Motivation to Move with Exergaming in Online Physical Education

Motivation to move is critical in online physical education (OLPE). This study looked at the motivational aspect of remote exergaming versus another student versus proximally against a console generated non-player character (NPC). Research shows that students in grades 4-12 are motivated to play exergames because they are native gamers. The entertainment value of the exergame garners more effort from the students than they realize they are expending. This research showed that exergames are motivating for students (N=124) aged 11-18 in grades 6-12. The subjects reported high motivation to participate while playing both a computer-generated NPC and a remote human opponent over the internet. Scores for motivation were highest when subjects played another student over the internet but were also high for proximal NPC play. This research positions exergaming as a potential piece of OLPE curriculum that can help students access the emotional aspect of physical education curriculum

Multiple novel prostate cancer susceptibility signals identified by fine-mapping of known risk loci among Europeans

Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have identified numerous common prostate cancer (PrCa) susceptibility loci. We have fine-mapped 64 GWAS regions known at the conclusion of the iCOGS study using large-scale genotyping and imputation in 25 723 PrCa cases and 26 274 controls of European ancestry. We detected evidence for multiple independent signals at 16 regions, 12 of which contained additional newly identified significant associations. A single signal comprising a spectrum of correlated variation was observed at 39 regions; 35 of which are now described by a novel more significantly associated lead SNP, while the originally reported variant remained as the lead SNP only in 4 regions. We also confirmed two association signals in Europeans that had been previously reported only in East-Asian GWAS. Based on statistical evidence and linkage disequilibrium (LD) structure, we have curated and narrowed down the list of the most likely candidate causal variants for each region. Functional annotation using data from ENCODE filtered for PrCa cell lines and eQTL analysis demonstrated significant enrichment for overlap with bio-features within this set. By incorporating the novel risk variants identified here alongside the refined data for existing association signals, we estimate that these loci now explain ∼38.9% of the familial relative risk of PrCa, an 8.9% improvement over the previously reported GWAS tag SNPs. This suggests that a significant fraction of the heritability of PrCa may have been hidden during the discovery phase of GWAS, in particular due to the presence of multiple independent signals within the same regio

The efficacy of exergames for social relatedness in online physical education

Online physical education (OLPE) has been viewed as an oxymoron. Physical education curriculum at all levels seeks to help learners grow socially in the way they interact and deal with diverse and challenging fellow students and settings. Students who have no contact with other students while they are at home for various reasons may not be able to learn the proper response to the challenges of social participation or benefits derived from social contact. This study looked at the efficacy of remote exergame participation between students aged 11–18 (N = 124). The results show that exergaming over the Internet can provide students with a social experience that results in increased relatedness between participants versus playing by themselves against a non-player character (NPC). This relatedness can help students access the social standards for physical education when enrolled in OLPE

Technology assisted reciprocal physical activity (TARPactivities)

At times technology is seen as a niche that holds out tremendous promise but falls short of a comprehensive tool that can produce sustained transformation. This narrow view must be overcome if technology is to increase its impact on physical activity. A broader view suggests that technology is an expansive term and includes the ideas, devices, or methods that result from the use of past knowledge, application of knowledge and the introduction of new knowledge derived from research and study. This paper suggests that technology assisted reciprocal physical activities (TARPactivities) can serve as a framework for the inclusion of persons with disabilities in physical education, sport, recreation, and fitness while expanding findings to other populations. TARPactivities can serve as a unifying framework and provide support for education, training, and research aimed at helping transform the lives of persons with disabilities, their families, and their communities with physical education, sport, recreation, and fitness

Exergaming and physical education: A qualitative examination from the teachers' perspectives

ABSTRACT Active video games, or exergames, which require the physical movement of the participant's body, are being recognized as one possible solution to a diminishing interest in childhood physical activity. Exergaming extends beyond the home and arcade and into the education sector, where it is being used as part of the physical education (PE) curriculum. This study is a qualitative examination of two elementary school PE teachers' reflections of a sixweek exergaming program with their fourth grade students. Through a phenomenological approach, semi-structured interviews were conducted, transcribed and analyzed. Analysis through Social Cognitive Theory revealed several themes including the value of exergaming, student motivation, tailoring needs, accountability, self-awareness and challenges with implementation. Teachers in the study reported that exergaming was a positive curricular option that was students enjoyed resulting in high levels of student engagement. The variety of exergame activities provided a diverse learning experience that resulted in sustained engagement by the students. Student accountability appeared to help them focus on the task and enable them to make connections between their exergame movements and other movement activities. Challenges highlighted include the cost of the equipment, confidence in the use of technology and potential overuse. Future studies might consider investigating how teachers can objectively measure the connection between exergaming and student attitudes toward physical activity

School Networks and Sustainable Development

The promotion of new approaches to the development of knowledge and the production of education services, which respect the Europe 2020 strategies, is the precondition for the economic development of the entire country, upholding the principles of inclusion and sustainability. The scarcity of resources earmarked for the education system and the very complexity of learning needs suggest forms of institutional cooperation between schools and their stakeholders, which can only be achieved through networks of relationships. This article aims to highlight the conditions at the base of: the building and development of a network of relationships between the school and the community, so as to meet ever more complex educational needs; the maintenance and enhancement of relations in the network, with the aim of ensuring an effective system of educational services; the definition of responsibilities, structures and processes of school governance for the human capital’s growth as part of the sustainable development of a local community.