the AG section, is it just K-12 PE teachers?

Mark: It is designed for the K-12 physical educator but we heard from a reviewer of the section that she thinks it will be great for after school programs and organizations like the YMCA and the Boys and Girls clubs as they now have access to active gaming. We hope it is beneficial to anyone who is offering active gaming experiences to students of all ages and in many different settings.

EXAMINER: Some teachers fear Active Gaming will take over and run class, could this happen?

Mark: Professional physical educators would never let that happen. We know that our main job is to guide youngsters in the process of becoming physical active and healthy for a lifetime. A piece of equipment or system cannot do that. The teacher will always need to be there to guide, motivate and inspire.

EXAMINER: If you could only chose one page, what is the most valuable content in the AG section?

Mark: At the time of this writing I really like the Teaching Active Gaming page. Lisa has done a nice job in explaining how to properly incorporate active gaming into a developmentally appropriate physical education setting.

EXAMINER: AG is expensive compared to traditional PE equipment, how does PE Central address this?

Mark: For now we have a Fundraising/Grants resource page as teachers will need to use a fundraiser or find a grant to help raise money for some of the equipment that is involved in active gaming.

The PE Central website is http://www.pecentral.org and the Active Gaming section can be found at http://www.pecentral.org/activegaming/

Active Gaming in Physical Education: Sharing an Experience

Today I had an interesting email conversation with a young woman working to complete her undergraduate degree. She has a passion for implementing active gaming in physical education; however, the University she attends does not offer such a degree. This was her email:

"I found you through the PE Central site, and knowing that someone was
expanding on this is what got me excited in contacting you.

My mother...teaches Physical Education for K-5 along
with APE, and it is a part of her curriculum. Currently she uses the
Playstation 2 and Wii, with games that use the student's body to
control the outcome. Those games include, DDR games, Eyetoy games,
Happy Feet, Wii Sports, Wii Sports Resort, Wii Outdoor adventure, Just
Dance and many others. Over the years this has acquired many
televisions, gaming systems, projectors and is set up in an arcade
setting, giving the children options in which game they want to play.
She has also acquired controllers that can adapt the games to any
student. Each Physical Education Standard has been applied to the use
of these Active Games in her curriculum.

My mother is more then willing to share, lesson plans, photos, or any
thoughts on how this works in her class room. The both of us have
presented this at the OAHPERD conference and The Council for
Children's Expanded Physical Education (CCEPE) conference for six
years now. This is pretty much what sparked my thoughts into how to
make this into its own degree...I want to help integrate Active gaming technology
into Physical Education..."

I found this email worth sharing for several reasons. First, this young woman's mother is implementing active gaming as a "tool" and aligning the activities with the Physical Education Standards. This is exactly what we are wanting physical education teachers to do when using active gaming. Next, her mother is an experienced teacher and is passionately sharing or willing to share more information about how active gaming is used in the physical education classroom. Her past presentations (6 years) at conferences as well as expression to share with us lesson plans, photos, and thoughts on the PE Central active gaming website demonstrates a physical education teacher that truly desires to help other educators implement these activities appropriately in their classroom. Additionally, this young girl does not necessarily want to teach; she just wants to help others implement these activities in physical education. She was truly searching for a way to have an active gaming degree developed. Furthermore, the PE Central Website initiated this conversation and “connection”. I hope others will understand the value and impact sharing on this website has on promoting quality physical education.

I do hope her mother shares ideas with us so we can learn from others using active gaming in their physical education classrooms. I also wish this young woman the very best on her journey to assist others with active gaming in the physical education classroom. I was simply intrigued!

We All Just Want to Have Fun! Get Your Game On...

It was a beautiful Friday morning. There was just enough time to get my workout in, shower, and get to campus for a meeting. My gear was on as I was ready for a longer run of the week. Gel packs, check! Shoes tied, check! Sun screen applied, check! New songs on the iPod, check! iPod charged….OMG! How could I forget to charge my iPod? My demeanor dramatically changed. My iPod was my savior from extreme boredom of exercise. The music entertains and engages me assisting in making exercise more enjoyable. Could I go so far as to say it makes exercise more fun when I should enjoy working out regardless of the entertainment provided? I actually tried to rationalize with my mind why I really needed to run that day. My eight mile run turned into three miles as I thought of running an additional five with little to engage me along the way. I realized my iPod truly did make exercise more fun. Exertainment, Exercise and Entertainment, at its finest. How many times have you gone to the gym to do cardio and not listened to music, watched television, read a magazine, or talked to a friend? Probably not often. My point is that we all want to enjoy the activity at hand; and if we do, we are more likely to continue doing it.


Research suggests that the most important element in a child’s life is having fun. Studies also demonstrate children will more likely remain engaged or continue an activity if they consider it enjoyable. If this is the case, it is our job to figure out how to make physical activity more enjoyable. What worked 30 years ago may not be as successful with this generation. What works now may not work five years from now. We need to continue to educate ourselves on appropriate, modern tools that children may find enjoyable and motivating in which they will develop a desire to voluntarily want to be physically active. Active gaming is an appropriate and modern tool that the current generation relates too and undeniable enjoys.

Dr. Ernie Medina, a medical doctor at Beaver Medical Group in California, presented at a conference and posted two pictures: One of an adult running on a treadmill and another of an adult running on a mat while playing a Jackie Chan video game. The tag line said, “Bottom Line...The Heart Doesn’t Care!” I think this really puts physical activity into perspective.

If children will voluntarily choose to participate in an active game opposed to a more sedentary behavior, why not suggest this is a positive behavior? When implemented appropriately in physical education, active gaming can be a fun, healthy, active learning experience – a recipe for successful teaching and learning experiences in the PE classroom.

Active Gaming: Oh, You Mean the Wii?

I cannot tell you how many conversations I have had with individuals discussing active gaming when they say something similar to, "Oh, you mean like the Nintendo Wii?” While my answer is "yes", it has become more and more frustrating to realize that superb marketing of a popular brand has really conditioned many minds to not properly understand active gaming. Active gaming is more than just the Wii...much more!

Active gaming is an umbrella term with a modern concept of combining technology + games + physical activity. Exergaming is also a popular term associated with active gaming that some refer to as "active" video game play. Yes, Nintendo Wii is an active game; but, so are a variety of virtual bikes, rhythmic dance games (dance dance revolution), martial arts simulators, HopSports, Gamercize, gesture tracking games, other virtual sports games, etc. Simply stated, there are numerous active gaming activities available on the market- commercially and for residential use. Review the "What is active gaming?" section of our website to learn more.

While many physical activity advocates, and maybe I should include traditionalist, view active gaming as a potentially negative tool to be used to promote physical activity; I am not so sure these technology driven physical activities have been given a proper chance to be successful. A large reason for much misconception is due to a lack of knowledge and or negative experiences with the inappropriate implementation of active gaming. Both of which are understandable and will be discussed further on the PEC active gaming website as well as in our blogs.

The question: "What should active gaming really be?" Active gaming should be a "tool" (in physical education) used to get children physically active while accomplishing learning objectives. Active gaming should not replace traditional physical activities; only accentuate them if that makes sense? A popular facet of active gaming is that the children consider the games fun because the technology aligns with the current generation's interests. If they are going to spend time playing video games why not let them choose an active video game? So I ask you, what is wrong with "fun fitness" if a child will choose to be active playing an active game opposed to a more sedentary behavior? Our goal is to educate children about physical activity in hopes they will become voluntarily active for a lifetime. Active gaming is simply one type of physical activity to help accomplish this goal!

Welcome to PE Central - Active Gaming Blog

Welcome to our Active Gaming Blog. The purpose of this blog is to provide you with appropriate, updated information regarding the field of active gaming with a primary focus on applying the information to the physical education classroom. Please take a few minutes to check out our PE Central active gaming website at http://www.pecentral.org/activegaming/. At this PE Central website you will find relevant information such as teaching tips, resources, websites, videos, pics, and frequently asked questions regarding active gaming.

Additionally, I encourage you to submit new lesson ideas regarding how you may be using active gaming in your physical education classroom. A gift certificate will be rewarded for each PUBLISHED lesson idea! A great way to earn spending money for additional equipment for your classroom and students.

We look forward to keeping you up to date with active gaming information. Contact us anytime!

Lisa Hansen